Sea Fisheries and Fishing Population - … · FISHING POPULATION OF THE ... dangers, and...

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Transcript of Sea Fisheries and Fishing Population - … · FISHING POPULATION OF THE ... dangers, and...

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.MWWMW LHWW% EMMMn

LONDON; 1 8 m I

N O T E S

ON THE

SEAFISHERIES AND FISHINGPOPULATION

THEUNITED KINGDOM.

ARISING FROM INFORMATION AND E%PERIEN%E GAINEDDURING THREE YEABS’ %OMMAND OF THE

NA%AL RESER%ES.

%ICE-ADMIRAL

H.R .H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, K .G.

d ef/%4 x % (

16 %(ay

(o .

l

LOND ON

WILLIAM %LOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,

INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES E%HIBITION, SOUTH KENSINGTON,

m p 13, %HARING %ROSS, S.W.

l 883.

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3

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f/

Interna tiona l F isheries Exhibi tion,

LONDON,1 8 8 3.

%ONFEREN%E ON TUESDAY,%UNE 19, 1883.

H.R .H. THEPRIN%E OFWALES read the Paper whichhad been prepared by H.R.H. the Duke ofEdinburgh

on British Fisheries and Fishermen.

NOTES ON THE SEA FISHERIES AND

FISHING POPULATION OF THE

UNITED KINGDOM.

IN fulfilment Ofmy intention expressed at the publicmeeting held atWillis’s Rooms on the 27th OfFebruary

,

1882,

for the promotion ofthis Exhibition,it will now

be my endeavour to place before y ou an account oftheextent and condition Of our fishing population

,with a

view to interest you in its welfare and to draw yourattention to the great importance ofour sea fisheries .In order clearly to point out the hardships, dangers,

and di sadvantages to which our fishermen are exposed,and to draw attention especially to those occurrences

which are in a measure preventible, more particularly

where lives are apparently needlessly sacrificed, I havethought it best to accompany my remarks by som eslight account of the principal kinds of fisheries in

B 2

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4 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

which the m en are engaged. This account, though

very imperfect,may also perhaps be ofservice to those

quite unacquainted with the subject, when inspectingall the appliances for the capture of fish which are

exhibited in this Splendid range ofbuildings.My paper has thus become much larger than I

intended ; I have therefore divided it into two parts,the first of which

,relating more particularly to the

fishing population,I will now read.

In dealing with the enormous mass of statisticalinformation which has been furnished to me from dif

ferent points on the coast, I have Often felt the great.

disadvantage Ofwant Of experience in work of thiskind ; but I have in this paper attem pted to furnish y ouwith an

% idea of the great importance to the nationofthe prosperity ofour fishing industry.

It appeared to m e that,to arrive at a just appre

ciation of this importance,you Should have brought

under your notice facts as to the number of personsdependent upon fishing for their livelihood

,the

methods of capture employed,the description and

number Ofboats and vessels used, the quantities of fishtaken annually, the manner of its disposal

,and its

commercial value.If I succeed in im parting information to any of my

hearers or readers,or in suggesting to their minds any

ideas for the moral or material benefit Of our fishingpopulation, or the diminishing of the dangers to whichour fishermen are exposed for the im provement Ofthefishing

-vessels and boats,for the further development

ofthe fishing industry, either by improved methods ofcapture or otherwise, which it is the Object of this

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Exhibition to promote,—it will be a source of great

satisfaction to me.Throughout the period of three years, comm encing

November,1879, during which I held the command

of our Naval Reserves,my duties necessitated my

frequent presence on the British coasts, both by sea

and by land, giving me occasion to visit a very largenumber ofour fishing villages.I was thus afforded opportunities of Observing our

fishing population in the labours of their occupationafloat and ashore

, and of realising more and morethoroughly the great im portance ofour sea fisheries

,as

one of the many forms of that m aritime industry thes teady pursuit ofwhich has contributed so much to thewelfare

,prosperity

, and glory ofthe British Empire.Our sea fisheries are of great importance, not only

in Obtaining for us a considerable portion of our foodsupply

,but in providing a means of subsistence for a

large section of our population,and in keeping within

our borders a skilful,brave

,and hardy race of seamen,

trained from their earliest boyhood to seek their livelihood from

, and to contend with, the most stormy and

tem pestuous ofseas.My duties

,however

,obliged me to be SO constantly

moving from place to place when on the coast,that it

was not in my power to obtain personally all the information I required relating to our fisheries and fisher

m en . I therefore requested the Divisional and StationOfficers ofH.M. Coastguard to make inquiries within

the limits oftheir several commands, to collect statisticsrelating to the sea fisheries of their vicinity

,and to

furnish me with such information as they cou ld obtain

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on the subject. I also addressed a similar request tothe officers in command ofE.M. revenue cruisers.I take this opportunity of expressing to the om cers

above referred to,my appreciation of the careful and

painstaking manner in which they collected the information I asked them for, and for the very valuableobservations and suggestions with which

,in many

instances,the statistical returns were supplemented .

These returns were furnished from nearly 800 different places on the coasts of the United Kingdom,

themajority ofwhich had some interest, though it mightbe a very small one, in our sea fisheries.Even then I found that some very i m portant centres

ofthe industry were not included in the returns at myd isposal ; for information with regard to these I had todepend on other authorities and apply to other sources.For the kindly m anner in which my appea ls wereresponded to I must here express my sincere thanks.The wonderful development ofthe railway sy stem in

these Islands which has taken place in the course of

the last fifty y ears has am ongst other benefits had theeffect of familiarising the present generation ,

eventhose residing at places the farthest removed from thecoasts

,with the various species of fish inhabiting our

seas which are used a s food.

Fish which are to-day disporting themselves in theirnative waters offWick, in the extrem e north of Scotland, may be to-morrow displayed on the slabs of thefishm ongers

shops in Birmingham,Bath

,or Taunton

the cod tod ay on the Dogger Bank m ay be to-morrowin Stafford with a lobster from the Hebrides at itshead, a barrel of oysters from Whitstable at its tail

,

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whilst a mackerel from Kinsale and a hake fromMount’s Bay may repose on either side Ofit.An inhabitant of any of these towns, who possiblv

ha s never seen the sea, would probably be able to nameat a glance almost any fish ordinarily Offered for sale ;he would also know the price he usually has to pay forthem , according to the estim ation in which they areheld for the table ; but there his knowledge wouldmost likely end .

If asked to explain the process of capture, or forinformation as to those who make it the business oftheir lives to reap the precarious harvest of the sea , hewould be unable to furnish a reply to the inquirer.How many of the inhabitants of these Islands, evenincluding our dwellers on the sea-coast, have a conception that if

,from any cause, the myriads of fish at

present swarming in our seas were this afternoon toretreat to the depths ofthe ocean , beyond the range Ofm an ’s appliances for capturing them

,to m orrow over

half a million of our fellow-subjects would be lookingsta rvation in the face% Such , however, is the ca se, andsuch is the magnitude of this kingdom ’s stake in theSea Fisheries.In stating that over half a million of our fellow

subjects depend each day for their bread upon the fishtaken from the sea over night, I allude only to thefishermen, their wives and families, and do not includethe buyers, curers, gutters, coopers, carters, porters,boat-builders, net-makers , wholesale and reta il dealersin the towns, with their assistants, and various othersmore or less dependent on the success of our fisheriesfor a livelihood . The very wide distribution of the

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persons engaged in these different callings places themoutside the scope ofm y observations. It is to the fisherm en themselves that I wish to draw your attention .

The number ofm en and boys engaged in the captureoffish on our coasts may be estimated at aboutdistributed in the following manner

EnglandScot landIrelandIsle ofMan%hannel Islands

The majority ofthe English,Scotch, and Manx fisher

m en follow fishing as their sole occupation,although

a certain proportion ofthe Scotchmen fish only duringthe herring season ,

when they engage themselves a t acertain weekly wage in the boats ; whilst in Ireland avery large number of m en fish only a t such times asthere is a visible chance ofa good take .

At watering-places m en often divide their atten tionbetween plying for hire in the summer season,

and

fishing during the rest of the year ; and at many smallports they fish only when they cannot obtain employment about the shipping.

The application oftheword fisherman ,as indicating a

man ’s occupation,is therefore somewhat elastic ; and

the extent to which the individual depends upon fishingfor his livelihood is very variable.Out ofthe m en and boy s described as engaged

in the capture of fish, I estimate that about arebond fide fishermen that is

,m en engaged in fishing

from year ’s end to year’s end,who only desist from

their occupation when compelled by stress ofweather,

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or by the short intervals between the termination of

the season for the capture ofone species offish and the

commencement of that for the capture of its successor.

Of the remaining some derive only half theirliving from fishing

, and others even much less.Fishermen

,as a class, make early marriages ; la rge

families are the rule rather than the exception,as will

be sufficiently evident to any visitors to a fishing.

village ; very generally there are four,often five or

Six, children in a family.

