DRIFT-NET FISHING. 100 



cutting through the nets without sHpping tlieir tmwl- 

 war|) iind probably losing their gear' altogether. The 

 interests of the two sets of fishermen unfortunately 

 clash, as often happens in other cases, but neither of 

 them would willingly get their nets fouled and lose 

 their chance of fishing if it were easy to avoid doing 

 so. The above regulations are also inserted in the 

 recent Sea Fisheries Act, 1868, and are more strictly 

 enforced than formerly ; and although it may appear 

 somewhat hard on the trawlers to oblige them to keep 

 at least three miles from any drift-fishing, it is perhaps 

 not altogether unreasonable, seeing that the great 

 herring harvest only lasts for a comparatively short 

 time, and the produce of it is very valuable. The 

 trawlers in the North Sea have a wide range of ground 

 to work over ; but they allege, with some justice, that 

 as the herrings shift about, the hundreds of drift-boats 

 are constantly changing their ground, and it is difiicult 

 to say where they are not likely to be met with, par- 

 ticularly in the early part of the season, when they fish 

 at a long distance from land. In the western part of 

 the Channel cases of great hardship might easily occur, 

 for the trawling grounds are very limited in extent, 

 and it would be no very difficult matter under this 

 regulation for the drift-boats to put a stop altogether to 

 trawling at night during the drift season. 



Whilst the drift-nets are in the water the warp is 

 occasionally hauled in till the first net is reached ; this 

 is called the " look on " net, and by examining it some 

 idea may generally be formed of whether many herrings 

 are about, or the dogfish are numerous. The latter are 

 at times very mischievous, and do a great deal of 

 damage to both the fish and the nets if they are left 

 long in the water. 



