SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SEA FISHERIES BILL. 



3 March 1904.] 



Mr. Walter Archer. 



[Continued^ 



Duke of Abercorn — continued. 



tions rather seem here to show that, fishing out 

 in the North Sea, these small fish are not there 

 in very great numbers. One of the points which 

 haye been particularly remarked since these 

 investigations have been started is the absence 

 of small fish over the great central grounds of 

 the North Sea. 



255. Then in that case, as regards the North 

 Sea, an increase in size of the mesh would not 

 be necessary, in your opinion ? — I look upon it 

 that the difiiculty of increasing the size of 

 the mesh is that it works so unequally. A 

 mesh that would be large enough to let through 

 a small plaice would let through a large whiting 

 or haddock. 



Chairman 



266. I wish to ask you one or two questions 

 arising out of questions asked you by the noble 

 Lords round the table. The reason why you 

 elected to proceed by way of prohibiting landing 

 rather than of prohibiting the area m which 

 fishing should take place is, is it not, because it 

 would be not in any way difficult to carry out 

 the police arrangements preventing landing, 

 whereas the police arrangements to prevent 

 fishing in any given area of the North Sea would 

 be very difficult and very expensive ? — Yes, they 

 would; and I understand the Admiralty con- 

 sider that there would be very great difficulty in 

 carrying out any police arrangements out of 

 sight of land. 



257. Then perhaps you will just explain to 

 the Committee the reasons why this particular 

 area that is coloured yellow on your map is found 

 to be so full of undersized fish at a particular 

 period of the year. It is, I believe, is it not, on 

 account of the floating of the spawn in that 

 direction ? — The investigations which have 

 been carried out, so far as they go at present, 

 tend to show there is a current setting down the 

 east coast of England and into the bight of 

 Hehgoland, carrying with it the floating larvffi 

 and eggs, where no doubt they find suitable 

 conditions, and are therefore produced in great 

 quantities. 



258. And if this Bill is successful in preventing 

 the large trawlers from going to those grounds, 

 those small fish as they increase in size will 

 swim out into the deeper parts of the North Sea ? 

 — That is what these investigations, so far 

 they go, seem to show. 



as 



Glwdrman — continued . 



259. Then Lord Tweedmouth asked you 

 whether a very great amount of waste would not 

 take place by throwing overboard fish a great 

 part of which were practically dead ; but if the 

 result of the Bill is as you anticipate, that these 

 trawlers will not go to those grounds at all, it 

 follows that they will not catch the small fish 

 and will not throw them overboard dead ? — No, 

 they will not catch any large quantity of these 

 small fish. 



260. Then you were asked whether there 

 might not be some jealousy between one class 

 of fishermen and another class of fishermen ; 

 but is it not the case that the particular class 

 against whom, if I may use the expression, this 

 legislation is directed, are precisely the class 

 who are asking to have it imposed upon them ? 

 — Yes, that is so. 



261. Then I think you wore asked by Lord 

 Tweedmouth, with some surprise, why you pro- 

 prosed to prohibit the landing of undersized fish 

 m certain months of the year and not the whole 

 year round. Is it not the case that the object 

 of the Board in passing these Orders is to inflict 

 the smallest possible inconvenience upon the 

 fishing fleet consistent with preserving the 

 majority of undersized fish ? — Quite so ; and 

 further, our statistics show that the great 

 majority of these fish are captured during these 

 four months. 



Lord Hmeage^ 



262. With re|^ard to the question that Lord 

 Tweedmouth asked you about the waste of fish, 

 at the present moment by far the larger portion 

 of the small fish landed in this country is 

 thrown away for manure, is it not, and therefore 

 is not edible fish at all ?— There is a great 

 waste ; whether it is sold for manure or what 

 use is made of it we do not know, but we do 

 know that there is a great waste, that at times it 

 commands no price in the market at all. 



263. But it is absolutely removed from 

 BiUingsgate, is it not, by people in authority, 

 into _ the country in cartloads ? — There was a 

 considerable quantity last summer removed from 

 Billingsgate, and though it was offered to the 

 hospitals, the hospitals would only take it 

 unless it were delivered free. It was not even 

 worth the cost of fetching. 



The Witness is directed to withdraw. 

 After a short adjournment, 



Mr. ALEXANDER MILLIKIN is called in; and Examined as follows:- 



Chairman. 



264. You are connected with the Fishery 

 Board of Scotland, are you not ? — Yes. 



265. In what capacity ? — General inspector. 



266. Does your duty take you round the 

 whole coast of Scotland ? — Yes. 



267. Where is the principal centre of the 

 trawling industry of Scotland ?— Aberdeen 



(0 10.) 



(7?iair7?m7i— -continued. 



268. Aberdeen is the principal port of landing ? 

 — Yes. 



269. Have you any statistics of the fish 

 landed at Aberdeen ?— No. Mr. Ingram, who will 

 follow me, has the statistics. 



270. Has the area of trawl fishing increased 

 considerably of recent years ? — Yes. 



c 2 " 271. Then 



