ake place in the next few years, and if so, if this is a probable 
xplanation of the gain and loss to the flat fish population of the 
Jorthumberlar.d area. Or, again, it may be said that the decline 
n the inshore fisheries has, perhaps, more to do with the explana- 
ion than the prevention of trawling. On this point, however, I 
hall have more to say in a following section (p. 82.) 
Whatever the reason or reasons, the experiments indicate that 
m to 1903 the district as a whole has yielded a gradually increasing 
atch of flat fish per hour's trawling. Since 1903, that is during 
he last two years, the experimental catches show that a great fall- 
ng oil* has taken place. It has had the effect of bringing the catch 
■f plaice for the area below the mean of the period of 14 years, and 
f dabs to about the mean. 
The five principal stations exhibit interesting differences, how- 
ver, in the results for the period. Especially striking is the con- 
rast between the northern station, Skate Roads, and the southern 
tations. It will be seen that at Skate Roads practically no change 
i the catch per hour of plaice took place until 1903, when a very 
Urge catch was made, followed by as great a decrease in 1905. 
At Ahunouth Bay the catches of plaice show that considerable 
actuations have occurred during the last five years. Those of dabs 
oint to an increase up to 1900, followed by a decline to 1904 and 
905. 
The results for Druridge Bay are more like the mean results for 
do whole area. The catches of both plaice and dabs have, more- 
vcr, at this bay closely followed one another. Both have increased, 
nd lately decreased in numbers from year to year in much the 
anie manner, although it must be remembered that the season of 
ae increase or decrease does not always or commonly coincide, 
'his parallelism in annual variation of the two dominant species 
i true also of the district. (Compare diagrams 1 and 4, Chart 2.) 
At Cambois Bay, fluctuations within narrow limits show that 
ractically no change has taken place, except that during the first 
*W years there was a very small catch per hour of plaice and dabs. 
In this case, moreover, it is clear that the plaice and dabs have 
ot always increased or decreased m the same years. 
Considerable variation is evident at Blyth Bay, but ou the whole 
ie catches point to a gradual improvement to 1902 for plaice and 
i 1903 for dabs. The evidence for the latter bay has not been 
