SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 239 



ought to be protected should we have to admit that there is 

 progressive improvement of the grounds. Evidently, then, this 

 question need not be further discussed in the meantime. 



The Question of Size-limits. 



First of all one asks how any specified size-limit would 

 affect the various classes of fishermen on this coast, and what 

 is to be the size-limit ? Those that have generally been 

 discussed are 20 and 22 cms. (8 and 8|- inches). Such a 

 restriction would mean that a certain fraction of all the plaice 

 caught by the inshore trawlers (the few smacks, the half- 

 decked sailing vessels and the stake-net fishermen) would have 

 to be returned to the sea. The length-frequency distributions 

 tabulated in this report for the various areas and seasons enable 

 us to state approximately what this fraction of rejected plaice 

 would be. If the limit were 20 cms. — and still more if it were 

 22 cms. — the fraction would be so great that the restriction 

 would interfere, in a most serious degree, with inshore fishing 

 on the North-western Coasts. It would be most strongly 

 resisted by a class of fishermen who are, by no means, 

 inarticulate. The question, however, may be deferred until 

 definite proposals have been made. 



How would it affect the Smacks and Steam Vessels ? 



There are now so few smacks left that the question has 

 little significance (except for the few smacksmen, of course). 

 At any rate the Irish Sea smacks fish in the summer mostly 

 for soles, and small plaice on the sole grounds are not very 

 numerous. A size-limit of 20 cms. (or even one of 22 cms.) 

 would make little difference. 



How would it affect the Steam Trawlers ? 



Col. 1 of Table 26 represents the catches made I)}' a 

 steam trawler working on a small fish-ground. Even a size- 

 limit of 22 cms. would obviously mean that a large proportion 



