74 
X. 
NOTES ON THE HERRING FISHERY OF 1884. 
Hr Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S. 
Read '^ist March, 1885 . 
The Herring Fishery during the year 1884 presents some remark- 
able features, and calls for a more lengthy record than I have been 
accustomed to give. I trust I may be pardoned, therefore, if I 
enter more into details than I have done on previous occasions. 
Notwithstanding the unexceptionable weather Avhich prevailed, 
and the consequent absence of interrujition, and immunity from loss 
of boats and gear which too frequently occurs in less propitious 
seasons, and although the catches have been the largest on 
record, still, owing to the fact that the fish when caught did 
not pay for bringing ashore, the result of the past season’s voyage 
has been very disastrous to all concerned. Surely there is some- 
thing wrong here : and it is worth considering whether there 
is any assignable cause for such an anomalous state of affairs. 
So lamentable is our ignorance with regard to the distribution, 
food, habits, mode and periods of reproduction, and general 
economy of sea fishes, and so meagre the statistics relating 
to the fisheries geirerally, both in times past and in the present, 
that it is impossible to form any reliable estimate as to their 
relative productiveness at any given periods. There can be no doubt 
wo are working absolutely in the dark, not knowing, and I fear 
not much caring, whether we are over-fishing the once teeming 
waters or not. Of late years the fleets Avhich leave our east coast 
fishing-stations have quite changed their character, as well as their 
mode of operation ; both vessels and gear are vastly superior to 
those formerly in use ■, and the powerful trawlers, propelled by 
steam, or attended by steam-carriers, employ ai)paratus immensely 
more efficient than of yore ; whilst the markets opened up by 
more rapid communication are simply insatiable. The question 
naturally arises : Is the yield of fish taken by our fifty-feet beam- 
trawls, and the many miles of added drift-nets, relatively larger 
