LANCASHIRE SEA FISHERIES 73 



home, in the eastern part of the Irish Sea and in the Welsh bays, regular fishing 

 produces mostly cod, plaice, whiting, skates and rays, some soles and bass. 

 Herring and mackerel are for the most part taken in the trawl in the summer 

 months off Donegal, and in late summer and autumn off the north of Ireland 

 and the west of Scotland. Herrings also enter the Irish Sea to spawn off the 

 Isle of Man regularly in summer, and in Cardigan Bay in winter, and are taken 

 in autumn in the Solway Firth. There are thus at least summer and winter 

 spawning herrings in the Irish Sea. Only a small proportion of these, which 

 are caught in drift nets, are landed in Lancashire. 



Notwithstanding the landing of one-and-a-quarter million cwts. of fish 

 at the Lancashire ports, an addition of 1 5 new steam-trawlers at a reported cost 

 of £25,000 each to the Fleetwood fleet is announced to take place this summer. 

 The new boats will be equipped for fishing at great distances, and are 

 anticipated to increase the landings of fish and subsidiary industries and 

 employments ashore. 



The inshore fisheries have steadily declined as the steam-trawlers have 

 increased in numbers, so that the total landings at the minor ports in the 

 district last year was only 1 1 ,873 cwts. Plaice, dabs, flounders, rays and 

 whiting constitute the greater part of the fish catch. Prawns and shrimps 

 yield valuable fisheries off the North Lancashire coast and in the estuaries, 

 some 1 1 ,500 cwts. being landed last year at a value of about £20,000. In 

 the absence of rocky ground off the Lancashire coast, crab and lobster takings 

 are negligible ; and native oysters do not apparently now exist nearer than 

 Solway Firth. Other shell-fish, i.e., mussels and cockles, are taken in great 

 abundance on the extensive sandy shores, and form important inshore fisheries. 

 Last year about 50,000 cwts. of mussels and 1 1 ,500 cwts. of cockles were 

 collected in the district, but these yields are small in comparison with former 

 times ; for example, in 191 1 about 74,000 cwts. of mussels and 65,500 cwts. of 

 cockles were taken. The shell- fisheries are liable to fluctuations over a long 

 period, and times of plenty and scarcity are a common feature of their history. 



The Lancashire Sea Fisheries are unique in respect of the scientific interest 

 taken in them by the local District Fishery Committee, which is normally 

 composed of laymen. Soon after the Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee 

 was formed, in the '90's, with Mr. John Fell, the first Chairman, and Mr. 

 Robert Dawson, Superintendent, scientific investigation was begun, and 

 continued actively for more than 40 years. Two laboratories were established, 

 one at Piel and one in the University of Liverpool. Professor Herdman was 

 given charge of the fishery investigations, with Andrew Scott and James 

 Johnstone as assistants. These men laid the foundation of scientific fishery 

 knowledge appertaining to the Irish Sea area. The life-histories and 

 migrations of fishes (see Fig. 1 ) were investigated in relation to tidal currents 

 and sea-temperature, data regarding which were accumulated in special re- 

 searches. Important contributions on the habits, growth, food, parasites, 

 diseased conditions, structure, seasonal change in food values and general 

 biology of fishes, shell-fish culture and the scientific aspect of the general 

 economy of life in the sea, were made. Extensive fishery statistical work, much 

 of which was helpful in drafting necessary fishery regulations, and general 

 planktonic and faunistic besides other scientific investigations were carried 



