NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 119 



many of those who depend on the fishing industry at Hull have not 

 rejoiced at the introduction of the new gear. When I was at 

 Scarborough I attended, by Mr. Woodall's invitation, a small con- 

 ference, held at the Exhibition, to discuss the artificial propagation 

 of marine fishes. One of the gentlemen present, who belonged to 

 Hull, argued that it was absurd to consider the proposal to hatch 

 fish-eggs, when the new beamless trawl was bringing in such numbers 

 of small haddock that the market was glutted with them. Another 

 gentleman replied to this that, in the warm weather of the middle 

 of summer, gluts of haddock had occurred in previous years, though 

 always of very temporary duration, and that there was never any 

 glut of plaice, soles, or turbot, which were the fish it was proposed 

 to propagate. 



The following week I was at Hull, and enquired, as far as I could 

 into the circumstances of the glut. I found there had been no excess 

 in the supply of any other fish but the small haddock, and satisfied 

 myself that the use of the new trawl did not involve the capture 

 of any more small fish of any kind in proportion to the total catch, 

 than the beam-trawl. It was the fact that the supply of small haddocks 

 in the previous week had exceeded the demand. But these were 

 haddocks of a size which are always brought to market, namely, from 

 9 in. to 12 in. in length, and they are chiefly bought for the fried fish 

 shops, whose custom falls off in summer time. One vessel landed 500 

 kits of these, and only 200 kits were sold. The manure works took a 

 good many, but they were also glutted. During the week that I was in 

 Hull, many of the vessels threw overboard their small haddock, to avoid 

 the same disappointment again, and it happened that prices were so 

 good that they had reason to regret doing so. On September 2nd the 

 price was 8s. to 10s. a kit, while on the next day it fell from 6s. to 2s. in 

 the course of sale. 



The headquarters of the fishing industry at Hull are at the St. 

 Andrew's Dock, the most western of all the docks of the port. A new 

 and larger dock for fishing vessels is in course of construction, on 

 adjoining ground on the west side of the existing dock, which does not 

 now contain sufficient accommodation for the increased business. No 

 other fishing is now carried on from this port except deep-sea trawling, 

 and long lining, and the latter branch of the industry is only pursued 

 by about a dozen steamers. A large number of sailing smacks, 250 

 according to the annual reports of the Inspectors, are still owned and 

 managed at the port. All of these are worked on the fleeting system. 

 The principal fleets are the lied Cross and the Great Northern, and the 

 fish from these is conveyed to London by steam carriers. At present a 

 considerable number of steamers are regularly employed in fishing with 



NEW SERIES— VOL. IV. NO. 2. K 