We will take the average of a fisherm an’

s family tobe husband

,wife, and four children— six in all. This

w ill give us a total of souls,the satisfaction of

whose daily wants depends immediately upon thesuccessful labours of the bond %ide fishermenincluded in that number.The most unre m itting toil on the part of these

fishermen but just suffices to supply those wants ; toilwhich exposes the m en to dangers and to hardships ofwhich only those who have a close and familiar know

ledge Of the sea in its various moods can form an

accurate conception.

In winter cold and sum mer heat, almost every portand bay sends out daily to the fishing grounds its fleetofboats

,manned by their keen and eager crews pre

pared to face alm ost any emergency in their efforts towrest its treasures from the deep.

In the brightness ofa %uly evening, when the sea is

barely rippled by gentle airs, which Spring to life and

die away in a succession of lovely cadences, no morebeautiful spectacle can be seen than that ofa large fleetOf fishing

-vessels,gliding with almost imperceptible

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m ovements from the land towards the hazy and distanthorizon . At such times a fisherm an

s life appears an

idyll. Not less interesting is the scene in the earlywaning ofa winter ’s day , when the pale and fleetingglim pse of sunshine lights the heaving surface of thesea , and the boats, heeling to the force of a blusteringDecember breeze

,seem to spring from wave to wave as

though endued with the life, and eager desire to excel ,ofa racehorse. At such a time the thought ofthe longhours ofdarkness ofthe winter 8 night to be passed bytheir crews

,cold

,wet

,and liable to many dangers, will

bring home fully to one’s mind the toilsome nature

ofa fisherm an’

s occupation.

On our exposed and stormy coasts the return of theboats is often awa ited with anxious forebodings by the

wives and children on shore. On starting from theharbour for the fishing grounds, a clear sky and

gentle breeze may appear the sure Signs of settledweather ; the nets or lines may be shot under mostfavourable circumstances

,with every hope of a suc

cessful haul of fish . Of a sudden ,almost without

any warning, a gale springs up , the heavens becomeovercast

,the darkness deepens

,the ocean begins to

throb uneasily, ever increasing its agitation until itssurface becomes broken with black angry waves, here

and there topped by white hissing crests. Matters

become so serious that instant endeavours have to bemade to secure the nets or lines. Often

,however

,the

change is so rapid that to persist in the attempt wouldendanger the safety ofthe boat and its crew,

and greatloss has to be incurred in abandon ing the gear

,when

all haste is at once made for the land .

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On shore the howling ofthe wind will have alarmedthe wives and families of those afloat . Before dawnthey will be found gazing to seaward with anxiouseyes

,endeavouring to pierce the darkness which hangs

like a pall over the waters ; seeking to catch amomentary glimpse

, as it tops a wave, of the boatwhich contains the breadwinner. In their thoughtshhpe and fear alternate.As the darkness pales

,and is succeeded by the dawn ,

one by one the boats become visible to these tremblingwatchers

,appearing first as black specks on the horizon ,

which enlarge and become more distinct as the lightincreases

,until their numbers can be counted

,and the

boats distinguished by their various slight peculiarities.As the little craft approach the harbour, their move

m ents are followed by the wives and mothers of thoseon board with a concentration of attention possibleonly in a woman who knows that in each shriekingsquall or breaking sea m ay be borne the doom of her

husband or her son .

On board the boats the crews will be found sittingwell down ,

as m uch under shelter as possible , still andquiet

,but on the alert, ready to spring into activity at

the order ofthe master who is at the helm. The littlevessel ’s sails are close reefed, but urged by the pressure

ofthe wind, She seems to bound over the seas, now poised

on the crest ofa wave, next rushing madly down itssteep incline as though she would engulf herself

in the dark valley beneath , then she overtakes and

struggles up the steep ascent of another mountain of

water .

SO the struggle Ofm an and man’s handiwork against

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the power and fury ofthe elements is carried on , until,by the mercy of God, the boat and crew reach the

safety and shelter ofthe port.Our storm-bea ten and iron-bound coasts are frequently

the scenes of dangers such as I have just imperfectlydescribed ; and we must a ll from time to time, by meansof our daily papers

,have been m ade familiar with the

details ofthe disasters to our fishing-fleets overtaken at

sea by sudden gales. These disa sters are more fatal in

the sum m er m onths ; for, a lthough storms are then rarerthan in winter

,they give but little or no warning

of their approach, and burst in irresistible might on

the unfortunate craft which,but a few minutes before

,

had been riding in fancied security at their nets.

In no section of our population is heredity of occu

pation SO rigidly preserved as amongst our fishermenthey are a class apart

,intermarrying

,having their

own peculiar customs,modes of life and thought, and

mixing but little with people outside their own littlecommunities. They have also their own peculiar superstitions

,but these are rapidly disappearing before the

Spread ofeducation .

From the earliest ages the inhabitants ofthe coastsofthe British Islands have m ade the sea contribute totheir food ; this pursuit has produced a race of m en

strong,inured to hardship and exposure, patient and

persevering in their calling,brave

,prompt

,and full of

resource in the face of danger ; intelligent and amenable to discipline, from the daily habit of subordinatingtheir own wills to that ofone who they know is placedin authority over them for the purpose of directingtheir labours, and working with them for the common

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benefit ; accustom ed to co-operate with others for theattainment ofa certain end .

These qualities are not only exercised from earliestyouth

,but are inherited and intensified from generation

to generation.

The foundations of the great position which thiskingdom has attained amongst the nations ofthe worldmust in some measure be attributed to our fishermen

,

for they were our first seamen ; and from small beginn ings our seamen increased in number and in skill,until the whole nation was leavened with that love ofm aritime adventure which has resul ted in peopling the

uttermost parts of the earth with our race, and in

establishing that empire upon which the sun neverceases to shine .

In earlier times, our first maritime commerce musthave been conducted by our fishermen, who also mannedour fighting navies. The fisheries of the West of

England were the nursery of the sailors who enabledDrake to circumnavigate the world and , as he said , tosinge the King of Spain ’s beard on more than one

memorable occasion .

Within the last few years the connection of ourfighting navy with our fishermen has been

,to a slight

extent,revived by the establishment ofthe Royal Naval

Reserve of the second class, which is recruited chiefly

from amongst these m en . In the course ofmy inspections of the various dri ll ships and batteries

,appro

priated to the training of the Naval Reserve,a large

number offishermen came under my Observation ; considering their Opportunities I found that they had

,as a

rule,a good knowledge of their naval duties

, and that

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they performed them with alacrity and steadiness,

which could only be attained by close attention to, anda lively interest in

,the instruction imparted to them .

The officers charged w ith their instruction,without

exception, spoke favourably ofthem.

Great as are the risks inseparable from the fisherm an’

s

vocation,yet the m en are daily exposed

,or expose them

selves,to dangers which might be avoided

,but which at

present result in lamentable loss ofhuman life.Foremost amongst these is the practice technically

termed ferry ing, carried on in the trawling fleets inthe North Sea , and it is one ofthe most serious oftheseavoidable dangers, demanding careful investigation and

consideration,to which I desire to direct especial

attention .

It is the custom ofthe North Sea trawlers to remainat sea for some two months at a time throughout the

y ear. On these prolonged cruises a large number of

trawlers will be assembled together, form ing a fleetthe vessels composing this fleet may belong to severaldifl

'

erent owners,but they work together under the

directions Ofan experienced master, who is term ed theadmiral .A number Ofsteamers or sm acks attend on this fleet

,

for the purpose of conveying the fish which have beencaught to the most conven ient harbour, whence it canbe despatched to the markets ; these vessels are calledcarriers .% Were it not for this system of carry ing,the trawlers would either have to cure the fish takenby them on the distant fishing grounds

,or much time

would be lost by each vessel having to bring her own

catch to land in a fresh state.

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The value of the fish for food purposes dependsentirely on its being brought within reach of the consum ers in a fresh condition ; every hour that elapsesfrom the time of its removal from the sea lessens thisvalue

,and its perishable nature renders rapidity ofcon

vey ance a matter ofthe highest importance. On boardeach fishing-vessel , therefore, the arrival ofthe

% carrierat the fleet is the signal for the m ost strenuous exertions.The small boat is got alongside, manned, and the

boxes of fish are tossed on board her, perhaps, ifthecatch has been a good one

,piled high above the gun

wale,lading the boat so heavily as to make it quite a

m atter Ofchance whether she will be sufficiently sea

worthy no t to swamp or capsize whilst on her way tothe carrier. As the boats from the different trawlersapproach the carrier they becom e a source ofdanger to

one another, from the heedlessness ofthe crews and theanxiety to be first to reach the lee-quarter ofthe vessel

,

where the bowman of the boat hangs on with his bowfast, whilst the other two m en pass the fish-boxes onboard .

