112 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



large scale and at fewer ports : it is fishing 

 centres like Grimsby, Hull, and Aberdeen, 

 that will, thanks to their unrivalled 

 position, be the scene of the greatest 

 efforts in the future adventuring of the 

 industry. 



In 1884, when the steam trawler, then 

 of small size, was introduced to Aberdeen, 

 the annual landings of white fish were 

 only 10,000 : thirty years later, on the 

 outbreak of the present war, the landings 

 reached a total of over 1,000,000. Taking 

 Grimsby in the same period, the increase in 

 tonnage of fish landed is from 50,000 to 

 200,000. In Hull the increase is from 

 30,000 to 150,000 tons, if we include the 

 landings of Hull trawlers into London. 

 Fleetwood, now a steam trawling centre 

 of growing importance, deals with over 

 60,000 tons annually. These increases give 

 eloquent testimony, if needed, of the 

 value of the steam trawler. Compare 

 these figures with the landings of white 

 fish in the ports which have retained sail 

 and line fishing ; there the amounts are 

 not only stationary, often they are retro- 

 grade, although with the advent of the 



