62 BRITISH SEA-FISHERIES 



referred to Mr. Holt's statistics, which showed that 

 40 per cent, of the plaice landed in Grimsby in the 

 year 1893- 1894 were below 13 inches in length. In 

 1904, 30 per cent, of the plaice landed from the North 

 Sea on the whole East Coast were below 1 1 inches in 

 length. German statistics show that from 1895 to 1904 

 there was no sensible increase in the total weight of 

 plaice landed in that country, but the proportion of 

 'small' fish (below 14 inches in length) steadily in- 

 creased from 68 per cent, in 1895 to 87 per cent, in 

 1904. There can thus be little doubt that the supply 

 is being maintained only by drawing more and more 

 upon the fish of smaller size and of less value. 



It seems to have been too readily assumed, however, 

 that this increasing destruction of small plaice is the 

 great cause of the declining catches of better fish. 

 Has the cart not been put before the horse ? In view 

 of what has been said above concerning the general 

 severity of the fishing, does it not look as though the 

 capture of increasing quantities of small plaice were a 

 consequence, and not the cause, of the general deple- 

 tion of the grounds ? The people demand plaice. 

 The proprietor of a large fried-fish shop in the East 

 End was a witness before the House of Lords Com- 

 mittee on the Sea-Fisheries Bill of 1904. His custo- 

 mers numbered from 500 to 3,000 daily ; and there 

 were 2,000 other establishments of the same kind in 

 London. He told the Committee : ' Plaice is the most 

 popular fish in our line of business ; people do not 

 care for any other.' Owing to the higher price of 

 plaice, however, he was often compelled to substitute 

 cheaper kinds of fish. In one month he had even 

 made five purchases of small turbot and brill, against 

 only two of plaice, in order to meet the demand. 

 ' You must understand,' he added, ' that amongst the 

 class of people we deal with we do not sell turbot and 

 brill as turbot and brill ; we have to sell it as plaice. 



