22 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



century still further progress was made, 

 until to-day the tonnage of the steam 

 trawler has doubled, and the modern vessel 

 is a ship costing from 10,000 to 16,000, 

 of 120 to 150 feet in length, and able to 

 travel a thousand miles to the prolific 

 breeding grounds off Iceland or the north 

 coast of Russia. Such a journey often 

 necessitates the ship being away from port 

 for a month at a time: Consequently a 

 large quantity of coal and ice has to be 

 carried, and the crew need to have comfort- 

 able quarters to enable them to withstand 

 the rigours of an Arctic climate. The use 

 of the steam trawler has revolutionized 

 trawl fishing ; its success has proved its 

 great advantage over line fishing. The 

 quantity of white fish landed in the British 

 Isles is almost six times what it was forty 

 years ago. For instance, at Grimsby, where 

 this method has had the greatest success, 

 the tonnage of fish landed, taking each 

 tenth year, is as follows : 



1860 . . . 4,537 



1870 . . . . 26,324 



1880 , . . 46,931 