This work is carried on in almost a ll states of

weather such is the importance attached to the immediate despatch Of the fish that the m en never seem tothink Of the possibility of danger to themselves. I

have heard ofa trawler’s boat, with its cargo and crew,

being actually lifted by a sea to the deck ofthe carrier

and there left. In many cases the boats are cast off

from the carrier a long way to leeward of their respective trawlers

,and even occasionally with their heavy

loads offish still on board, the decks ofthe carrier being

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fully laden. In the excitement and struggles ofa largenumber of these tiny boats

,each ofwhich is striving

for the first place,or in the subsequent endeavours to

regain their own vessels,accidents are necessarily of

frequent occurrence, too often attended by loss of

life.NO one will deny the great importance to the

owners Of the smacks of getting their fish to marketin a saleable condition , but they are bound to effectthis Object without exposing the fishermen to preventible dangers

,such as I have above indicated, but against

which no means ofprevention have as yet been devisedor adopted . I have alluded to this subject here as anillustration Ofthe risks ofa fisherm an

s life , and cannotleave it without expressing my Opin ion in favour ofa

careful and searching inquiry being made on each occasion on which a hebing-vessel returns to port havinglost any of her creW whilst at sea . This inquiry

,it

seems to me,Should be conducted by a competent

authority,whose duty it should be to satisfy himself

and place on record the manner in which the life

was lost, whether by one of these preventible causes or

not. For, at present, the fact ofa life being lost at seais the only record which exists

,no matter how it

occurred.

Several cases of cruelty to boys engaged in fishingvessels having come to light, two ofwhich resulted inconvictions for murder

,whilst in another instance the

skipper and the second and third hands of a smackwere convicted of cruel

,debasing, and disgusting

treatment of two lads a t sea and numerous cases of

desertion having been reported to have taken place

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18 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

themselves,and by the extension of practical philan

thropic efforts now being made at the principal fishing

stations to raise the moral and educational condition of

the lads.%

The Report concluded with a series of suggestions

for regulating the engagement and employment Of

boys in fishing-vessels, and for the mea sures to betaken to enable discipline to be enforced, and to ensure

the due fulfilment of agreements of service entered

into by seamen and apprentices.My own experience of youths between the ages

of 16 and 20 serving in the Navy, and originallydrawn from the same class as our fisher-lads, leads

m e to concur with the Opin ion of the Committee as

to the baneful effects Of the evil associations of largetowns, and the recklessness and insubordination resul ting from dissipation and intemperance .I am also at one with them in the desire to avoid as

far as possible the endeavour to remedy this state ofaffairs by legislation , considering that the Object inview is much more likely to be attained by judiciousaction on the part of the masters and owners themselves. The suggestions with regard to the indenturesOf the apprentices seem to provide fully for the protection of the lad

,whilst the master is secured from

the possible inconvenience of the apprentice cancellinghis indentures at 48 hours’ notice.If the proposal to require the m asters and second

hands of traw lers and the larger drifters to hold certificates is carried into effect

,I think it possible that

inconvenience m ay at times be felt in obtaining dulycertificated m en to fill these positions

, especially when

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPapula tio n. 19

the vessels are engaged in fishing at a distance fromtheir own port ofregistry.In the case ofa Manx boat engaged in the mackerel

fishery OffKinsale, an accident might deprive her of

the active service of the skipper and second hand .

Should none ofthe rest of the crew be certificated, shewould either be obliged to suspend fishing and remainin harbour unti l a new master and second hand couldbe sent to her from the Isle ofMan

,or these hands

would have to be engaged from the superfluous fisherm en at the port. In the one case considerable outlay,besides much loss of time, would ensue and in theo ther the owner and crew would place li ttle relianceon m en who might be utter strangers to them .

I have seen our fishing-vessels so admirably manageda s a rule

,under the present sy stem ofmanning, that

I am inclined to doubt whether the necessity for havinga certificate will be any safeguard that the m en whoa re the best practical fishermen ,

seamen, and pilots,w i ll obtain the comm and . I should rather be incl inedto rely on the master and on the second hand havinga stake in the ownership ofthe boat.The Comm ittee alluded also to the evils attendant on

the practice in the North Sea known as coopering.

%

The coopers are smacks fitted out for the sale of

spirits and tobacco. The Committee had it in evidencethat these vessels are floating grog-Shops of the worstdescription, and that they are under no control whatever. That not only do they lead to the bartering of

ship’s stores and gear for grog, thereby afl’

ording directencouragement to dishonesty and theft, but they bring

about the demoralisation ofthe hands, and even ofthec 2

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20 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

skippers serving on board smacks, and directly lead to

risk and loss oflife.%

Ifthe coopers were all under the English flag,Her

Majesty’s Government might take steps to effectually

put a stop to this pernicious traffic ; but unfortunatelyvessels under foreign flags are also engaged in it, and

with these we cannot interfere on the high seas. The

governments offoreign countries, whose fishing-vesselsfrequent the North Sea trawling grounds, have just asgreat an interest in the prevention of coopering as thatofour own country ; and it is to be hoped that goodm ay result from communications which have passedbetween the several Governments on this subject.The Com mittee m ade but a passing allusion to thedangers and the loss oflife from the practice of ferrying, to which I have before referred ; it is probablethat this phase of the ' North Sea trawling was no t

brought very prominently under their notice, but I am

unable to refrain from reiterating m y Opinion thatinquiry into this subject is very urgently needed .

In making inquiries, with a view to ascertain theratio Of loss of life amongst fishermen in pursui t of

their calling, I endeavoured to ascertain as accurately

as possible the number of casualties to fishing-boatsduring the course of two years ; and for the sake of

comparison I have divided the coasts ofEngland intofive districts

,identical with those of the coastguard,

and giving them the same names, 2 eHull

,

Harwich,

Newhaven,Wey mouth,Liverpool

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 2 1

Scotland and Ireland being each dealt with as a whole.

For convenience I append an explanatory map and a

tabulated statement ofthe results ofmy inquiries.The Hull district includes the east coast ofEngland

from Berwick-oh -Tweed. to Cromer in Norfolk, and

contains within its limits the great trawling ports of

Grimsby, Hull, and Shields, besides a large number of

fishing villages ofconsiderable importance. Its heb ing

vessels number 3598, its fishermenThe Harwich district extends from a point just to the

south ofCromer, to another between Deal and Dover,and includes the estuary of the Thames ; it containswithin its limits the great fishing ports of GreatYarmouth , Lowestoft, and Ramsgate, from whichplaces a very large num ber of trawlers are engaged inthe North Sea fisheries. Its fishing-vessels number2676

,its fishermen

The Newhaven district,with 1371 fishing

-vesselsand 3350 fishermen ,

commences at Dover,extends to

Christchurch in Hampshire, and includes the Isle of

Wight.The Weymouth district, having 3305 fishing-vessels

and 7300 fishermen,extends from near Christchurch ,

around the Land’s End to St . Ives in Cornwall ; itcontains the very im portant trawling ports OfBrixhamand Plymouth

,and numerous villages from which the

Drift fishery is energetica l ly followed.

The Liverpoo l d istrict includes the whole of thewest coast of England

,from St . Ives to the Solway

Firth. It has 1 166 fishing-vessels,and 3300 fisher

m en .

Scotland has fishing-vessels, m anned by

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22 Sea Fisheries and F ishingPopula tion.

fisherm en ; whilst Ireland numbers 5513 fishingvessels

,and fishermen.

England,Scotland , and Ireland number amongst

them fishing-vessels

,and fishermen.

In two years the casualties to fishing-vessels, of

which I was’

able to obtain information,numbered

1099,giving an average of about 550 per annum ;

and a ratio of 16 8 casualties per 1000 boats per

annum. Taken by districts already defined, the casua lties to boats were

The number ofcasualties per 1000 boats per annumwas

United Kingdom 168 1

The large ratio of casualties to Irish boats is toa great extent attributable to destruction caused by

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Sea F isheries and F ishing Popula tion. 23

unusually high spring tides,accompanied by gales,

during which the boats were washed offthe beach,and

drifted away to sea.The majority ofthe Irish fishing-boats destroyed in

this way were open rowing boats,locally known as

canoes.% They are of sm all size,and generally carry

four m en each.The numbers of lives lost amongst the fishermen

during two years were

Hull 254 or 12 7 per annum .

319

5 26

33 16 5

13 6 5

428 5

The ratios Ofloss per 1000 m en per annum were

HullHarwichNewhaven

Liverpool

EnglandScotlandIreland

Uni ted Kingdom , excluding%hannel Islands and the

Isle ofMan

I do not intend to take hp your time by deploringsuch m ortality, but will proceed at once to point outthe conclusions which may be derived from it.

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24 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

We have seen that the ratio ofloss per 1000 amongstEnglish fishermen is 75 5 per annum ; whilst

Scotland, with fishermen,only loses 18 per

annum.

N0 one can imagine for one moment that the Scotch

fisheries are prosecuted with less energy than theEnglish

,or that on these coasts the weather and the

sea are more tempestuous than on those.Neither can it be said that the Scotch fishing-vessels

are more seaworthy than the EnglishThe Comm ission appointed by the Board of Trade,

which sat in the latter part of 1882, stated in itsReport that there were probably no more seaworthyvessels in the world than the North Sea trawlers ; and

many persons consider that the sea -going qualities of

the Scotch drift boats would be much improved if

certa in details of the English boats were adopted.What

,then,

is the cause of this greater loss of lifeamongst English fishermen

We will take first of all the two districts, Hull

and Harwich. Between them there are 6274 fishingvessels

,

%

ofwhich 63, or 10 per 1000, met with casualties ih the course of one year ; and there arefishermen, ofwhom 286 5

,or per 1000

,lose

their lives annually in pursuit of their occupation .

