_ 27 — APPENDIX K: KYLE 



and eastern parts of the North Sea, where the intensity of the fishing is probably as 

 great as in the Kattegat and the plaice are of a uniformly smaller size than in the central 

 and northen portions. In the latter regions, indeed, the problem is quite distinct from that 

 of the southern and eastern regions, and if it had been possible, the statistics for these 

 regions would have been considered separately. 



Taking the various regions as one, however, it has to be noted first of all, that the 

 composition of the current stock is somewhat different from that in the Kattegat. In the 

 latter region, it is composed mainly of plaice from 25 to 35 cm. (10 to 14 inches) long, 

 and plaice of 50 cm. (20 inches) are rare. In the North Sea, it is composed of plaice 

 from 20 to 60 cm. (8 to 24 inches) with 75 cm. (30 inches) as the upper limit. It may 

 be concluded also, from the extent of the area and the modes of fishing, that the current 

 stock will always have this composition, if the conditions of fishing remain the same. 



There is no data to hand concerning the average size of the plaice taken in the 

 North Sea as a whole, but it is possible to show for Germany and Holland, that this 

 average size must have decreased during recent years (see Tables VIII and X). 



In both countries, the proportion of large plaice has become less since 1896. As the 

 total quantities for Germany have not increased during that period, it follows, that the 

 average size of the plaice landed in that country must have considerably decreased. As 

 to Holland, Table X shows that the small plaice are in remarkable preponderance. The 

 quantities of small plaice landed in Holland have increased so much of recent years, that 

 a fourth class for still smaller plaice has been formed in the statistics for Ijmuiden. 

 Again, the plaice landed in Denmark from the North Sea during recent years are all on 

 the borderland between medium and small (see Part I, p. 26). No precise information 

 has yet been published as to the quantities of small plaice taken by the English trawlers 

 from the North Sea, but, from the preliminary data given by Archer', they must be 

 considerable. 



There seems no doubt from these facts, that the proportion of small plaice taken 

 from the North Sea has greatly increased during the period of years considered. At the 

 present time, probably more than half the quantities (by weight) of the plaice taken from 

 the North Sea are small plaice under 26 to 30 cm. (10 to 12 inches). If the total quan- 

 tities landed per annum remain constant, and there is no reason for believing otherwise at 

 present, this can only be due to an increase in the quantities of the smaller to counter- 

 balance the decrease in the quantities of the larger. It may be concluded also, that this 

 is not merely a statistical phenomenon but has actually occurred in the North Sea, in the 

 same way and for the same reasons as it has occurred in the Kattegat (see p. 22). 



It is of interest and perhaps of some practical importance to push the comparison 

 between the plaice fishing of the Kattegat and that of the North Sea still further. It has 

 been shown above (p. 20), that the amount of the fishing in the Kattegat is at least 814 

 km. per square mile or 238 kg. per square kilometer, or if we consider that only ^/, rds 

 of the area is fished over, 1221 kg. and 318 kg. respectively. The amount of the fishing 

 in the North Sea may be esfimated by the same method. 



The limit of the plaice fishing may be considered 80 meters (c. 44 fathomsi as for 

 the Kattegat. The extent of the area lying within this line^ (see Chart, Line I) is ca. 92,000 



' Report, Sea Fisheries Bill (H. L.) 1904, pp. 14 and 180 et seq. 

 2 Excluding the Skager Rak. 



