SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 159 



fisherman finds one net and the boat has to find two nets 

 when engaged in shrimping. "We can readily give similar 

 information in regard to other parts of onr coast. 



Under (2). — The average take at Sonthport during 

 the twelve months ending December 31st, 1902, was 30 

 quarts per boat for each fishing day. The statistics for 

 other boats and periods can readily be ascertained. 



Under (4.) — In addition to about 200 fishermen in 

 Southport and Marshside all more or less engaged in 

 .shrimping, the potting of the shrimps is an important 

 local industry, and provides a fair amount of work in 

 boiling, picking and potting the catch. There are in all 

 about 30 shrimp-potters in Southport, and they utilise 

 nearly all of the shrimps that are caught on our coast, 

 and distribute them to nearly every town in Great 

 Britain. The fishermen's wives and children boil and 

 pick the shrimps, and make them ready for the potters to 

 prepare for market. During the last 15 years the South- 

 port shrimp-potting industry has increased tenfold. It 

 must also be remembered that the boat-builders, net- 

 makers, butter merchants, printers, pot manufacturers, 

 and railway companies all share, more or less, in the pro- 

 fits derived from the local shrimping industry. 



So far we have been dealing with fairly easily ascer- 

 tainable facts, but in (5) and (6) we come upon contentious 

 matters which are not strictly scientific, and in regard to 

 which it might be difficult to get agreement. In (3) we 

 also meet with difficulties, but of a different nature. 

 This is a scientific question, and the answer is to be 

 obtained as the result of a large number of reliable 

 statistics. Precautions must be taken to see that the con- 

 ditions under which statistics may be taken are normal 

 and such as hold good in the course of the fishery. More- 

 over, the practice may vary from time to time, or with 