Taking the rest of the English coast,from Dover

to the Solway Firth,we have 5842 fishing-vessels,

meeting with 75 casualties annually,equal to 12 84 per

1000 ; and m en, of whom only 25 5, or

per 1000, are lost annually .

It will thus be seen that,excluding Hull and

Harwich districts, the ratio of loss of life amongst

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26 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

voyages ; such being the case, it seems unlikely thatthey should lose a larger proportion of m en in whatmay be termed their home' waters, than do the boatssimilarly engaged in Scotland and the rest ofEngland.The other two sy stems of fishing followed off the

east coast of England are trawling and great-linefishing

,

% both of which are pursued on the banks at aconsiderable distance from land.The pursuit ofeach Of these systems is attended bya peculiar source ofdanger to human life.The great line fishing

-vessels employ some sevenmiles offishing-line each ; it is the custom to detach twoof the crew in a small boat to lay out and haul in thelines.In carry ing out this duty the boat often becomes

separated by a distance of some m iles from the parentvessel, and is exposed to grea t danger should badweather or fog suddenly spring up.

The North Sea is at all seasons liable to both.

Amongst the trawling fleets prevails the system of

ferrying, to which I have elsewhere referred, andthe dangers Ofwhich I have pointed out.As the east-coast hookers as well as the trawlers areremarkably good sea-boats, and are not subject to a

greater percentage of casualties than other fishingvessels, I fear therefore that these peculiar customsmust be held responsible for the excessive loss of lifeamongst the fishermen by whom they are followed.

In connection with this subject I have made a caleulation of the quantity of fish captured in each districtfor each fisherm an

s life lost in one year which is also

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 27

embodied in the tabular sta tement to which I havebefore alluded. These are the results

HullHarwichNewhavenWeym outhLiverpool

U nited Kingdom , excluding%hannel Islands and Isle ofMan

This again places the Hull and Harwich districts inthe worst position ofany part Ofthe English coasts.Peculiarly exposed to danger as our fisherm en are

,

toiling hard for a living for them selves and theirfamilies, sometimes earning large sum s in a night

,a t

others obta ining but a few shillings forweek after weekof labour, their average gains during a year are no tlarge

,and too often the occurrence of a sudden storm

deprives many a wife of her husband,many a child of

its father,plunging the widow and the orphan into that

gulf of destitution which is ever yawning beneath thefeet of those who have not learned to exercise selfdenial in the day oftheir prosperity.

In our fishing communities, fortunately, the familiesare so connected with one another

,each is at any

m oment so liable to sudden bereavement, that the sorrowOf one is shared by all ; and the immediate wants of

widows and orphans are relieved and alleviated,as far

as lies in their power, by kind and sympathising

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28 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

neighbours. Where all are equally poor this is apt tobe a heavy burthen

,but it is a burthen borne cheer

fully what is bestowed,is bestowed ungrudgingly and

in kindness.Fishermen do not as a rule make provision for those

who will be left behind, should they themselves besuddenly taken away. The prevalence of the customofmutual reliefmay have induced a habit ofcarelessnessin this respect, but there is no security that this customwill always continue in the future. As our life becomesm ore complex in its civilisation, a time may come when,even in our fishing villages, the ties which bound inthe past and even now bind these little communitiestogether, will be loosened, and when there will no longerbe the same influences at work to produce

,between

family and family, that feeling ofsharing in each other’sjoys and sorrows which now exists amongst them.

This is a contingency which it is necessary for our

fishermen to face,and I think the time has arrived

when they Should add one more to their other goodqualities, and resolve within themselves to adopt theprudent plan of m aking some little provision for theirwives and children

,or for their own old age when they

will be obliged to give up active work.

I am certain that,if they will take thought on this

m atter, they will see their way to carrying into effecta system ofinsurance. Having done so , the knowledgethat wife and children will not be left homeless, destitute

,and hungry, will be a great com fort to the

husband and father in the moment of his peril ; or, ifspared to old age, it will be a great satisfaction to himto feel that his own labours have brought rest and

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 29

repose, and that he is no t a dependant or a burtheno n others. But small self-denial would be required toenable him to pay the weekly or m onthly subscription

o r premium necessary to ensure it.In some of the centres of our fishing industry

a ttempts have already been made in this direction,but they have not in all cases been successful I think

one reason for the failure may be found in the fact thatthe fishermen have never thoroughly understood thatthey must rely on their own efforts in making provisionfor their families .Let us for a moment consider what takes place when

a storm ofunusual severity,accompanied by great loss

of life and property,has swept our coasts. The

m agnitude of the disaster is enlarged upon in thed aily press. Morning after morning, the sympathies ofthe public are excited by v ivid descriptions of the

d istress and sorrow ofthose who have suffered bereavem ent ; committees are formed

,and subscription lists

opened , in London and throughout the country ; money

pours in from all quarters, and reliefis given promptlyand effectively. This is as it should be and , as a nation ,

we may be very thankful that we are thus enabled to

m eet such emergencies.But many and many a fisherm an

s life is lost at sea,

ofwhich the public hears nothing. A sudden lurch of

the boat on a dark night, a stumble on the wet and

slippery deck , a blow from a flapping sail,rope or

block,or from the boom in an unexpected jibe ; then an

instant’s struggle, encumbered by heavy boots and

waterproofs, and one more is added to the number of

those lost in this calling.

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30 Sea F isheries and F ishing Popula tion.

In these individual cases no appeal is made to the

charity of the public %the widow and orphans have toface the world

,penniless and destitute—except for the

slight assistance ofneighbours alm ost as poor.Nothing but the resolution of the fishermen them

selves can insure provision for these cas es,which

,in the

aggregate,far exceed in number those due to great

disasters .

Any society or com pany instituted to provide forthese contingencies should be entirely self-supporting ;its rules for admission should be few and simple ; to asgreat an extent as possible subscribers should beenabled to pay their premium s without going far fromtheir homes ; for a given premium an absolute sum

should be a ssured in the event of certain occurrences ;it should be illegal to assign this sum for the payment

of debts, and the widow or representatives of thedeceased m an should be placed in possession of it withas little delay as possible.As an insta nce ofwhat might be done in this direc

tion,I will m ention the Coastguard Life Insurance

Fund,

ofwhich I was one of the Trustees during thetime I held the com mand ofthe Naval Reserves.This fund , registered under the %Friendly Societies

Act,%was established in the year 1878. It had no

capital,but depended entirely on the subscriptions of

its m embers for the means ofmeeting its liabilities.Membership is limited to officers and m en belongingto Her Majesty

s Coastguard Service.The subscriptions were fixed at the following rates,

%I%. 3

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 31

Age on%oining. Sum Pay able at Death.

Over 23 and under 25U nder 28

30

33

35

By paying 68 . a y r. 128 . 9. y r. 1843. a y r. 24s. a y r.

and in the same proportion up to a maxim um insuranceof£200.

The management of the Fund has been vested inthe hands of the Admiral Superintendent of NavalReserves

,a Captain Royal Navy, and the Assistant

Secretary oftheAdmiralty, as trustees and an honorarysecretary

,with an assistant who is paid a salary of

£25 per annum.

After a career of five years the balance sheet for theyear ending December 31st, 1882, showed a capital of£5000

,invested in approved securities ; a balance of

£508 at theBank ; that the members insured numbered

2759 , and that the income from subscriptions aloneduring the twelve months was £ 1954 .

I adm it that this Fund has been worked underunusually favourable circum stances by virtually gratuitous m anagement ; it has had no advertising, office oragency expenses ; but the rates ofpremium were settledby actuaria l calculation, and will serve to furnish an

idea to fishermen,and to those who may desire to

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32 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

promote their welfare,of the sum required to insure a

given payment at death ; and the fishermen can go toany coastguard station and learn from the m en thcre

whether they feel any inconvenience from the paymen toftheir premiums.I should add that membership of the Coastguard

Life Insurance Fund is entirely voluntary,no one

having any pecuniary interest in inducing the m en to

join.

The benefit to be derived from thePost-Office SavingsBank is a subject worthy of the attention ofproviden tfisherm en ; so small a sum as one shilling can bedeposited.There are few m en who have not at times a spare

shilling in their pocket,and though it m ay seem a sum

scarcely worth saving, a little self-denial in times of

plenty will bring abundant reward when fish are scarce

and earnings consequently sm all.

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34 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopulation.

THE sea-fishing industry of the United Kingdom m ay

be classified in four great divisions, which are Trawling,Drifting, Great Line Fishing, and Seining.

Trawling is the method resorted to for the capture ofthe various descriptions of fish which frequent thelower depths of the sea , such a s soles, plaice, turbot,dorey

,haddock, cod, &c.

Drift ing is employed for the capture of the fishwhich exist near the surface or in the middle depths ofthe ocean ; these are herring, m ackerel, and pilchard .

