_ 43 — APPENDIX K: KYLE 



8. Statistics of the total quantities of fish landed for the most part at 



North Sea ports 



The preceding account of the seven species chosen will have given some idea of 

 the present condition of fisheries statistics, and also of the value they might have. It is 

 unnecessary to enter here into the data with regard to the remaining species, as the 

 shortcomings in the statistics have been sufficiently exemplified and the actual data can 

 be found in the first portion of this work. The principles which should regulate the 

 choice of species for detailed treatment in an international system of statistics will be dealt 

 with in Part III. 



It requires but a glance at Table XXVI, of the total quantities landed, to show that 

 any discussion of a decrease of fish in general is perfectly unnecessary. The figures 

 speak for themselves and certainly do not give any countenance to pessimistic views 

 with regard to the future of the fisheries. 



Of the total quantity, about 50 % conies from the herring fishery (see Table XXV). 

 The remainder is the product of the trawl and line industries. Unfortunately, for reasons 

 already stated, it is not possible to separate the trawl from the line fishery in the statistics, 

 nor to ascertain the amounts taken in the North Sea alone. 



The condition of the North Sea trawl-fishery has accordingly to be judged, for the 

 most part, from the data with regard to the principal species as shown in preceding 

 pages. It has been shown, that the fisheries of all these species, plaice, turbot, sole and 

 haddock have come to what may be called a critical stages and there is no reason for 

 thinking, that the North Sea fisheries as a whole are in any way different. It is well, 

 however, to enquire what this critical condition actually consists in, and not to imagine 

 that it means or ever will mean the exhaustion of the fisheries. The various aspects 

 of the matter may be briefly mentioned. 



First of all, it has to be noted, that the various phenomena usually cited as indicating 

 the decrease of the fisheries can be viewed in various ways. Thus, any decrease in the 

 average catch of a number of boats (see Part I; Germany, p. 55 and Scotland, p. 120) 

 may be due to a distribution of the current stock over a larger number of boats ^ (see 

 also p. 18). Again, the spread of trawling from the North Sea to the north, south and 

 west has been taken to indicate, that the trawling in the North Sea had reached a maximum 

 some years ago. This may be quite true, but it has to be remembered that fishing 

 beyond the North Sea, by boats belonging to the North Sea, has been going on for 

 centuries; further, that similar indications occurred with regard to the Kattegat fishery 10 

 years ago, and yet what is equivalent to the trawl fishery there, brings in as large 

 quantities of fish now as it did then. What has occurred in the Kattegat would assuredly 

 be no less in the North Sea. 



It is for the most part the hope of greater gain which leads fishermen to seek for 

 new fishing grounds, but this in no wise means, that the old grounds are deprived of 

 their usual quantum of fish. It has to be remembered also, that theories with regard to 



■ See, Henking, H: 1. c. p. 16, who refers only to the steam-boats however; also, more particularly, 

 Heincke, Fr.: "Die Ueberfischung der Nordsee und Schutzniassregeln dagegen"; Mitt. d. deutschen 

 Seefish. Vereins, 1894. p. 61. 



2 See, Fifteenth Annual Report of the In.spectors of Sea Fisheries (England and Wales), 1900; 

 p. 5 et seq. 



6* 



