30 REVIEW OF TRAWLING REPORT OF 1884. 



ships avoided localities where small fishes abounded, whereas 

 the ' Garland ' and similar ships did not. They would not dip 

 a second net where these formed the bulk of the haul. 



The trawling observations had to do with things as they 

 were and are in the race for marketable fishes, and the exact 

 numbers in each case are reliable. 



The statements in the official Report of the Scotch Fishery 

 Board* therefore, in regard to the alleged capture of immature 

 fishes by the trawl, may with perfect justice be affirmed of other 

 methods of fishing. For instance, how many mature plaice are 

 caught by the liners in St Andrews Bay ? As a rule not one. 

 All are immature, yet the majority are saleable — even to the 

 high sum of 26s. or more per half box of 6 stones. The experi- 

 ments carried on with hook and line on board the 'Garland'^ can 

 scarcely be taken as average examples. Experience in line- 

 fishing, as it is, proves that young round fishes of all kinds will 

 be captured if the lines are shot amongst them, and perhaps of 

 a smaller size than those caught by the commercial trawl. How 

 often has it happened that the less enterprising liners fishing 

 inshore have filled their boxes only with young haddocks of 5 to 

 7 inches proceeding inwards from deep water, while their more 

 adventurous neighbours had quite as many boxes of large 

 haddocks from the offshore. It has happened indeed that this 

 capture of the small haddocks day after day has roused the ire 

 of the offshore fishermen, who made a law for themselves, 

 boarded the offenders' boats and flung their small haddocks 

 into the sea, just as in more recent times they did with their 

 neighbours' fishes when they defied the trades-union arrange- 

 ment, and purchased mussels at a higher rate than was con- 

 sidered reasonable, so as to continue their calling. Very small 

 fishes {e.g. of 4 inches) are captured everywhere, that is on the 

 grounds where they occur, by the ordinary methods of fishing. 



To take the fishes in the order in which they are mentioned 

 in the Trawling Report, the following sizes formed the lower 

 limit of the saleable fishes : — Skate (including grey, thornback, 

 starry, sandy, &c.), 10-12 in. across the pectorals; herring, 7-8 



1 Qth Ann. Report, Part iii., p. 185. 



2 lUd. p. 189. 