The great line is used for the capture of fish nearthe bottom .

The seine is the net used to surround fish in shallowwaters near the land .

There are various other methods offishing,but their

importance and extent are not to be compared with thesystems above alluded to ; an account of them wouldoccupy much space

,and would take me bey ond the

scope ofthe subjects dealt with in this paper.The apparatus known as the trawl is a funnel-shaped

net,ofwhich the mouth is

.the widest part

,and whence

it gradually dim inishes in size until it comes almost toa point.The upper edge ofthe mouth ofthe net is secured to

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 35

a wooden beam,which rests at each end on an iron

shoe or runner called the trawl head .

%

The lower edge of the mouth is secured to a rope,called the ground rope ,

%

which is made fast to each

end of the % beam,

%and hangs in what is technically

known amongst seamen as a bight between thetrawl irons.%

Another rope is made fast to the two ends of thebeam , so as to form a span

,and to the centre of this

span is bent one end ofthe drag rope,

% the other endOfwhich is secured on board the vessel. When the

trawl is lowered in the water for working,the beam

is supported in a horizontal position by the trawlheads,

% whilst the ground rope rests on the bed of

the sea , thus form ing a wide mouth.

This apparatus is dragged along the bottom ofthe

sea by the action Of the tide and wind On the vessel,

and every movable object with which it comes incontact is swept into the recesses ofthe not

,where it

is retained until the trawl is hauled up and its

contents upset on to thedeck ofthe trawler.The vessels employed in trawling are generally

fore-and-aft rigged, and vary in size from the smackof eighty or ninety tons, with a crew Of eight or ninem en and boys, costing, with i ts stores, gear, & c.

,from

l 500l. to l 700l., down to the small half-decked or

open boats engaged in shrimp trawling, and owned bythe crew

,consisting ofone m an .

Of late years steam—tugs have to some extent beenemployed as trawlers in the North Sea ; these vesselshave the advantage ofbeing independent ofwind and

tide their use has not, however, been rapidly extended.D 2

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36 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopulation.

The steam-trawlers do not generally engage in the

more distant fisheries,but

, as a rule,confine their

operations to the suitable grounds within a distance of

twenty or thirty miles from the shore.The larger class of trawlers sa iling from the ports in

the North Sea engage in very protracted cruises,

remaining at sea for six, eight, ten, or even twelveweeks at a time, and extending their operationsfrom the island of Texel to Heligoland, and even

to the northward of the Horn Reef, Off the coast of

%utland. This great trawling-ground of the NorthSea is at such a distance from any English ports ,that were the trawlers to bring their own catches intoharbour

,the fishing could not be remunerative , as

a considerable portion of the fish would have so de

teriorated by the time it reached the markets as to beno longer saleable

,and the period occupied in going to

and from the ground would be greater than that spentin fishing.

It was to meet this drawback tha t the trawlers wereorganised into fleets or companies, and the co-operationof the carriers introduced. Many of the carriersrun direct from the trawling fleets to BillingsgateMarket

,and the fish are thus brought within reach of

the consumers without undergoing the risks and delaysa ttaching to frequent transhipm ents.In the winter

,many ofthe North Sea trawlers work

on the Dogger Bank and nearer grounds independentlyofthe fleets, and bring their own catches into port fromday to day .

The ground known as the Silver Pits is one of

the most frequented at this season. The depth ofwater

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 37

here is from 35 to 45 fathoms, which is considerably

deeper than the average of the North Sea . Thisd epression is situated just to the southward of the

Dogger Bank,and

,commencing at a point about

50 miles ES E. of Flamborough Head, it extends in

an east-south-easterly direction for about 60miles, withan average breadth of8 miles.During the winter nearly all kinds offish resort to

this deeper water,probably because it is less affected

by variations of temperature than the surroundingshallower sea .

It is a rem arkable fact that whilst in mild seasonsthe greater abundance of fish in the Silver Pits, as

compared with the neighbouring banks,is not so very

marked, in winters of m ore than usual severity verylarge wa tches are invariably obta ined there

,and this is

especially the case with regard to soles,which are

then found there larger and of better quality thanelsewhere.In the English Channel the principal trawling portsare Brixham and Plymouth. The vessels are, as a rule,cutter-rigged, and range from 60 tons downwards.The English Channel trawling grounds are m orerestric ted in their area, and are a t a less distance fromthe coast than those of the North Sea

,so that the

vessels are enabled to run into port daily to land theirfish.

Brixham,and Barking on the Thames

,were the'

birthplaces of the trawling system ; it was not until1835 that trawling was commenced at Ramsgate

,

whilst Hull was the first port in the North Sea toadopt this method offishing.

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38 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

Grimsby commenced its career as a trawling port in1858

, and has now become the most important on

our coasts,between 600 and 700 trawlers at present

belonging to that port, whilst their numbers are beingadded to yearly .

In the estuary of the Thames and Medway a largenumber ofa sm aller class of trawlers find employment,many being engaged in the capture of shrim ps for theLondon markets.Trawling is but very little employed off the Scotch

coasts, the deeper waters and rocky nature of thebottom Of the surrounding seas not being suited to theindustry.

Off some of the Irish ports trawling is to a certain

extent practised, but the suitable grounds are restrictedin area ; there is no immediate market for the fish, and

off the West Coast the tremendous Atlantic waves act

as a great drawback to its development.As a food-producing industry

,the quantity of fish

captured by trawlers in one year m ay be estimated

By English Trawlers tons.Scotch 762

Iri sh

Total

The price Obtained for trawled fish in BillingsgateMarket averages about £12 per ton ; the total earn ingsofour trawling fleet in one year will therefore am ountto overAS an instance of the extent to which capital is

invested in this industry, one firm possesses a fleet ofabout 200 vessels, ofwhich from 140 to 150 are con

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Sea Fi sheries and F ishingPopula tion. 39

stantly kept employed on the fishing grounds ; whilstthe others are in harbour to give leave to the crews

,

and to refit,or are proceeding to or from the fishing

grounds.Five or Six steamers are engaged in carrying the

fi sh direct from the fishing fleet to Billingsgate.In 1881 these steamers made 286 trips

,and landed

at Billingsgate packages,containing on an

average ninety pounds weight Of fish, equal in all toover tons

,which realised

,when sold a t the

market, a rate of9s. 8d . per package.The fish caught by trawlers in the English Channel

are principally landed at Brixham and Plymouth,where they are packed in baskets (called padswhich contain about twenty-five pounds weight each ,and are sold by auction to the buyers or wholesaledealers in fish .

The crews ofthe trawlers engaged in the North Seaare fed by the owners

,and receive a certain rate ofpay

weekly,in addition to which they are paid a percentage

ofthe amount realised by the sale ofall fish caught.The system of payment in the Channel trawlers is

somewhat different,being entirely by shares

,viz.

Owner 35} shares.MRSIOI' II n

Two m en 1 share each.

Total

The boys, being apprentices, do not share.I have been informed that in some fishing-vessels in

the North Sea it is the practice,when caught in a gale

and unable to m ake for a port, to put the vessel under

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40 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

small canvas, and lash the helm . The whole of the

crew then go below,haul over the companion hatch,

and remain down till the weather moderates,leaving

the vessel to ride out the storm as best she can.

I have found it very d ifficult to give credence to thisstatement ; not that I have any doubt as to the truthfulness ofmy informant

,but that I can hardly realise

that it would be possible to find a body of m en in any

vessel so criminally careless, not only of their own

lives, but of those of their fellow-beings who m ight bein other vessels in the vicinity.

If this habit prevails , it m ight at any m oment leadto a disaster of great m agnitude, the responsibility of

which would attach to each individual m ember of thereckless crew.

The drift-net fishery,although it is confined to the

pursuit ofthe herring, m ackerel, and pilchard, is ofthevery highest importance.The drift net itself is composed of pieces Of net

m easuring 30 fathoms in length by about 30 feet in

depth. These are secured along their upper side toa warp,

%

and are joined to one another at the ends.In alarge boat the whole length of the net will beabout two miles. When in use it is suspended at anyrequired depth by floats

,which keep it in a vertical

position . It thus forms a long wall in the water, and

any fish which strike against it becom e enmeshed.The fishing-boat rides by one end ofthe net, which

drifts with the tide or wind.Nets ofdifferent diameter ofmesh are used for eachdescription offish, the measurement, taken from knotto knot along the line, being usually for mackerel

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42 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

In Scotland the herrings are cured under the

supervision of officials Of the Board OfBritish WhiteHerring Fishery , who brand the barrels with a certainm ark which is accepted in the markets as a guaranteeofthe quality ofthe contents.Nearly all the branded herrings are sent abroad ,

where they command a higher price than is paid forunbranded fish.In the earlier years of the present century it was

considered advisable to stimulate the herring fisheriesby the institution of a system of bounties ; these were2s . a barrel on herrings cured gutted

,and 2s . 8d . in

addition on each barrel of herrings exported, whethergutted or ungutted. These bounties ceased on %une 1st

,

1815,and were replaced by a bounty on herrings cured

gutted of 4s. per barrel,which continued for over

eleven years to April 5th, 1826. In the four succeedingyears the bounty was reduced l s . per barrel each year,until April 5th

,1830, when it ceased altogether, and

has not since been renewed.It was owing to these bounties that the system of

branding originated ; and in Scotland the curers wereso much benefited by the higher price commanded byherrings thus di stinguished that i t has been continued,and is growing in favour

,although since 1858 a fee

has been im posed of4d . for each barrel,and 2d . for each

half-barrel marked .

