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mately arrived at, then the relative quantities of small undersized plaice would certainly 

 be somewhat higher than that shown in the above table. The average weight would 

 also show a decrease, and probably sink to 140 gr. or even lower. If we take, for 

 instance, 140 gr. as the average weight of all plaice landed at Dutch ports in 1906 

 from the North Sea, then the number of fish which should correspond to a total 

 weight of about 7.5 million kg. would be about 53.6 million. In England, during the 

 period from October 1905/08 about 31.7 million kg. of plaice were landed, with an 

 average weight of 264 gr., equal to 116.3 million fish. The Dutch landings thus 

 amounted in weight to about 24 Vo of the Enghsh, but 46 "/o of the number. The 

 German plaice landings for the year 1909 amounted to 2.45 million kg., or 13.86 

 million fish with an average weight of 177 gr. which is equal to 33 7o of the weight, 

 and 26 "/o of the number, of the Dutch landings. 



The Dutch market measurements do not permit of any calculation as to possible 

 monthly variations in the composition of the landings; it is however, very probable 

 that such variations exist, being no doubt similar to those found in the English and 

 German landings. This is almost exactly correct as far as concerns the absolute quantity 

 of the landings in kilogrammes. With the Dutch, as in the case of the English and Ger- 

 man landings from the southern parts of the North Sea, the maximum falls in Spring, 

 especially in May, the minimum in Winter (January and February) with a smaller slight 

 minimum in July and August. 



If we subtract from the Dutch landings those undersized plaice which in Germany 

 may not be, and are not brought to land on account of the legal size-limit of 18 cm. 

 i. e. the greater part of the plaice below this size, and a corresponding quantity of 

 larger fish of 20 cm. and more, they will then appear very similar to the German. 

 There is then, scarcely any difference between the Dutch and the German plaice fishery as 

 regards the fish caught, but only as regards fish brought to land. This should in particular 

 also apply to the plaice fishery of the sailing vessels of both countries, the Dutch wor- 

 king Areas A2 and Bs, while the German ships fish in As and B4. The stock of 

 plaice in the western district of A2/B3 is obviously similar to that of the more easterly 

 A.'i/B4 especially as regards the occurence of young undersized plaice, and this to such 

 a degree that the two districts may in this respect be classed as equal. 



From the statistics at hand, and the market measurements which have been carried 

 out, it is impossible to determine whether any essential difference has taken place bet- 

 ween the different years of a period for instance such as the years from 1903 to 1907 

 in the composition of the Dutch landings of plaice from the North Sea: this is however, 

 scarcely probable. The lack of such essential difference would prove that the relation 

 of the yield of the steamer fishing to that of the sailing vessels, as well as the extent, 

 in area worked, of both classes of fishing have remained unaltered. 



Landings of plaice in Belgium. 



The Belgian plaice fishery in the North Sea is similar, as regards its manner of working 

 and territorial extent, to that of Holland, the steamers however, using the otter-trawl, fish 

 farther north and west than do the Dutch; almost all over the North Sea. The large 

 and small sailing vessels work almost the same grounds as in Holland, especially the areas 



S 



