The Massachusetts Division of Employ- 

 ment Security has data showing total earn- 

 ings paid to fishermen on vessels of 10 net 

 tons and over. As shown in table 1-6, to- 

 tal earnings in the fisheries have advanced 

 only 3 percent in the 19it8-57 period. It 

 must be remenibered, too, that this figure 

 includes earnings in all fisheries en?)loy- 

 ing vessels of over 10 net tons. If earn- 

 ings from the relatively prosperous scallop 

 industry are excluded, there is an absolute 

 decrease in groundfish vessel earnings. 

 This is verified by the experience of the 

 groimdfish ports of Boston and Gloucester 

 where total earnings fell 8 percent and 

 employment 25 percent in the period. Since 

 the number of jobs in these two ports de- 

 clined more than did total payments, aver- 

 age earnings for those still employed ad- 

 vanced 2li percent (versus a 17 percent 

 increase in the cost of living). On the 

 other hand, total wage payments in other 

 MassachvLsetts ports advanced 20 percent, 

 while the number employed fell 3 percent, 

 in these ports average annual earnings 

 advanced 2li percent in ihe period. These 

 higher earnings figures reflect the influ- 

 ence of the scallop fishery in N<=>v Bedford. 



The reduction in employment opportu- 

 nities in the fisheries has had a marked 

 effect on the composition of the fishermen 

 labor force. Table 1-7 surveys the age 

 composition of the Atlantic Plsherraen's 

 Union in 1958. The data may be biased to- 

 ward the older age groups, as there is no 

 way of determining how active the older 

 members are in fishing. A marked differ- 

 ence is seen, however, in the age distri- 

 bution among the unionized ports. In 

 Boston about 6? percent of the fishermen 

 are 51 years or over and only 9 percent 

 under ll years. In Gloucester iju percent 

 are 5l or over and only 9 percent under ij. 

 years. In New Bedford, where there is a 

 prosperous scallop fishery but one reqiiir- 

 ing arduoviB work for deckhands, only 29 



percent are 5l and over while h2 percent 

 are imder Ul years. Clearly, the problem 

 of attracting young men into this industry 

 is a major one for the groundfish ports of 

 Boston and Gloucester, Detailed data were 

 not obtained on the age of Maine groimd- 

 fish fisherr.-.en, but the commissioner of 

 the Maine Department of Sea and Shore fish- 

 eries estimates that the average age of 

 Maine trawler men is over U) and that young 

 men are standing clear of the industry, 7/ 



2, The Vessels 



There has been a decliJie in the number 

 of vessels and their size, and a deterio- 

 ration in the quality and equipment of the 

 vessels. In the period 19li7-57 the number 

 of New Qigland otter trawlers declined 13 

 percent with a li4 percent loss in net ton- 

 nage. The number of trawlers operating 

 out of Massachusetts ports declined 28 per- 

 cent in number and 32 percent in tonnage. 

 Maine ports experienced a 35 percent in- 

 crease in numbers of trawlers and a 16? 

 percent tonnage increase, but here, too, 

 there has been a decline since 195a, 

 (table 1-8). 



The number of active large and medium 

 trawlers at Massachusetts ports has declin- 

 ed from 295 in 19ii7 to 203 in 1957, (table 

 1-9 )• The shrinkage in the size and com- 

 position of the Heet is most evident in 

 the case of the Boston groundfish fleet 

 where the number of large trawlers has been 

 halved; medium ones have shown an 18 per- 

 cent increase; and the smaller ones have 

 been reduced by two- thirds, (table I-IO), 



Not only has the nurfcer of vessels in 

 service decreased, but many of the remain- 

 ing ones have reached an age long past 

 "normal" replacement. As of September 1, 

 1958 the average age of a Boston otter 

 trawler was 20,8 years. Large Boston 

 trawlers averaged 18 years, medium ones 19, 



7/ Fisheries Legislation, Hearings, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Comraerce, 

 United States Senate, 2nd Session, July 15-17, 1958, p. l50. Brief by Ronald W. Green, 

 Conmlssioner, Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries, State of Maine. See also. Assist- 

 ance to Depressed Segmenta of the Fishing Industries , Hearings, Subcoirmittee on Fisheries 

 and Wildlife Conservation of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of 

 Representatives, 86th Congress, 1st session, April 28-30 and June h and 11, 1959, p. 6l. 

 Statement oX Honorable Beatrice Corliss, Mayor, City of Gloucester, Massachvisetts, 