In the year 1881, 494,182Q barrels of herrings were

branded,the fees for which amounted to £8236 7s. 6d .

I have extracted the foregoing remarks on the Scotchherring fisheries from the reports ofthe Commissioners

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Sea F isheri es and F ishingPopula tion. 43

of the Fishery Board, Scotland, for the y ear ending

December 3l st , 188 1.The greater proportion of the herrings captured off

the Scotch coasts are cured, but at places where facilities exist for transporting the fish by rail to our

great centres of population, considerable quantities aresold in a fresh condition . These do not appear in thereturns of the Scotch Fishery Board ; but, from theinformation I have Obtained from the coasts, I estim atethat about tons are disposed of in this way

,

making a tota l of nearly tons of herringscaptured ofl

the coasts ofScotland in one year, representing a money value of some sterling

,

even supposing that they realised only £12 per ton.

The herring fishery,however

,is not confined to

Scotland ; it is prosecuted around almost the wholecoast ofthe United Kingdom.

Yarmouth has a fleet of vessels of very large size,engaged in the drift fishery for herring.

The majority ofthe herrings captured offthe coast ofNorfolk are cured in the form of bloaters, with whichwe are familiar at our breakfast tables. There is alsoa considerable herring fishery carried on, on the coastsofDevon and Cornwall ; most of these are sold in a

fresh condition.

If the herring fishery were prosecuted off the Irishcoasts

,it is probable that it would be very remunerative

to those engaged in it ; but as the fish could not be

brought to market whilst fresh, curing stations wouldhave to be established, and the fish prepared for theforeign m arkets .

The quantity ofherrings taken in a year by British

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44 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

fishing-vessels probably approaches some tons ,

at an average of to a ton weight ; this representsin round numbers fish.

In the North Sea about 480 Dutch vessels, of an

average size of 40 tons each, are annually engaged inthe herring fishery

,from May to%uly, in the neighbour

hood of the Shetland Isles. They sa lt the fish dailyas they are caught

,and send them to Holland as oppor

tunities offer by the carrier vessels which attend U ponthe fishing fleets .These Dutch drifters continue at sea for long periods

together,occasionally putting into some ofthe harbours

in the Shetland Isles when in want offresh provisions.Lerwick and Levenwick are their favourite rendezvous.The crews are not averse from barter

,offering tobacco

and spirits in lieu ofmoney in pay ment for their purchases. They sometim es endeavour

,not always without

success,to obtain herrings from the British fishing

boats on these terms.I compute that thi s fleet ofDutch boats fishing on the

same grounds as our own m en, must capture at leastto herrings annually.

In Norway,I believe

,the annual take ofherrings is

as great as, ifnot greater than, that ofScotland. Francealso has a large number of vessels employed in thepursuit ofthis fish.

The mackerel drift-net fishery is carried on prin

cipa lly Off the south coast of Ireland, Kinsale beingthe headquarters ofthis industry .

During the season some 600 boats are engaged inthis fishery ; they return to port every morning withtheir fish, which are packed in boxes with ice, and sent

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 45

by fast steamers to Milford Haven,whence they are

distributed by rail to the various markets in England.

The boats resort to Kinsale from other Irish ports,

but principally from the Isle ofMan .

England and Scotland also send their contingents ofboats to engage in this fishery

,which lasts from March

to %uly , when the boats leave for the Irish Sea .

Large shoals ofm ackerel also frequent other parts of

our coasts,and afford remunerative occupation to the

fishermen in the localities which they visit.The mackerel caught in the vicinity of the BritishIsles

,in one year, m ay be estimated to weigh abouttons

,which at £12 a ton represents a money

value OfMackerel congregate in shoals

,which in the summer

months approach the land ; when in pursuit of theirfood these shoals rise to the surface, and become visibleto observers in their vicinity.

The fish are so closely packed that the colour of thewater is changed. At a distance the shoal will appearas a dark shadow on the bright blue of the sea ; as itapproaches it will be seen to scintillate and sparkle

,as

though it contained my riads ofdiamonds. This appearance is caused by the leaping of the fish from thewater—the prey in their endeavour to escape fromtheir pursuers

,and the mackerel in their rushes to

secure their victims.The drift-net fishery for pilchards is confined to thecoasts ofCornwall and Devon. The fishing villages on

the shores ofMount’s Bay owe much oftheir prosperity

to this industry.

A great proportion Of the pilchards taken are cured

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46 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

in bulk, after which they are packed in casks and sentto the Spanish and Italian markets. Penzance is theheadquarters Of this trade

,most Of the fish being

shipped from there.At many places the type of boats in use by the

drift fishermen is considered to be very defective ; thehull is often ofbad design

,and the rig unhandy.

These defects are held to lead to frequent loss of

life and property at sea,and many suggestions have

been made for im provements, which the fishermen havebeen slow to adopt.

Of all the different builds of drift boats which I

have seen,the Mount’s Bay boats have appeared to m e

the best fitted to cope with bad weather, and to rideout a heavy sea . I believe that their superiority hasbeen amply proved on many occasions

,when overtaken

by heavy weather at sea,in company with boats from

other parts ofthe coast.A boat of this class once made the voyage from

Mount’s Bay,round the Cape ofGood Hope to Australia

,

and arrived at its destination in safety ; there could beno greater proofthan this of the good qualities of theboat

,or ofthe adventurous spirit ofour fishermen.

I found,when I visited the Isle ofMan

,that the

fishermen there had,to a great extent

,discarded their

own type of boat in favour of the Mount’s Bay buildand rig, and that the change had proved mostsatisfactory.

Any improvem ent in the sea-going qualities of theirboats must be very much to the advantage Of thefisherm en

, and is a subject worthy ofcareful study.

Next in importance to the trawling and drift-net

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 47

fisheries come the great and long line fishing, the totalproduce ofwhich is over tons weight of fish

per annum.

In these methods offishing, stout lines are employed,to which are attached at intervals, short lengths (calledsnoods%ofsmaller lines, each ofwhich has a hook at its

free end .

The favourite baits are mussels and whelks, or, if

these are not procurable, pieces of fish, generallyherrings.The baiting of a great line

,with its thousands of

hooks, is an operation which occupies a considerableamount oftime

, and much care is necessary,in coiling

it into the baskets,to arrange the hooks in such a

manner that each shall run out clear in its turn, without entangling itselfwith those which are to follow.

The laying-out of the line after it has been baited isa somewhat lengthy business

,the boat having to be

kept moving in a given direction across the tide ;whilst the line is Slowly going overboa rd and Sinkingto the bottom,

where it offers an array of temptingmorsels to any passing hungry fish.The end of the line first dropped overboard is a t

tached to an anchor and a buoy-rope,to retain it in

place and mark its position.

As soon as the whole length of line has been got ridof

,the fishing-boat returns to the buoy

,and the m en

comm ence to haul in their line— a most laborious

process.Fish caught in this manner command a higher price

in the markets than do those taken in the trawl .The explana tion of this is that line fish are taken

from the water alive and uninjured, whilst fish cap

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48 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

tured in the trawl are sometimes dead or bruisedbefore they are removed from the net.The deep-water line fisheries are engaged in by

smacks of from forty to sixty tons measurement, thecrew numbering thirteen many of these vessels carryas much as seven m iles ofline.These smacks are fitted with wells, in which the fish

a re kept alive for considerable periods, until the return

of the vessel from her cruise,which

,as a rule

,extends

over six weeks.British line-fishingvessels, principally from Grimsby ,

Shetland,and Orkney

,resort to the deep-sea cod and

ling banks off Iceland and the Faroe Islands in the

month ofMarch,and continue the season there until

October.These vessels remain on the grounds until they are

filled up with fish,when they return to port with their

cargo. Some Of the fish taken are cured on board ;others

,principally cod

,are put into the wel l and brought

home as what is termed in the market % live cod .

%

Although these fish are known in the market as

live cod,

% they are killed by a blow on the head witha mallet when they are taken from the well of the

fishing-smacks

,and consequently they never actually

reach the market alive.Fish which are killed in this way continue moist

,

and do not become rigid,whilst fish allowed to die

after removal from the water very quickly become dryand stiff.The difference is particularly noticeable in crim ped

cod,the killed fish retaining a much better appearance

than the one which has been left to die.Line fishing is pursued with success on the south

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50 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

shoot the net com pletely around it ; and if the attemptto surround the shoa l has been successful, the seine isgradually towed into Shallow water

,where the fish are

dipped out into boats specially constructed for thepurpose ; from these boats they are transferred to thecuring-house .In a successful shot ofthe seine, I believe it is not at

a ll unusual to secure 2000 hogsheads, equal to aboutpilchards. Such an occurrence is the Signal

for the m ost intense excitement amongst the inhabitantsof the village ; m en , women, and children join in thevarious labours of securing, curing, and packing thefish.

