148 TRANSACTIONS LIVERIfc)OL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Fig. 14 represents the catches made by four 

 different trawl nets — a shrimp net of ^-inch mesh, and 

 three fish trawls. The}' were all made by Captain Eccles 

 from a second-class fishing boat in the Horse Channel 

 area during September; the actual counts of the fish 

 taken are given on pp. 159-165. The shrimp net was 

 used once and caught 579 plaice ; the other nets were 

 used several times each and caught over 1,000 plaice 

 each. When the figure was first drawn one of the 6-inch 

 net hauls was omitted, but on replotting the total catch 

 it was seen that the curve was not materially altered. I 

 do not propose to deduce any " factor " for the catching 

 power of each net, but quote the results as those obtained 

 by a thoroughly experienced fisherman in certain 

 particular cases. The shrimp net, it will be seen, caught 

 comparatively few fish over 5 inches long. Considering 

 plaice of 8 inches in length, the figure shows that 

 about 38 per cent, of the catch of the 4-inch net were of 

 this length and over it; 70 per cent, of the catch of the 

 6-inch net were 8 inches and over; and 84 per cent, of 

 the catch of the 7-inch net were at and over 8 inches. 



The 6-inch Trawl-Mesh and Regulations 



It has been maintained that the universal employ- 

 ment of a trawl-net of 6-inch mesh in shallow waters 

 is likely to be detrimental to the fisheries in general. I 

 do not think that this is likely to be the case with regard 

 to plaice — at least the figures compiled in this Beport 

 do not seem to me to support the above contention. 

 Obviously a narrow-meshed net is likely to be destructive 

 only in the shallow waters, and at those times in the year 

 when small plaice are so numerous as to form a large 

 proportion of all the fish on the ground. On grounds 

 such as those off Colwyn, off Great Orrne's Head, and in 

 Bed Wharf Bay a 6-inch trawl-net is not, in my opinion, 

 a wastefully destructive instrument of capture. Even 



