20 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX.
It is much to be regretted that all these forms of
in-shore fishing, whether for Shrimps, or Eels, or other
fish, destroy an enormous quantity of the fry of
valuable species, such as Turbot, Brill, Soles, and Plaice.
It remains an open question whether the catching of
Eels, Shrimps, etc., by small-meshed nets does not
indirectly destroy fish of much greater value, which
would produce a far better return to the fishermen
if allowed to come to maturity. In my opinion, even
if the Fishery Board (by determining the minimum
size of the mesh to be allowed in the district) destroyed
the Whitebait fishery altogether, they would inflict no
injury upon, but rather deserve the thanks of, the
community of Essex fishermen.
RIVER FISHERIES.
The River Fisheries of Essex are of small value.
The poisoning of the Thames by sewage has destroyed
our only Salmon-river. Some individuals, as will be
seen later on, occasionally attempt to pass up it; but,
so far as I know, they never reach that small portion
of the Thames in Essex which is, or rather should be,
fresh water, but which, instead, only resembles the
vilest and most unsavoury sewage.
The want of records of species for Essex rivers
has caused much extra labour in compiling the
following lists of the fish inhabiting each. No pains