SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 157 



AN OUTLINE OF THE SHRIMP QUESTION. 

 By W. A. Herdman. 



In the course of last summer Mr. Fell, the Chairman 

 of the Lancashire and "Western Committee, sent me a letter 

 in which he suggested that it might be useful to give in 

 this Report a detailed statement in regard to the natural 

 conditions under which shrimping is carried on in 

 Lancashire waters, and as to the relations between the 

 shrimps and the young flat-fish. It is very desirable that 

 such a statement should be drawn up, but the time has 

 not yet come when we are in a position to do so in any 

 detail or with any finality. Periodic investigations 

 carried on over a couple of years, such as cannot be under- 

 taken until we have a scientific steamer at our disposal, 

 are necessary to clear up certain points in life-history and 

 bionomics. Still it may be useful to give now an outline 

 of what is known and what has still to be determined in 

 connection with the subject, and to take what steps are 

 possible to us during the coming year to obtain statistics 

 which may aid us in tackling some of the unsolved 

 problems. 



The subject is a very diverse and complicated one, 

 which leads us into economic as well as scientific questions, 

 and although one might desire that any proposed regula- 

 tions of the shrimping upon grounds frequented by young 

 fish should be considered and settled on the scientific evi- 

 dence, still it can scarcely be doubted that administrators 

 will take cognisance of the economic questions even if they 

 do not adjudicate wholly upon them. Consequently in 

 any discussion of the subject we must be prepared to take 

 fully into account the important interests involved in the 

 shrimping industry, and not to sacrifice unduly any pre- 



