APPENDIX K: KYLE — 28 — 



square miles or 316,300 square km. Omitting 1902 as abnormal, and making allowances 

 for the quantities not caught in the North Sea, the accompanying table shows, that the 

 average catch of plaice over the years considered does not exceed 45,000,000 kg. The 

 average catch per square mile has therefore been ca. 490 kg., or per square km., ca. 140 kg.; 

 at Vsfds of the area, the catch has been naturally 735 kg. and 210 kg. respectively. 



It appears from this, that the result of the plaice fishing in the North Sea per square 

 mile is little more than half of what it is in the Kattegat. Several things have to be 

 noted, however, in this connection. 



Firstly, the trawlable area in the North Sea is less than that stated, owing to the presence 

 of rough or rocky gound. The extent of this untrawlable ground, as shown in the Chart, is 

 (including the Oyster Bank) about 17% of the whole plaice area. In the Kattegat on the 

 other hand, the extent of the untrawlable ground is less than 7 %. Making corrections for 

 this, the amount of the fishing in the Kattegat is ca. 875 kg. per square mile or 256 kg. per 

 square kg., and that in the North Sea ca. 600 kg. per square mile or 170 kg. per square km. 

 Secondly, the mode and conditions of fishing are not the same in the two areas. 

 In the Kattegat fishing, the smallest size of mesh used is 2 inches (5 cm.) from knot to 

 knot, whereas in the North Sea it is, for the largest trawls, about I'/a inches (3-8 cm.) 

 and only i inch (2'5 cm.) for the smaller trawls. Further, the Danish law forbids the sale 

 of small plaice under 10 inches (25.6 cm.). Both these circumstances tend to diminish 

 the number of small plaice landed from the Kattegat. 



Thirdly, the intensity of the fishing on the offshore grounds, by the steam trawlers, 

 is only a fraction of what it is on the inshore grounds. For one thing, the plaice are 

 scarcer there ; again, it does not pay the large steam trawlers to fish a ground so intensely 

 as the smaller sailing trawlers do. The result of this is, that the large plaice have a 

 better chance of escaping capture than the smaller, and to this is due, probably, the 

 constant presence of their offspring in such immense quantities on the inshore grounds. 



Taking these points into consideration, it is very probable that the fishing on the 

 inshore grounds, meaning, more especially, the so-called eastern grounds extending from 

 Horns Reef to the Dutch coast, is as great as in the Kattegat. The plaice found on these 

 grounds are of a smaller size, on the average, than those of the Kattegat and do not 

 enjoy the same measure of protection. 



The question whether a similar size limit to that prevailing in the Kattegat would be 

 of advantage to the North Sea plaice fishery, is too complex to be discussed at any length 

 here. Two points may be noted however. From the Danish researches round the Horns 

 Reef and in the Skager Rak, it has been found, that the plaice on the former area are 

 more abundant but grow much slower than those in the Skager Rak (see p. 22). It is 

 hardly possible to conclude otherwise, than that the abundance has some influence in 

 retarding the rate of growth. Consequently, any protection of the young plaice would 

 still further hinder the growth. On the other hand, it is evident from the foregoing 

 description, that if the plaice fishery of the North Sea is allowed to continue as at present, 

 the proportion of small plaice will become still greater at the expense of the large, and 

 if Holland be taken as example, a still smaller size of plaice will have to be brought to 

 market to maintain the supply. 



If the decision lies between these two evils, then assuredly the latter is worse than 

 the former. 



