On the Capture of Young (Immature) Fishes, and what Constitutes an Immature Fish

Abstract

SINCE steam-trawling became prominent, frequent complaints of the constant and great destruction of very young fishes by this mode of fishing have been made; indeed, besides the injury to the so-called eggs of food-fishes—then said to be deposited on the bottom—no subject attracted more attention in the Royal Commission of 1883–84—presided over by Lord Dalhousie. Recently the subject has again been urged before the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association—especially by the fish-merchants of London (on the alleged grounds of the diminution in size of the valuable Food-fishes)—and, with the assistance of the Board of Trade, an International Conference, to discuss remedial measures “to be taken for the preservation and development of the fisheries in the extra-territorial waters of Europe,” was convened in the Fishmongers' Hall. It would be a misapprehension, however, to suppose that those who attended the Conference confined their attention to extra-territorial waters, since the inshore ground (within the three-mile limit) is really more important, e.g. in regard to the preservation of certain flat fishes, than the offshore. Thus, as formerly shown, the plaice for the most part passes its early life in the shallow sandy bays of the inshore, and as it attains a length of about fifteen inches it in most cases frequents the deeper water offshore, where it chiefly spawns, the pelagic ova and larvæ being carried shore-wards to repeat the process. In the same way multitudes of small turbot, brill, and soles pass their early existence not far from low-water mark on sandy beaches; ling in the barred condition amongst rocks at extreme low-water; and cod, coal-fish, pollack, and whiting, near the same regions. Remedial measures therefore, applied, for instance, to the plaice in extraterritorial waters, could only affect the adult or nearly adult fishes, and mainly in regard to the spawning individuals, a point no doubt of vital importance, but which nevertheless does not touch the question before us, viz. the young or immature fishes.