8 THE SEA FISHERIES 



markets of the British Isles. On hawkers' carts in our industrial 

 centres, together with the ubiquitous herring and mackerel, may not 

 infrequently be seen specimens of deep water Salmonidae (Argentina) 

 from the West of Ireland, horse-mackerel (Carangidse) from the 

 Bay of Biscay, cat-fish [Ananhichas lupus) from northern waters, 

 or even Scisenoids from the African coast. ^ Occasionally, fish are 

 landed from remote grounds which turn out to be rmmarketable, 

 and among these may be mentioned the ribbon-fish (Trichiuridse) 

 or Centriscidae of southern waters, or Chimsera from the Irish 

 coasts.* 



In the annual reports of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 there are thirty-four different kinds of wet fish enumerated,' in- 

 cluding whitebait, which is not a distinct species, but usually a 

 mixture of the young of the herring and sprat. Most of the names 

 are famihar enough, though Latchets or Tubs (a species of gurnard) 

 and Torsk or Tusk (a member of the cod family) will be strange to 

 many. Of shellfish the only three kinds separately enumerated are 

 crabs, lobsters and oysters. 



Wet fish are further divided into demersal, those living on the sea 

 bottom, and pelagic those Uving at the surface and intermediate 

 depths. To the latter class belong herring, mackerel, pilchards and 

 sprats ; the other fish being demersal. The statistics for England 

 and Wales for 19138 show there are fifteen species, the annual value. 

 of which exceeds £100.000 each. Of these two only— herring and 

 mackerel— are pelagic ; the remainder, cod, ling, haddock, coalfish, 

 plaice, dabs, hake, Soles, halibut, turbot, skates and rays ; whiting 

 and lemon soles being demersal. Of Scottish fish the pelagic herrmg 

 is easily first, its value for 1913 being over £2,000,000 ; haddock 

 (£549.711). cod (£583.451) and haUbut (£iii,549) are the most 

 Siportant demersal species. The total value of sea fish landed m 

 Ireland is, as a rule, about £300,000, The question naturally suggests 

 itself How does the yield of the fisheries compare with former 

 years' Unfortunately, with the exception of Scotland, reliable 

 fishery statistics are not available over any extended period ; but 

 a rough comparison is possible between the present day and 1885. 

 Early in 1885, in pursuance of the recommendation of the Statistical 

 Inquiry Committee and of a general desire to the same effect, the 

 Board of Trade commenced the coUection in a systematic form ot 

 statistics of fish caught and landed on the English coasts. Up to 



1 The writer has also seen specimens of Hoplostethus and Trachyrhynchus 

 ^"P»°|fe'"'Thtsc^c:fHshes in Aberdeen market," by D'Arcy Thompson, The 

 ''f%i'lZ':^%To:^r\V^oi war the statistics for 19x4 and subsequent years 

 are abnormal. 



