83 
ing U P l' n e fishing and devoting their energies more to crab, and 
must he added, to trout and salmon fishing. This is especially 
. case in the northern half of the district, but the southern division 
icates a practically parallel history with regard to the catches. 
.As is shown, however, in diagram 2 of Chart 5, the catches 
plaice do not indicate much change in the southern area, while in 
northern region there was a falling off to the year 1897, since 
en an improvement has occurred which is very similar, as has 
m pointed out, to what has been shown to have resulted from 
• experiments. 
In the case of prime fish the trawling experiments do not indicate 
cb. There is evidence which J have published in previous reports 
. affirming that both turbot and soles were, not more than two, or 
imost three decades back, caught in fairly large numbers. Soles 
now seldom obtained in the Northumberland district, and turbot 
iiing, as has been shown, has recently undergone a considerable 
ression. In the latter case especially it might have been expected 
tt because of this decline in the fishing the species would have 
Based in numbers, and that the increase would have been demon- 
iHted by the experiments. This has not happened. 
lit is not possible to say definitely how much of the decline in the 
;ehcs of plaice is due to the fishermen giving up fishing, and how 
lit may be considered to evidence an actual reduction in numbers. 
1 1 have in the above considerations given some of the reasons 
dch may be brought forward to indicate that the results are not 
drcly due to a falling off in line fishing. I would point, moreover, 
bhe modern relative increase of cod, and the actual decrease of 
Hocks, which I have dwelt upon in previous reports, with especial 
erence to Berwick, where statistics of undoubted value have been 
i.ected for many years, to show that, as a matter of fact, a species 
y decline considerably, even when the fishing strength remains 
proximately the same. 
(While I grant, therefore, that our experimental results may 
*e, probably do have, some connexion with the decrease in line 
:ii)g, I am of the opinion that they are susceptible of explanation 
■endently of this consideration. The migration experiments 
>e demonstrated that the inshore plaice of our district are practi- 
ry resident for the first four or five years of their lives. It may 
■erred, therefore, that if these young plaice are protected, the 
■b will increase in numbers, at all events up to about maturity, 
s is what I believe our experiments have proved. 
