COUNCIL-MARCH 1920- APPENDIX — 74 — 



February. Egg cruise in S. Bight. 



Egg cruise marking on Flamboro' off. 

 Current work on spawning ground. 

 March. Egg cruises on Flamboro' . ofî. 



Trawhng at fixed stations. 



(Signed) .J. 0. Borlet. 

 (2) Fuller Particulars as to statistics. 

 The English statistics of demersal fish from the North Sea will be tabulated 

 in squares measuring 1° of longitude by ^1." latitude. 



It is important that a Naturalist should study month by month the landings 

 of plaice from all the fishing grounds, paying particular attention to the landings 

 from the proposed closed areas on the Danish and Dutch coasts, vith a view to 

 estimating what loss of catch, not only of plaice, but of other fish, would ensue to 

 English fishing vessels if these areas were closed. 



(Signed) E. S. Russell. 



(3) Fuller particulars as to ichthyometrics. 



(A) It will be necessary to obtain an accurate record of the size of the plaice 

 caught on the principal fishing grounds in the North Sea in order that the effect of 

 any proposed size limit may be estimated. A staff of ten measurers is at present 

 engaged in ichthyometric work on plaice, haddock, and cod. It is proposed to 

 retain this number during next financial year. The staff will be concentrated further 

 south than in 1919, in order to give special attention to the plaice. 



(B) As little or no information exists as to the size of the plaice landed at 

 the smaller "inshore" ports, particularly on the South and West Coasts, and as these 

 ports might be very seriously affected by the imposition of say a 25 cm limit, it 

 is proposed to employ additional measurers to measure the fish at selected inshore 

 ports. 



(Signed) E. S. Russell. 



(4) Fuller particulars as to plaice marking and transplantation. 



On each of the occasions indicated in the skeleton programme it is intended 

 to mark 1,000 plaice. Should Holland be in a position to undertake the Haaks 

 experiment it is desirable that she should do so. 



The marking is desired chiefly for a direct estimate of the intensity of fishing, 

 but usual information as to growth rate and migration would be obtained from the 

 records. The transplantation experiment is' intended to determine whether the 

 alteration in the fish population during the last 5 years has affected the peculiar 

 acceleration of growth before the war effected by transplantation to the Dogger 

 Bank. , 



(Signed) J. 0. Borley. 



