164 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



make it exceedingly difficult to land even a small boat 

 on this island. Thus, if a vessel is in distress and the 

 fishermen are forced to take to their dories, they have 

 little chance of making a safe landing. 



While coastal and river fisheries are usually con- 

 ducted on a small scale by fishermen residing near 

 the water, the bank fisheries are in most cases well 

 organized and are operated by companies owning 

 several schooners or fishing-vessels of some other 

 type. Such a system is necessary since few fisher- 

 men possess the capital required to purchase a sea- 

 worthy vessel and operate it on voyages requiring 

 weeks and even months. In most cases, however, the 

 captain of the vessel and his men are not ordinary 

 employees of the corporation owning the vessel, but 

 are really partners in the fishing enterprise, for they 

 receive a share of the catch. In some instances the 

 crew share equally what is left from the proceeds of 

 the catch after the owner of the schooner has been 

 paid a quarter of the gross returns and after the 

 bills for food, ice, salt, bait, cook's wages, and other 

 incidentals have been paid. On other vessels a wage 

 is guaranteed and augmented by a share in the 

 profits. This arrangement adds to the romance of 

 the fishermen's work, for occasionally they are for- 

 tunate enough to fill their schooner with marketable 

 fish in a short time and thus receive a big return for 

 their trip. Captains with a reputation for large 

 catches have little trouble finding men for their 

 crews. 



Halibut, tuna, and red snapper are also caught on 

 hooks and lines. Halibut fishing is a dangerous busi- 



