•SELECT COMMITTEE ON SEA FISHERIES BILL. Xlll 



" 10. From an examination of the statistics of the quantity small plaice landed in London by 

 the carriers bringing fish direct from certain fleets fishing in the North Sea, it has been ascertained 

 that the occurrence of boxes of small plaice dates from March to October, and is most prevalent 

 from April to July inclusive, the quantity landed in those months being 80 per cent, of the catch 

 of the first complete year for which statistics are available. Further, that of 229,076 cwts. landed 

 in those months in 1902 and 1903, 173,693 cwts. were caught off the Danish coast, east of longitude 

 7 '30 south, south of latitude 56, and north of latitude 53'30, being the sea between and around 

 Heligoland and the Horn Reef Small plaice are estimated to have been 82 per cent, of the total 

 catch of all fish on these grounds in 1902 and 67 per cent, in 1903, while the value in 1902 of the 

 total catch was 69,988?., of which 50,241J. was small plaice, or 71 per cent, of the total, and in 1903 

 62,296i., of which small plaice represented 35,028Z., or 56 per cent. This seems to prove conclu- 

 sively that a very large proportion of the total amount of small plaice sold comes from that area, 

 and is caught in those months. 



" 11*. Evidence was, also, given as to the actual size of fish in boxes of " small plaice," which 

 showed that in 1902 plaice under 11 inches formed 60 per cent, in weight, and from 40 per cent, to 

 54 per cent, in value of the total catch of trawlers fishing on those grounds ; and in 1903, per 

 cent, in weight, and from 29 per cent, to 39 per cent, in value, the limits being the lowest and the 

 highest possible value which could be assigned to those below 11 inches. On the other hand, it 

 was shown that plaice of all sizes caught by vessels fishing in the same latitudes at about the same 

 period but outside those grounds, viz., between 2 deg. and 6 deg. east longitude, formed only 6 per 

 cent, in weight and 12 per cent, in value of the total catch in 1902 and 19031 respectively. This 

 affords strong grounds for believing not only that the imposition of a size limit would make it 

 unremunerative to fish on the shallow grounds on the Eastern side of the North Sea, but that it 

 would interfere very little, if at all, with fishing operations in deeper waters. 



" 12. It is to be regretted that similar statistics from markets other than Billingsgate are not 

 available, notwithstanding the fact (1) that a large sum of money is being annually expended by 

 this country in the investigation of the fishing grounds of the North Sea, in conjunction with other 

 nations, parties to the International Council for the Investigation of the Sea ; (2) that it was for the 

 elucidation of this problem that England consented to become a party to these investigations ; and 

 (3) that a special committee was appointed to formulate a scheme for the purpose of dealing with 

 this question. It is, however, satisfactory to note that the method of investigation which was 

 adopted by the Board of Trade, and more recently by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and 

 has already received the approval of the Ichthyological Committee, has now been recognised by 

 that Council who, &c. . . . , and have given a guarantee that it will be vigorously 



carried out by placing the matter in the hands of the Central Bureau itself. That Council at its 

 recent meeting at Hamburg passed the following resolution : — 



" ' The Council considers it highly desirable that full and careful statistics be collected at the 

 chief port of entry, on the question of the destruction of small fish, with special reference to the 

 size, place, and season of capture of young plaice and other flat fish, and desires to bring before the 

 Governments concerned the necessity of allocating out of the funds for fishery research at their 

 disposal a provision sufiicient for the thorough carrying out of this portion of the work." 



" 13. The Foreign Office, however, have been informed by his Majesty's Minister at Copenhagen 

 that more information on these lines was expected by the Bureau from a country which takes so 

 large a proportion of the catch of fish in the North Sea. 



" 14. The Bill before your Lordship's House differs from former BiUs in that it proposes instead 

 of a fixed limit below which fish shall not be sold to enable the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 to frame Orders for prohibiting the landing of any flat fish not exceeding such length as the 

 Board may prescribe, and subject to such exceptions and conditions as may be prescribed. While 

 some hardship would undoubtedly result to the line fishermen and small trawling vessels round 

 the coast if the sale of undersized fish were entirely prohibited (especially if the limit were not a 

 very low one), it appears to your Committee to be possible to make Order:; which would have the 

 effect of making it no longer worth while for the large steam trawlers to frequent the Eastern 

 grounds referred to during those months when undersized fish are most abundant. 



" 15. The Secretary of the Fishmongers' Company informed the Committee that at various 

 meetings of the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association, the representatives of the trade 

 asked to be defended against themselves. 



" 16. Sir Thomas Elliott, Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, was of opinion 

 that this could be accomplished by an Order of the Board which should prohibit the landing of 

 plaice under 11 inches by. steam trawlers, or carriers, or by sailing trawlers of 65 tons and upwards 

 at all ports during the months of March to July inclusive. An Order such as the one suggested 

 would not protect all the undersized fish in the North Sea, but would, if effectual, leave a very 

 large proportion, which would otherwise be taken in the trawls, to grow to a more marketable size. 



" 17. Some witnesses suggested that the Bill itself should prescribe the limit within which the 

 Board of Agriculture should have power to make Orders. Your Committee cannot agree that it is 

 desirable so to tie the hands of the Department, in view of the difficulty of securing the time and 

 attention necessary from Parliament to effect changes in a law once made. 



