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7
ingestion of small ungutted dabs or plaice was responsible for a considerable amount of typhoid fever.
In 1906 the London County Council communicated a report by its medical officer to the City Corporation
urging the need for regarding such fish as a possible source of danger. There was some reason for thinking
already at that time, that certain portions of the North Sea, near the mouth of the Elbe, must be regarded
with suspicion. In 1909 the Corporation reported upon the question of inspection of the Billingsgate
Market, and in 1910 a report, in which attention was directed to the possible risk of consumption of
small plaice, derived from "nursery grounds" on the Danish and German coasts near the mouth of the
Elbe, was sent by the London County Council to the Corporation. In 1911 this particular area of supply
of plaice again came under suspicion and it was felt, therefore, that the effect of any action taken, in the
last few years, to discourage British fishing in this region, should be carefully watched.
In the Annual Report for 1915 the subject was briefly referred to; it was pointed out that typhoid
was at a low ebb in that year; that the autumnal rise was almost entirely wanting; and the experience
of London was compared with the somewhat similar experience of Grimsby, Hull, and some of the
Midland towns. In 1916 typhoid was still lower, the autumnal rise was again absent, and the changed
behaviour of the disease, noted now since 1909, and which was particularly marked since the outbreak
of war, clearly demanded further inquiry.
In a report published in 1915 on the "Distribution of Plaice," by Dr. Masterman, the Superintending
Inspector in Charge of Fisheries, certain particulars are given which are here summarised
inasmuch as they are of great interest in connection with the above observations.
First.—In reference to the shallow, so.called A3 "nursery grounds" for plaice, the following
statements are made:—
“‘The headquarters of the young plaice of the North Sea, the nurseries of the species,
lie along the Continental littoral from the Skaw to the Straits of Dover, but especially in the neighbourhood
of Denmark and the Western coast of Germany. In their gradual extension seawards
in the search for fish, and with the circles of intensity of fishing ever widening Eastwards from
the English ports, the trawlers came more and more, especially during certain seasons of the year,
to frequent these grounds and to capture enormous quantities of the young and immature plaice,
a large prcrportion of which are unmarketable (p. 8).
"The Dutch plaice fishery is largely in the Continental nursery grounds and close inshore,
where very small plaice abound (p. 13)."
Second.—There are the facts as to disuse of this area by English fishermen in recent years:—
"The typical nursery areas are shown to have been given an almost complete rest by the
English trawlers for the past few years. . . ."
"As far as plaice is concerned, the intensity of fishing in the Danish waters has been
immensely reduced almost to cessation (p. 71)."
Third. — There are certain detailed particulars as to use of this area by (a) Grimsby boats; and
(b) Hull boats:—
"The Grimsby boats which have been wont to frequent the two Danish areas have transferred
their energies to grounds lying further South. The reasons for this are not clear."—(p. 76).
"Large quantities of plaice are landed at this port (Hull) from the White Sea and other
regions outside the North Sea."
"This comparatively recent opening up of sources of plaice supply, outside the North
Sea, has an importance which it is difficult to over.estimate in the plaice problems. Just in so
far as the supply of cheap White Sea plaice tends to lower the demand and the price of North
Sea small plaice, so will the trawlers tend to abandon the nursery grounds of the North Sea and
reduce the intensity of their fishing in these areas."
"Since this problem (suggestion of a minimum size limit) was stated in concrete form,
the White Sea plaice fishery has been developed, and the trawlers have in recent years almost
entirely abandoned the very grounds from which they were to be excluded by the indirect action
of legal restriction."—(p. 108).
It will be seen then, that a considerable change has been brought about during the last 14 or 15
years as regards use of the area (known as A3), which includes "the Continental nursery grounds and
close inshore waters where very small plaice abound." The area has been increasingly abandoned
by English trawlers, and this has been especially the case since about 1907; indeed, about six years
ago, first the Hull, and then a year or two later, the Grimsby boats, altogether discontinued going
there.
The following facts thus emerge to view concerning use of this area during the last three of the
four periods mentioned at the outset:—
In the second period (1885.1902), there was probably growing use of the A3 area, reaching
a maximum in 1899 and 1900. The Blue.Book on the Distribution of Plaice contains the statement
that, speaking generally, "the fishing power of North Sea steam trawlers, as represented
by numbers of vessels, reached its climax at or about the commencement of the twentieth century."
London typhoid, it will be remembered, reached a maximum in 1899 and 1900.*
In the third period (1903.1911), there was diminishing use of the A3 area.
In the fourth period (1911.1916), there was initially very little use of this area, and during
the last four or five years, it has not been visited at all by English boats.
* In the discussion on the Bill to provide against the destruction of undersized fish, introduced in 1899, it was
urged that it was especially necesssary to prevent the sale in this country of the small fish imported from foreign
countries (Belgium, Denmark and France) in which their sale was already prohibited by law.