CONSIDERATION OF INDIVIDUAL FISH 



73 



that fish which was formerly thrown overboard as being too small 

 for the market is now being landed. At Grimsby there is a new 

 trade class of plaice called " small small." Bmt this cannot account 

 for the great increases in small plaice landed at the English North 

 Sea ports during the period 1906-12, and there seems to be no 

 doubt that the plaice available are gradually undergoing a reduction 

 in size, an infallible index of overfishing. Masterman's conclusions 

 and results confirm this. There is a moderate decrease in the total 

 quantities of plaice landed both from the northern and the southern 

 North Sea, chiefly due to a reduction in the amount of fishing and 

 partly to a change of fishing ground. There is a marked decline in 

 the landings by weight of the larger and older plaice, both absolutely 

 and relatively to the total quantities of plaice landed ; and at the 

 same time a marked increase in the landings by weight of the 

 smaller and younger plaice, both absolutely and relatively to the 

 total quantity of plaice landed. The extent of these decreases 

 and increases may be seen from the following tables : — 



North Sea. Large Plaice 

 decrease in landings (england) in period igog-iz as compared 



VVITH 1906-9 



Sailing trawlers 

 Steam trawlers 

 (single boaters) 



Number of days 



absent. 



Per cent. 



18-33 

 10-38 



Quantity 

 landed. 

 Per cent. 



42-18 

 29-03 



Catch per day's 

 absence. 

 Per cent. 



29-29 

 20-8l 



Proportion 

 per cent to 

 total plaice. 



39-11 

 24-27 



Single boaters are steam trawlers which land their own fish and do not 

 transfer them at sea to special steamers (carriers) whose function it is to 

 run to market with the fish. 



North Sea. Small PIaice 

 increase in landings (england) in period i909-i2 as compared 



WITH 1906-9 



Sailing trawlers 

 Steam trawlers 

 (single boaters) 



Number of days 



absent. 



Per cent. 



18.33 

 rO-38 



Quantity 



landed. 



Per cent. 



13-69 



10-79 



Catch per day's 

 absence. 

 Per cent. 



37-84 

 23-61 



Proportion 

 per cent to 

 total plaice. 



19-73 

 18-22 



The objections to a size limit are so serious as to vitiate any 

 proposals of the kind. In the first place it is impossible to fix a 

 size limit high enough to give any effective protection to any known 



