Ocean research and the great fisheries . catch varied as follows : Irish Sea. Bristol Cfumnel. English Channel. Tons. Tons. 342 350 283 356 513 323 614 327 554 276 559 326 686 325 564 361 It will be noticed that 1910 saw low-water mark in the solefishery in the North Sea and in the English Channel; as it didin the case of the plaice fisheries in the same waters. Afterthat year there was in the case of each species a the case of plaice at least this was not apparently due tothe fact that more vessels were fishing, as the average dailycatch per trawler also improved in 1911 and 1912.
Ocean research and the great fisheries . catch varied as follows : Irish Sea. Bristol Cfumnel. English Channel. Tons. Tons. 342 350 283 356 513 323 614 327 554 276 559 326 686 325 564 361 It will be noticed that 1910 saw low-water mark in the solefishery in the North Sea and in the English Channel; as it didin the case of the plaice fisheries in the same waters. Afterthat year there was in the case of each species a the case of plaice at least this was not apparently due tothe fact that more vessels were fishing, as the average dailycatch per trawler also improved in 1911 and 1912.^ Is it possible that the fluctuations of the sole were due lessto the efforts of fishermen than to some change in oceanicconditions ? This is no place to attempt an answer, but it issuggested that inquiries should be made along this line. * See statement on p. 40, Chapter VII North Sea. Irish Si Tons. Tons. 1906 1,983 156 1907 1,893 234 1908 1,760 294 1909 1,499 394 1910 1,203 556 1911 1,254 705 1912 1,576 713 1913 734 PLATE III. K; p. 72 THE SOLES 73 Life-History of the Soles The Influence of Temperature. The soles—like the hake—are essentially southern fishes. Hjort {Depths of Oceayi,p. 452) notes that on the shallow coast banks and on theDogger down to 20 fathoms the bottom temperature of theNorth Sea rises to 54° F. at least ; on the other hand, below21 fathoms the summer and winter temperature is very muchthe same—about 43° F. He suggests that down to 21 fathomsthe sole maij find in the North Sea shallows water of approxi-mately the same temperature as it is accustomed to in deeperwaters off the Atlantic coast of Europe. If that is so, and iftemperature is the deciding factor, it is clear that any circum-stance which prevented the water on a particular bank fromrising in summer to 54° F., or which postponed the rise oftemperature, might either prevent the soles from frequentingthat shallow altogether or might make their visit abnormallylate. Conversely an e
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