IS FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



railways, and no means of preserving fish, 

 their catches very seldom reached the 

 interior in fresh condition, and, when they 

 did, were regarded as a great luxury. 

 Progress in the industry was best developed 

 in the counties of Devonshire and Cornwall, 

 where the splendid harbourage favoured 

 fishing operations. Trawling most prob- 

 ably originated at Brixham, where, as far 

 back as a hundred years ago, fish were 

 caught by aid of the beam trawl. A net 

 was towed along, the mouth being kept 

 open by the 'use of a long beam of wood 

 (hence the name). This method is still in 

 use in some of the smaller fishing ports. 

 The great disadvantage, however, in those 

 days was the* heed of a population to con- 

 sume the product and by its demands to 

 support the work. Devonshire and Corn- 

 wall were very sparsely populated, and if 

 a large catch came to hand it could not 

 all be consumed, the surplus having to be 

 spread on the land as manure. In search 

 of markets the fishermen gradually deserted 

 Brixham and the neighbouring villages and 

 migrated to Ramsgate and Margate. Off 

 these places they could still find fish and 