Profitable as this fishery sometimes is, it is essentially

speculative in its nature season after season may passwithout an opportunity of securing a shoal offeringitself either the fish do not approach the coast in the

locality Ofthe seine,or when they are seen the weather

is so boisterous as to prevent the boats from attemptingtheir capture .Our lobster and crab fisheries have been the subject

ofespecial legislation .

The supply of these crustacea had been perceptiblydecreasing for some years ; the fisherm en complainedthat they could no longer earn a livelihood from theirpursuit. In 1878 a Commission Of Inquiry was

appointed in consequence,and the principal reco m

m endations contained in their report were subsequentlyembodied in an Act ofParliament for the regulationofthese fisheries.Since this Act has been in force, crabs and lobsters

have shown a tendency to increase in numbers and in

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Sea Fisheries and F ishingPopula tion. 5 1

size. Should this improvement continue, as it seem slikely to do , we may hope in future years for a verylargely increased production ofthese shellfish ; althoughit seems probable that the demand will a lways continueto be in excess of the Supply, thus enabling a marketvalue to be attached to them which places them in thecategory of luxuries, rather than in that of the food ofthe nation .

The older fishermen,who are no longer enabled to

endure the exposure and fatigue inseparable fromservice in the deep-sea fishing-boats, no matter ofwhatclass, frequently engage in the longshore fishing forcrabs and lobsters

,and are thus enabled to earn their

living in a manner congenial to their earlier habits.I have found it very difficult to obtain any estimate

ofthe quantities taken at any point off our coasts, asthe lobster smacks usually buy them direct from theboats , for conveyance to the Ponds at the Hamble

River and the great markets.Considerable numbers of lobsters are now imported

from Norway ; they are smaller than the average of

English lobsters, but are esteemed to have a finerflavour than the latter.The rocky shores of the West Coast Of Ireland are

very favourite haunts of the crab and of the lobster,although they are but little fished for, especially theformer, which is hardly ever ea ten by the Irish .

Our oyster fisheries have for many years engagedpublic attention. Scheme after scheme has been proposed for increasing the supply of this bivalve organisations have been formed with the same object ; thesubject has been discussed and considered

,from variousE 2

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52 Sea Fisheries and F ishingPopula tion.

points ofview,in the public prints and in other ways ; but

up to the present little practical benefit has resulted.Our native oysters are amongst the most expensive

ofour luxuries, comm anding prices which place themout ofthe reach of m ost people ; and these high pricesare mainta ined in the face of a considerable developm ent, of late years, of a trade in oy sters importedfrom Holland and from the United States ofNorthAmerica.Where there are natural beds ofoysters there are

,as

a rule,ancient rights ofdredging, which the possessors

are very disinclined to see interfered with in any way.

To a creature of the sedentary habit of the oyster,

constant dredgingmeans literal extermination so far as

regards the area over which the Operation is conducted .

The spawn of the oyster, usually termed spat,

%

is infinitesim ally small, and when shed has a milkyappearance in the water

,in which it swims about

freely until it comes in contact with some hard substance, as a stone or an old shell

,to which it can

adhere. If it fails to find such a substance within a

few days of the time ofits em ission from the parentoyster, it perishes.Once fixed to a stone or a shell, or any other similar

substance, its whole life is passed at that Spot.Having no power of locomotion

,the oysters in a

bed may be so reduced in numbers by dredging thatit would be a matter of some years before the stockwould be replenished

, as an oy ster does not arrive at

its prime in less than four years.In localities which appear suitable for the cultivation

of the oy ster, experiments on a sm all scale might be

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 53

made by individuals, who should study very carefullythe effects of the variations of wind

,sea , temperature,

and climate upon the young colonies,and record and

tabulate the result oftheir observations.If one experiment fails

,the cause should be sought,

and another attempt made to win the crown ofsuccessmeasures being taken to avoid the dangers whichwrecked the previous venture.It is only by organised effort and careful experim ent

and observation that the deficiencies ofour own oystersbeds can be m ade good

,and this portion of our fishing

industries placed on a satisfactory footing ; but thisexperiment must be made by individuals personallyinterested in its success

,and capable ofobserving cause

and effect.

So far back as the time of the Roman occupation of

Britain,the estuary of the Thames was famed for its

oysters, and at the present day it m aintains its suprem acy. Whitstable is the headquarters of the Thamesoyster fishery

,and its inhabitants largely depend on

this industry for their livelihood.

The vicissitudes of the oyster fishery in the estuaryof the Severn during the last twenty years will serveto illustrate the precarious nature of the pursuit

,and

the manner in which beds of oysters may be exterm inated.

The boats employed average from eight to twelvetons

,are cutter-rigged

,manned by three m en each ,

are good sea boats, and are locally termed skills.%

The m ost prolific season on record was that of

1862—3, in the thirty -nine weeks of whichoysters were taken by about seventy Skifi

'

s. The value

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54 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

ofthe season ’s take amounted to about givingan average of£235 to each skiff.The remarkable success ofthe season

,1862- 3, gave

a great impetus to the fishery, so that in the year

1868—9 the number ofskills working had increased toabout 200, but only about oysters weretaken—a decrease of as compared with1862- 3.

The price of oysters had in the meantime risento such an extent

,that the oysters realised somewhere

about They had more than trebled in pricein six years.From 1868- 9 the takes ofoysters diminished year

by year, and the skill s were gradually w ithdrawn from

the industry, until in the season 1880—1 the employ

m ent of75 Skills only resulted in a take of

oysters.In the season 1881- 2 there were only 66 skiffs

employed ; the take ofoysters fell to aboutThe labours of our fishermen succeed in providing

for the population of these Islands 9. supply of fishfood amounting to about tons weight per

annum,which at £12 per ton represents a money

value of

%ast as this quantity appears, it does not suffice tomeet the demand and the imports of fish into theUnited Kingdom in the year ending December 3l st,1881 , according to the Custom House returns, werevalued at against this sum we must set

off an export value of which will leave an

excess ofim ports over exports ofThe larger portion of the fish captured is sent to

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 55

our great cities and towns for consumption whilst fresh.In the course oflast year

,the quantity offish brought

to Billingsgate by land was tons,whilst the

sea-borne fish amounted to tons ; a total of

tons thus passed through this great market intwelve months.In addition it is estimated that some tons of

fish are delivered in London annually without passingthrough Billingsgate.This m akes the total quantity of fish brought to

London in a year nearly tons,or almost one

fourth of the total capture on our coasts,and repre

~

sents a consumption of nearly 67 lbs. per head of thepopulation ; this is probably about equal to the con

sumption ofbeefin the Metropolis.

It speaks well for the system of carriage,that only

about 400 tons of fish were condemned at Billingsgatein the year 1881 as unfit for food

,and a large pro

portion ofthat was shell -fish.

On m any parts ofour coasts,the want ofconvenient

and accessible harbours is a great hindrance to thesuccessful prosecution of the fisheries

,and a fruitful

source ofdanger to our fishermen .

Many fishing villages have no harbour accommodation of any sort. The boats are launched from thebeach, and on their return have to be hauled up out ofreach ofthe sea at high water.The return of the boats to these places is often 1m

possible,and necessitates their making for some distant

harbour, when caught in bad weather at sea .

Disasters to fishing-boats attempting to take shelter

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56 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

in harbours,the pilotage ofwhich is imperfectly known

to the crews,frequently ari se from this cause.

At some places attempts have been m ade by fisherm en to lessen the dangers of taking the beach in badweather on a lee shore.A very interesting experiment has been made atHallsands and Beesands

,two fishing villages on the

coast of Devonshire,at which the boats have to take

the beach. At these places,dogs of the Labrador

breed are employed to assist in bri nging the boats toland, at such times as it would be dangerous for thecrew of the boat to attempt the operation unaided.The dogs have been trained to swim off through the

surfto the boats, which have previously been brought,stern first

,as close to the shore as is prudent.

On arriving at the boat, a small piece ofwood, towhich a line is attached, is given to the dog, whichthen returns to the Shore dragging the line after it.As soon as the dog reaches the shore, the crew of

the boat attach a rope to the line, which is then hauledon shore by the m en On the beach .

This rope, which is secured to the boat througha hole in the after end of the keel, is then m anned bythe m en on shore, who watch for an Opportunity ofam om entarily smooth sea, on the occurrence ofwhichthey quickly run her up high and dry on the beach.

No one can help admiring the courage, obedience,and intelligence ofthe dogs employed in this service,and they deserve the kindness and gratitude of the

m en whom they serve so faithfully.

That our fishermen should have to resort to such

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58 Sea F isheries and Fi shingPopula tion.

pliable, so as to adapt itselfto the figure ofthe wearer.Its principal flotation power should be high up on thechest and back. It should be so designed as not toimpede the action of the muscles brought into playwhen the arms are used to lift a considerable weightand raise it above the level ofthe eyes

,whilst the body

is liable to be swayed by the oscillations of a boat ina seaway.But very slight additional buoyancy is needed to

support a m an in the water,even when he cannot

swim,or is disabled.

