MARINE FOOD FISHES 137 
Without this knowledge no sound legislation could 
be passed. 
There is, however, a ray of hope for the future, for 
now nine nations have combined to explore thoroughly 
the conditions of life in the North Sea. It is possible 
this may lead to useful results. 
Some may say: “ Why this fuss about the North 
Sea? There are plenty of fish in other parts of the 
ocean.” 
Certainly! But year by year the trawler has to 
go farther afield, boats have to be longer away, wages 
have to be paid, and this all adds to the cost of fishing, 
and if this depletion of the North Sea continues, the 
catch phrase which has in recent years been heard in 
more than one election, may come true: “ Your food 
will cost your more.” 
As to the possibilities of harvesting our food fishes, 
we have a good illustration in the recent experiments 
of the Marine Biological Association. Large numbers 
of small plaice were captured on the coastal grounds. 
These fish were marked, and certain of them were then 
released on the same grounds, while others of them 
were transplanted on to the Dogger Bank. Within 
seven months the plaice on the Dogger Bank were six 
times the weight of the fish on the coastal ground. It 
has been calculated that as a commercial enterprise 
alone, transplanting plaice to the Dogger Bank would 
be a success, and incidentally it would materially assist 
to increase the number of large plaice in the North Sea. 
