66 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



present in the fourteen years' samples of plankton taken by 

 Professor Herdman at Port Erin. These data are also being 

 summarised and discussed, and it is hoped that the results 

 may be ready in another year. It cannot be doubted that 

 full consideration of the observations so far made will indicate 

 new and fruitful lines of investigation, and it is probably 

 inadvisable to continue working by purely routine methods 

 without some interval of close criticism. 



The Plaice Report. 



This consists of : — 



(1) A summary, brought up to date, of the measurements 



of Irish Sea plaice, made on the various fishing 

 grounds, during the years 1908-1920, by the Officers 

 of the Committee. 



(2) A complete summary of all the results of the plaice- 



marking experiments made during the years 1906- 

 1913. 



(3) A summary of the results of observations made on 



board fishing vessels during the years 1919-1920. 

 This work was arranged by the Oceanography 

 Department as part of the scheme of " Directed 

 Research in the Irish Sea." 



(4) A general discussion of all the results obtained made 



from the practical administrative point of view. 



The attitude taken up in the course of this work was that 

 of the need for restrictions on seasons and methods of fishing 

 should it appear that there is a progressive impoverishment 

 of the Irish Sea plaice fisheries. The conclusions made from 

 the work already done may be stated briefly (and rather 

 dogmatically in the meantime) : — 

 (1) Impoverishment of the Irish Sea Fishing Grounds. 



Nothing in the results obtained suggests that there has 

 been such an impoverishment. There are ups and downs. 