The fisheries on the coast of Ireland offer a widefield of enterprise, and their development would tendto promote the welfare ofthe Irish people.Already the English

,Manx

,and Scotch boats which

prosecute the mackerel fisheries have commenced tofind their way to the west coast of Ireland , where theyhave obtained remunerative returns for their labours.Within the last three years, Dingle Bay has become

a considerable rendezvous of the mackerel drift boatsfor the early season ’s fishing ; the experiment was firsttried in 1881, and was so successful that increasingnumbers of boats have resorted there in the two following years

,m aking it their headquarters for the

prosecution of the deep-sea drift fishery, and sendingtheir fish by steamer to the English markets .The necessities of the crews of these boats must un

doubtedly give a considerable stimulus to local traffic,

and contribute towards the prosperity ofthe surrounding district ; but I hope this will not be the onlyresult. I look for the gradual extension ofan organisedsystem of fisheries up and down the whole west coast

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 59

ofIreland, which is singularly favoured in the possession of numerous natural harbours most suitable forfishing ports, if the inhabitants of those coasts wereto realise that the sea will yield them a far moreabundant harvest than their rocky and barren soil willgive—a harvest practically inexhaustible

,always ripe

and ready for the Sickle.I am informed that

,as a result of the spirit ofenter

prise aroused amongst the natives, ou seeing the fisher

m en from other localities taking large quantities of

m ackerel in the neighbourhood ofDingle, in the fourmonths from 1st of%anuary to 30th ofApril, 1882 ,the number of canoes registered as fishing

-boats rosefrom 44 to 75, and the number offishermen from 147

to 225, an increase of70 per cent. in boats, and 53 percent. in m en.

In the summer months large shoals ofmackerel visitthe bays and creeks in Ireland, offering to the cottiersthe means offurnishing themselves in abundance witha supply ofmost nutritious food.

Too often these opportuni ties are lost,and the

mackerel, after days (which may perhaps extend toweeks%spent close to the shore

,retreat undisturbed to

the Open sea,where their food will continue in abun

dance ; whilst the human beings who have been watchingtheir movements have to face the prospects of a winterof privation and suffering— evils which might have

been averted had advantage been taken ofthe presence,almost at their very doors

,ofthese shoals offish.

The difficulty of obtaining a market is supposed torender fishing on the west coast of Ireland um re

m unerative ; but it is found rem unerative to forward

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60 Sea Fisheries and F ishingPopula tion.

m ackerel and lobsters from Norway by sea to Hull,and thence by rail to London ; and the mackerel andlobsters from the west coast ofIreland could, even withthe present m eans of transit, be forwarded to London,or any of the great English markets, in less time thanis occupied in the voyage across the North Sea fromNorway to Hull.There are now four points a t which the west coast of

Ireland is connected by rail with the main routes of

communication between the two islands ; these are

Sligo, Westport, Ga lway, and Bantry.

Galway and Bantry have great natural facilities forcarrying on a fish tram c.

The fish caught off the coasts m ight be collected bysteamers and brought to these places

,whence they

could be despatched to any part ofthe kingdom.

To give an idea of how the development of theseIrish fisheries might with ease be conducted, it is a factthat in 1880, the year of the distress in Ireland, aCanadian committee distributed in one district nets tothe value of£200 ; in the following year the peopleto whom they were given realised £ 1200 worth of

mackerel.This is

,I think

,a remarkable proof of the benefits

which might accrue to the inhabitants of the Atlanticseaboard of Ireland , if they could be induced to adoptfishing as a means of livelihood

,instead of only

pursuing it in an intermittent fashion.

To follow the fisheries with success on these coasts,well-found vessels of considerable size would be necessary to contend with the Atlantic seas. The YarmouthBusses % used for the herring drift-net fishery run

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Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion. 61

from fifty to eighty tons. The French luggers engagedin the mackerel fishery are as large. To ensure as faras possible the safety ofthe crews, it would be necessaryto adopt vessels of somewhat similar type. But unlessthe inhabitants of the coast can be induced to enterearnestly and heartily into the pursuit, and to follow itwith steadiness and perseverance, the best boats and

appliances known will not make their fishing successful,

and it will probably be their lot to see the fishermenfrom other localities deriving the greatest benefits fromthese fisheries.With regard to the idea prevailing that the supply

of fish is diminishing, and that this is due to overfishing, it must be borne in mind that most species of

fish prey on others,and that the im partial depreda

tions of m an do not disturb the balance of nature on

which depends the power of reproduction of eachspecies.It is also said that fish m ust be decreasing

,as it

becomes necessary each season for the fishermen to seekthem in deeper waters and at greater distances fromland ; and from nowhere have I heard stronger and

louder complaints on this score than from the westcoast ofIreland.No one can suppose that the waters of that locality

have been overfished , or that by any operations ofm an

the stock offish in those waters has been reduced.The movements of fish are very difficult to account

for ; they appear in and disappear from localities for

no obvious reason.

It may be that sea fish have found that, in theshallower waters near the land

,they are exposed to the

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62 Sea F isheri es and F ishingPopula tion.

attacks of an enem y which they hope to avoid byseeking the greater depths ofthe ocean.

Instead of looking upon any improvement of the

m eans ofcapture as tending to exterminate the species ,I am rather disposed to welcome it as the possibleproducer of an increased supply offish

,for the benefit

ofour teeming population .

Any research into the laws which govern the life,habits and movements offish, presents great difficulties,owing to the vastness ofthe subject

,the limited power

of m an to explore the recesses of the ocean,the free

dom of its inhabitants to roam whithersoever theyplease, and the never-ceasing tides and currents which,together with the variable action ofthe winds

,keep the

seas in such constant and uncertain motion .

The Government of the United States has set theexample of devoting a sum annually to the breeding of

sea fishes ; it is probable that the scientific research

necessary to ensure the success ofthis undertaking will

furnish us with a knowledge, not only ofthe method of

spawning ofsea fishes and oftheir powers ofreproduction

,but also oftheir habits and movements.

It is difficult to over-estimate the economical and

comm ercia l value of accurate information on thesepoints ; we may hope, in time, to learn from them howto stimulate the production

,should it ever become

necessary to do so, and how to improve the m ethods ofcapture so as to ensure the sm allest percentage of

destruction ofthe young and im mature of the species.Such knowledge, and its applicati on, might tend to avery large increase in the supply of fish of variouskinds.

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Sea Fi sheries and F ishingPopula tion. 63

The example of the United States is well worthy of

imitation by the European nations which have largestakes in the fisheries ; from their relative position to

one another, joint action is almost a necessity, as all

would equally share in the m aterial and scientificbenefits which m ight accrue from researches made

in this directio nI therefore hOpe sincerely that the present Inter

national Exhibition may do much to bring about thisunity ofaction .

THE DUKE OF RO%BURGHE proposed a vote ofthanksto H.R .H. the Duke ofEdinburgh for the paper, andto H.R .H. the Prince ofWales for reading it. He feltthat no words of his were required to commend thisresolution

,after the very exhaustive and interesting

paper which they had all listened to with so muchpleasure. It appeared to him to be doubly valuable,first

,because it contained facts

,and not theories—facts

collected by H.R .H. the Duke ofEdinburgh when incommand of the Naval Reserve %

and the Coast Guard,

with great trouble, and which spoke for themselves ;and secondly

,speaking as a Scotchman , and being

intimately connected with Scotch fishermen, he m ightbe allowed to say , that if anything were required tostrengthen their attachment to the Royal Family

,the

fact that His Royal Highness had written this paperthe first to be read at these Conferences— and that ithad been read by the Prince ofWales, would supplyit. He begged, therefore, to move the resolution hehad mentioned .

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64 Sea F isheries and F ishingPopula tion.

THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND said he need not

occupy m uch time in seconding this motion, but hewas sure all present would agree with him in admiringalike the extensive knowledge of the subject which thepaper disclosed

,and the wise suggestions which it

offered for the improvement and benefit of the class towhich it referred ; whilst they must have been stillmore struck with the sympathy which it expressedwith the wants

,and sorrows, and sufferings of that

class . He must also, as President oftheRoyal NationalLifeboat Institution, bear witness to the great interestwhich His Royal Highness showed in that m ost important organisation. In conclusion

,he must say that

all those who had listened to the paper must have feltthat it derived an additional weight from being readby His Royal Highness the Prince ofWales

, thanwhom no one could have been found more able torecommend the sentiments ofhis Royal brother.

The motion was put by THE DUKE OF RO%BURGHE,

and carried unanimously.

H.R .H. THEPRIN%E OF WALES, in reply, said he feltsure that his brother would be not only much gratifiedby the kind way in which the vote of thanks had beenproposed and received, but also by the kind attentionwhich had been given to the long paper which he hadfelt a great pleasure in reading. It was obvious that

,

as the paper had taken some time, it would be betterthat the discussion should take place on a future occasion and in the meantime the paper would be circulated

,

so that members of the Conference would have time to