96 



JUXUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE 



11 March 1904.] 



Mr. J. H. Irvin. 



[Continued. 



Lord Heneage — continued. 



1779. But you are willing to take it without ? 

 — Certainly ; I thought I had made that quite 

 clear to begin with. 



Lord Nm'ilihoume. 



1780. Do you reside in North Shields ? — At 

 Aberdeen, — I have been there a matter of 10 

 years. 



1781. But you are familiar with the fishing 

 industry of North Shields from the Tyne ? — Yes. 



1782. What number of steam trawlers now go 

 out from the Tyne ? — I am not quite sure upon 

 that point ; I should think between 100 and 150. 



1783. And how many trawlers have you in 

 your company ? — We are divided between North 

 Shields and Aberdeen. We have over 60 

 trawlers under our management. 



1784. Altogether ?— Yes. 



1785. Is there any difference of opinion on the 

 Tyne, do you think ? — No, they are of the same 

 opinion, that the Bill should be passed. 



1786. What is the opinion m a place like 

 Cullercoats or Tynemouth ? — I am speaking for 

 the trawling industry. Of course with regard to 

 the small line fishers of Cullercoats and round 

 about there, I cannot quite give you their views, 

 because it is a few years since I was there ; but 

 I do not think they can be landing any of these 

 small plaice. 



1787. I suppose the coast immediately off that 



Earl of Yarhoroivgh — continued, 

 portion of the North Sea is very rocky ? — 

 Yes. 



1788. You would not find the small plaice 

 there, as you get them further east ? — That 

 is so. 



Chairman. 



1789. Would you say that it is not absolutely 

 necessary to save the life of every undersized fisn 

 all round our coast, but that if we can save the 

 lives of a very great majorityja great deal of good 

 would be done ? — ^Yes, a great deal. 



1790. What would you say would be the 

 weight of an 11-inch plaice? How much food 

 would there be on it ? — I could not answer that 

 question. I have not gone into that. 



1791. Nor of the 8-mch ? — I saw statistics, I 

 think, in the last Bill. I was reading through 

 the evidence on the last Bill ; that is all I can 

 say. I have not weighed the fish myself. I 

 think before the last Committee the weights 

 were put forward. 



1792. Does that fairly represent the size of a 

 10-inch fish with the head and tail cut off' 

 {showing a paper to the ivitness) ? — It is very 

 difiicult to judge from sight without the head 

 and tail. 



The Witness is directed to mthdraw. 



Mr. morgan TUTTON is called in ; and Examined as follows :- 



Chairman. 



1793. You are chairman of the local com- 

 mittee of the Glamorganshire Sea Fisheries 

 district ? — Yes. 



1794. And as regards the area which j^our 

 operations extend over, perhaps you will just 

 describe it briefly ? — From Nash Point to Worms 

 HesidXpointing out the same on a map). 



1795. Is that the mouth of the Severn ?— Up 

 the British Channel to Nash Point, fi-om there 

 to Worms Head — a distance of about 40 miles. 



1796. I suppose no steam trawling is per- 

 mitted ? — Not within our area. 



1797. Is any trawling of any kind permitted ? 

 — Sailing trawling. 



1798. And in addition to sailing trawling there 

 are fixed nets ? — Yes. 



1799. Do they catch undersized fish ?— They 

 do. 



1800. In large quantities ? — \es, in con- 

 siderable quantities. 



1801. Is there a ready market found for them ? 



They are both sold in the district and sent 



away. 



1802. Have you any power to prevent the 

 landing or sale of undersized fish ? — None 

 whatever. 



1803. AYould you desire to be possessed ot 

 such power ? — Yes, it is very desirable. 



1804. Do vou think the owners of these fixed 

 nets would submit to such a restriction ?— They 

 are commg more into reason on the point as 



Chairman — continued . 



years have gone along. The fishing repre- 

 sentatives themselves upon the Committee nave 

 also come to see that it is in the interests of 

 fishing generally. I think we should have no 

 difficulty in convincing them anyhow. 



1805. Therefore, if under this Bill now the 

 Board of Agricidture and Fisheries were to take 

 steps in the first instance to prevent the big 

 steam trawlers from catching fish in the eastern 

 grounds, and afterwards those round the coast 

 of Glamorgan were to come to the Board and ask 

 to have the same provisions extended to them, 

 it might be possible the Board would accede to 

 their request ? — I think so. 



1806. And do you think that is a probable 



contingency ? — ^Yes. 



1807. You do not think it would be possible 

 by any regulation of the mesh of the nets, to 

 prevent the catching of these undersized fish ? 

 — Xo. 



1808. Too many round fish would escape ' — 

 Yes. 



1809. Now, when these flat fish are taken in 

 the stake nets in the weir how are they landed ? 

 — They are landed in baskets, and sometimes in 

 carts when the tide allows, and taken ashore. 

 The provision for the small fish there is in a 

 cage at the end of the stake net, and there is a 

 depth of 12 inches supposed to be kept within 

 three-fourths of the cage itself; but it is 



pr|^tically 



