THE IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE SEA. 37 



to obtain reliable information as to the number of trawlers using the 

 port for a long term of years from the Great Eastern Eailway Company, 

 the owners of the fish-docks (Table VII). Evidence from the same 

 source, together with independent evidence as to the numbers of the 

 local trawlers, was furnished to the Select Committee on Sea Fisheries 

 in 1893 by Mr. Hame, who places the local trawlers for 1892 at about 

 300, and for 1893 at 325 (Minutes of Evidence, §§ 1,532 and 1,642). The 

 latter number practically coincides with the collector's return for the 

 same year in the Report of the Inspectors, whereas the gross number 

 of trawlers using the port is given by the Railway Company as 394 

 for 1893, and for each year from 1889 to 1896 uniformly exceeds 

 the collector's figure, the excess usually amounting to from 30 to 70. 

 The dock superintendent informs me that the number of Ramsgate 

 trawlers landing their fish in Lowestoft may be placed at about 50 

 or 60. 



From all this evidence it is clear that the collector's returns of the 

 trawlers engaged in the Lowestoft fishery are not the gross returns 

 of trawlers using the port, but more nearly represent the numbers 

 of local trawlers. On the other hand, the collector's returns for the 

 four years 1890 to 1893 (viz. 203, 186, 350, 320) fluctuate in a manner 

 which is inconsistent with the view that they represent the local 

 trawlers exactly, and as the Railway Company's gross (but exact) returns 

 show a continuous increase from 1886 to 1896, I have "smoothed" 

 the collector's figures for 1891 and 1892 in conformity with this fact. 

 The correction may not be perfectly exact, but it probably reduces the 

 error to insignificant dimensions. Mr. Alfred Turner, of Lowestoft, 

 informs me that the local boats have increased since 1893, but rather 

 than exaggerate the catching power in these later years, I have pre- 

 ferred to retain the collector's estimate, in the absence of definite 

 information. 



In the case of Grimsby an exact classification of the fishing boats 

 registered in 1899 is given by the Great Central Railway Company in 

 an official pamphlet* dealing with that port, the whole of the vessels 

 being included as trawlers or liners, without mention of drift boats. 

 As the number of trawlers and liners in the collector's returns for 

 Grimsby in any year does not exceed the total registered, it may be 

 safely assumed that at this port also the collector's returns of these 

 classes of boat approximately represent the numbers of local boats in 



* Leading Events and ,Statistics in connection ivith the Formation and Development of the 

 Port of Great Grimsby. Manchester, 1900. "Steam liue vessels, 52 ; sailing line vessels, 

 29; steam trawlers, 373; sailing trawlers, 70; total (registered), 524." In a previous 

 edition, dated 1894, the Grimsby fishing boats for 1893 are classified as, "Trawlers, 670 ; 

 cod vessels, 127 ; total, 797." These tigures show that my figures for the whole period are 

 sufficiently near tlie mark. 



