INTRODUCTORY. 23 



grumbling about bad times, lie expects to get a good 

 return in iish for his increased outlay. In some cases, 

 however, persons otherwise unconnected with fishing 

 will invest their money in the trade and join those who 

 have practical experience of it ; others have been foolish 

 enough to go into the business, knowing nothing of its 

 working, and have paid some one to manage it for them ; 

 the result in the latter case has sooner or later been 

 a heavy loss, as any master of a fishing boat could 

 have told them would be the case. It must not be 

 supposed, however, that everything goes smoothly with 

 even the industrious fisherman ; he has to contend with 

 bad seasons, unfavourable weather, loss of, or damage 

 to, both boats and gear, which often throw him back in 

 the world and perhaps ruin his prospects for some time 

 to come ; but with ordinary " luck," as he would him- 

 self say, he has not much fear; and the present style 

 and number of fishing boats appear to us strong evi- 

 dence that he has good ground for his confidence. 



What we have now said only partially applies to 

 Ireland. The returns of fishing boats in that country 

 show an almost continuous decrease in the aggregate ; 

 but that is not correct for all kinds of fishing, as deep- 

 sea trawling is in a thriving condition there ; and the 

 fisheries on the east coast, where emigration is not 

 carrying away the fishermen, are showing signs of 

 improvement. 



Before leaving the subject of the supply of fish, we 

 may say a few words about the average takes by each 

 boat. It is said by those who believe the fisheries are 

 declining, that, although there may be an increase in 

 the number of fishing boats, especially marked in the 

 case of the trawlers, the takes of fish by each vessel are 

 less than they used to be. It would be difficult to 



