THE OCEAN AS A SOURCE OF FOOD SUPPLY 169 



at the work of our own fishermen sailing from Grimsby, 

 which is known as the greatest fishing-port in the world. 

 Steam has revolutionized the industry as carried on at 

 Grimsby; it has also allowed the fishermen to go as 

 far from home as the Arctic regions almost in quest 

 of their finny prey. Yet, owing to the well system, 

 they find it possible to keep their catch alive, and 

 land them in almost as good condition as if they were 

 caught just off the Humber. But this habit of theirs 

 of roaming so far away from home, acquired of late 

 years, has often got them into serious difficulties. The 

 Danes, who own Iceland, but get very little good of 

 it, are intensely jealous of their rights and dignities, 

 as small nations and peoples always are ; and so, 

 although the territorial limit of three miles off shore 

 might as well not exist for all the difference it makes 

 to Denmark, she keeps a gunboat on the prowl in 

 order to seize any hapless Grimsby trawler that may 

 chance to be fishing so near to these inclement shores 

 as to get within the three-mile limit. The penalties 

 enforced are tremendous confiscation of gear and 

 catch, and the infliction of a hundred-pound fine is 

 the usual ruinous mulct, entirely so to a small owner, 

 but pressing terribly hard upon the men. Of course, 

 it may be said that they have the remedy in their own 

 hands : to keep away from these inhospitable shores. 

 That is true, yet until fishermen learn that it is not 

 necessary to fish in such shallow water in order to 

 secure most abundant hauls, and that with modern 

 gear the extra work and time involved in using a few 

 fathoms more of line is not great, these unpleasant- 

 nesses will still go on. Truth to tell, fishermen 

 generally believe that beyond a certain shallow depth, 



