SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 143 



by powerful sea-fisheries authorities, two of which, 

 Lancashire and Ireland, might possibly be enabled to 

 combine to carry out the work. 



In this scheme, then, I suppose that a steamer of the 

 size of a modern steam trawler, equipped with the 

 necessary gear and apparatus, and having two or more 

 scientific men on board, should devote all her time to 

 the exploration of the Irish Sea. Such a vessel would 

 cost about £6,000 to £8,000 to purchase, and the cost 

 of running her would be about £2,000 a year. I take 

 the month as the unit of time, and consider that every 

 observing station must be visited twelve times in the year. 



If we plan four weekly voyages to different parts of 

 the area in each month, and lay out four days' work in 

 each week, that will allow for occasional days oif for 

 coaling, etc., and will give some extra working time in 

 fine months, which could be devoted to further exploration 

 outside the fixed programme. Bad weather will, no 

 doubt, occasionally interfere, but it may reasonably be 

 expected that in ""most months it will be possible to work 

 on at least sixteen days. 



Two kinds of work at sea, in addition to the commercial 

 statistics obtained on shore, should be distinguished : — 



1. The systematic statistical work, consisting of 

 trawling and tow-netting along certain fixed lines, 

 always with the same apparatus, on the same ground 

 and at regular intervals. This work would be kept in 

 close touch with the results obtained from the fishing 

 fleets. Incidentally it would yield valuable information 

 as to the efficiency of apparatus and the validity of the 

 samples, which in our small area would be relatively 

 numerous and taken at no great distance apart. Physical 

 observations and quantitative plankton work would be 

 carried on along with the trawling at each station. 



