90 



caught in numbers at odd timeSj and therefore cannot be 

 much depended upon. 



The second species, Fierasfer Homei, Rich., is rarely 

 captured. 



Pleuronectid^. Flat Fish Family/. 



There are four members of this fdmily stated to exist in 

 Tasmanian waters, but only two are found abundantly. 

 These are — 



1. The Sole of fishermen . Aimiotretisj^ostratus, Giintli. 



2. The Flounder ........ Rhomhsolea monopus, Giinth. 



These fishes are generally taken in the shallows of estuaries 

 and along the sandy coasts, by seine-nets. They are. among 

 the roost highly prized fishes for the table, and are taken in 

 considerable quantities all the j'ear round. They are rarely 

 caught with hook and line. There is a law in existence pro- 

 hibiting the sale of Flounders under 9 inches^ but it would 

 appear from the evidence of various fishermen that the law 

 is evaded to a very great extent. From the evidence of 

 Mr. Barnett it would appear that the individuals brought 

 to the Hobart market are much below the size formerly 

 captured, and he attributes this to overfishing. It would 

 seem to be impossible to regulate the mesh of the seine so 

 as to allow the escape of the young fry of flounders and 

 other important food fishes, and large numbers are destroyed 

 either through wanton carelessness in not immediately 

 returning undersized fish to the water, or because they are 

 actually destroyed by the di-awing of the seine-net. 



As the use of the seine needlessly destroys young fish far 

 out of proportion to the few captured, its use should be con- 

 fined to particular localities. It is perhaps difficult to 

 devise a better mode for the captui-e of certain fish now 

 principally obtained by seine-nets, but it is undoubtedly a 

 barbarous engine of destruction, and it vrould be of \he 

 greatest service if some improvement could be devised 

 which would have the efiect of rendering it less destructive 

 to the young fry on the nursery grounds. In tlie meantime, 

 where there are no naturally protected nursery grounds, such 

 as exist among the snags of the Nelson shoals on the 

 Tamar, the only alternative would be to close particular 

 localities in estuaries so far as the use of the seine-net is 

 concerned. 



During former years the Flounder was much more 

 abundant in the waters of the Tamar and Derwent ; but, 



