OF THE GRIMSBY TRAWL FISHERY. 413 
not less than forty sail were engaged, and yet landed only about 
one fourth of the amount which was brought in by the steam- 
trawlers. The twenty-nine “ voyages ”’ of the latter might have been 
effected in the time by only eight or ten vessels. It must be added 
that the prevailing calms or light winds tended to bring the dif- 
ference of efficiency as between steam and sail power into greater 
contrast, as the smacks, in addition to difficulty in fishing, were 
considerably delayed in landing, the particular fleets engaged being 
dependent on themselves for “‘ cutters,’ instead of having steam- 
cutters. 
I have little knowledge of the proceedings of vessels which do 
not land their catches at Grimsby, but I gather that, in proportion 
to the strength of the fleet, as much small plaice is destroyed by 
Hull as by Grimsby boats. Indeed, I was given to understand 
that in 1892 two large Hull fleets paid a visit to the small-fish 
grounds, though they did not stop there long. Grimsby during 
that year had only one small fleet on the Hastern side. 
At the Conference of 1890, a number of Hull and Grimsby 
smack-owners voluntarily bound themselves not to send their fleets 
to fish a defined area, the western limit of which is shown on the 
chart by a chain line. This engagement, which does not appear to 
have applied to steam-trawlers or “ single-boating ”? smacks, has, 
so far as I know, been carried out. It will be observed that the 
area does not include a large stretch of ground frequented by small 
fish. 
Of Lowestoft proceedings I know even less, but I am bound to 
say that I have read the evidence given before the Parliamentary 
Committee from that port with some surprise, if with no less re- 
spectful sentiment. The grounds worked by Lowestoft vessels were 
roughly defined by a witness as lying between the parallels of 51°30° 
and 53°30°, and it was stated that boats rarely went to the grounds 
about Heligoland. 
Unless I have been misinformed, there were at the time three 
fleets of Yarmouth and Lowestoft boats engaged along the coast 
from Terschelling to Borkum, 7%. e. about the northern limit of the 
aforesaid rough definition and a little beyond it. ‘There were also 
one or two Lowestoft boats in a fleet landing at Grimsby. 
Evidence was given that soles or plaice of less than 8 inches were 
hardly ever seen at Lowestoft. I can only say that our vessels 
seemed to be catching plenty of smaller plaice on the same ground 
as the Lowestoft men, but perhaps the latter were fortunate enough 
to avoid them. 
Very small plaice or soles are rarely seen in the Grimsby market 
in winter, and if by chance a few boxes attracted my attention I was 
