THE CHANCE OF RECOVEEY OF FISH 
CAPTURED IN THE TRAWL AND 
RETURNED TO THE SEA. 
Observations have been made from year to year at our trawling 
excursions on this subject, and the results have already been referred 
to in previous reports. In 1896 I said “ that the young flat fish 
swam away at once evidently none the worse for being dragged along 
with the trawl — often for over two hours — their visit to the deck of 
the steamer and being swept overboard.” The experimental work 
since that year has led to no different conclusion. We can say with 
confidence that practically all the flat fishes and about half at least 
of the gurnards recover. Even as regards the gurnards we may add 
that such an expression rather understates the results. Doubtful 
cases — including gurnards as well as flat fishes — have been frequently 
jplaced in buckets of water, and in the majority of instances recovered 
completely. 
The factors which must be considered as militating against the 
chance of recovery are — extremely warm dry weather, the keeping 
of the fishes longer than necessary on deck, the length of time during 
which the trawl has been down, and the quantity of fish captured. 
The conditions favourable to recovery are — cold and damp weather, 
as little handling as possible, short hauls and, it ought to be added, 
a poor catch. With fishes which find it difficult to leave the surface 
— the fishes with a swimming bladder — a heavy toll is exacted by 
the crowd of piscivorous birds which follow a steamer when a catch 
is being dealt with. 
In commercial trawling there are several circumstances which 
tend against the chance of recovery, viz. (1) the long time during 
which the trawl is in operation — usually four hours at a compara- 
tively high rate of speed, (2) the heavy quantity of fish packed 
together in the cod-end, (3) the large proportion of fish caught with 
distended air bladders. It must be conceded, however, that the 
catch is promptly dealt with and the rejected part of it immediately 
returned to the sea. And also that in these days as a rule there is 
little to throw' overboard, unless the catches prove to be of exceptional 
