THE IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE SEA. 49 



The only means at my disposal for verifying the accuracy of these 

 conclusions is to compare the average catch of Scottish steam trawlers 

 during 1893 and 1894 with the probable catch of Grimsby sailing 

 trawlers for the same years. The admirable statistics of the Scottish 

 Fishery Board show, when worked out for this purpose, that the 

 average annual catch of Scottish steam trawlers landing fish on the 

 East Coast in the years 1893 and 1894 amounted to 3,802 cwts. per 

 vessel (see Table XL). From the average catch of Mr. Alward's sailing 

 trawlers for 1890-2, as well as from the figures for Lowestoft trawlers 

 already cited for 1892 (p. 45), we may infer that their catch in the 

 two following years would probably average not more than from 700 

 to 900 cwts. per vessel. Comparison of the two sets of figures yields 

 a relative efficiency for the Scottish steam trawlers between 4-2 and 5 4. 

 The efficiency of English steam trawlers for the same years is calculated 

 to have been from 5"5 to 5-6 (Table X.). Seeing that the average 

 registered tonnage of the Scottish vessels only amounts to 32-5 tons 

 for the years in question, whereas the average tonnage of English 

 steam vessels was from 48 to 48-5 tons, we may justly conclude that 

 the average English steam trawler at that time was a more powerful 

 vessel than the type prevalent in Scottish waters, although exact 

 comparison is impossible, owing to the inclusion in the English figures 

 of a certain number of steam carriers and liners, which no doubt affect 

 the figures to some slight extent. Under these circumstances the close 

 correspondence between the estimated efficiency of the Scottish East 

 Coast steam trawlers and of the English vessels for the years 1893 and 

 1894 may be regarded, if not as an actual verification of the accuracy 

 of Mr. Alward's estimates, at any rate as a substantial proof of their 

 freedom from serious exaggeration. 



I conclude, therefore, that in order to convert the number of English 

 steam trawlers into their smack-equivalents for each of the years from 

 1889 to 1894, the figures in Table X., which represent the relative 

 efficiency of the steam trawlers for those years, may be treated as 

 factors by means of which the conversion can be effected on an 

 approximately accurate basis. 



§ iii. Otter Trawh on Steam Trawlers. 



In 1894, however, the otter trawl was introduced, and the extent of 

 the change in catching power which its rapid adoption in 1895 wrought 

 among steam trawlers must now be examined. 



Mr. Cunningham has stated that in the opinion of Hull fishermen 

 the otter trawl increased the catches of steam trawlers in 1895 by as 

 much as 50 per cent., and various correspondents engaged in the 

 fishing industry, to whom I have put the question, have agreed in 



NEW SERIES. — VOL. VI. NO. 1. ^ 



