APPENDIX J: ENGLAND — 100 — 



the increase of steam -trawling, but as the quantities landed by trawlers, drifters and liners 

 have not been distinguished in the Statistical Tables previous to 1903, the utility of this 

 information is limited. 



These same Reports, during recent years, have contained valuable discussions on fisheries, 

 data relative to the question of overfishing etc. Reference will be made later to the position 

 taken up in them, but attention may be drawn here to the tables and diagram in the 

 XV* Annual Report for 1900. These show the annual quantities of fish landed at: 



(1) Hull, Grimsby and Boston, 



(2) North Shields, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Scarborough, Yarmouth, Lowestoft and 

 Ramsgate. 



If is stated, that (1) are the ports at which practically all the fish from places out of 

 the North Sea are landed, and that (2) are the ports supplied from the North Sea; London 

 is omitted in both cases. The nine most important species, as shown in the following 

 table, are considered, and the period chosen extends from 1891 to 1900. It is clearly shown, 

 that the quantities landed at (1) have increased for almost all the species, whilst those 

 landed at (2) have on the whole decreased or remained stationary. This is the nearest 

 approach, yet attained, to accurate data concerning whether there has or has not been a 

 decrease of the fish supply in the North Sea. It is unsatisfactory, however, apart from 

 minor difficulties, in that the quantities landed at (1) include the quantities landed from 

 the North Sea as well as those from other grounds. The majority of the Hull and Grimsby 

 trawlers still fish in the North Sea, and the increase in the quantities landed there, may 

 be due in part to the increased centralisation of the fishing to these ports. 



General information from the statistics 



The information to be gained from the English statistics might be of the greatest 

 value, scientifically as well as practically, owing to the enormous quantities of all species 

 which are landed month by month and year by year. It is not too much to say, that the 

 English statistics practically dominate all conclusions which may be formed with regard 

 to the fisheries of the North Sea, though errors might arise if the statistics of other 

 countries were omitted. 



In the following tables, the quantités landed on the east coast are given separately, 

 then the totals for all England. The years considered are divided into quinquennial 

 periods and only the averages for those periods, up to 1900, are stated. This is inconvenient 

 for some things, but has the advantage that one is not tempted to lay more stress on the 

 figures than they will bear. 



The period 1886—1890 is the one for which the statistics are most unreliable and' 

 should indeed, except for one or two species, as herring and mackerel, be omitted. The 

 species recorded were few in number, and the brill, halibut and plaice were not given for 

 all the years, Consequently, the species grouped under "fish not separately distinguished" 

 were somewhat numerous as well as mixed in character. 



Thus, "prime fish not separately distinguished" contained brill, sole, turbot, cod, had- 

 dock etc., i. e. considerable quantities of the most valuable fish remained undistinguished. 

 Improvement was made during this period, and from 1890 — when the brill was first 

 separately distinguished — on to 1901, the uniformity of the figures for brill, soles and 



