THE HERRING FISHERIES. 31 



as a sad evidence ; but it could not have been the trawlers 

 who prevented herring ascending the Forth, seeing that 

 they are a recent innovation on the east coast fishery for 

 Scotland, and it is interesting to find that the Newhaven 

 fishermen have launched a trawler for themselves, as of all, 

 perhaps, they had most reason to complain. That the 

 trawl will bring up herring spawn there can be no doubt, 

 but, as a rule, it cannot do so, for herring prefer spawning 

 among rocks or upon coarse ground, where the trawl 

 cannot go without injuring itself. 



Again, trawlers assert that our flat fishes are the most 

 voracious feeders upon herring spawn, and that, as they 

 capture a large proportion of these fish, they are really 

 conferring a benefit upon our fishermen by its use. 



A counter allegation was, that the use of circle trawls 

 instead of ordinary beam-trawls in the sprat fishery enabled 

 the fishers to capture young herring, and that the destruc- 

 tion of these young fry was fatal to the white fish fisheries 

 and conducive to a diminution of the herring themselves. 



A very important point comes out in connection with 

 the Firth of Forth, and one which we have already alluded 

 to, namely, that herring became scarce in this district 

 before the introduction of trawlers. If it can be shown 

 that there is no decrease on other parts of our coast where 

 trawling operations are carried out, then the question is so 

 far satisfactorily settled, and we think the statistics are on 

 this side. But there are some very important reasons why 

 specified limits as to the kind of trawl to be used, and the 

 place or grounds to be fished over should be rigidly main- 

 tained. The law at present seems to be a dead letter in 

 many points, and this is chiefly owing to a felt want for 

 marine police. It is a frequent occurrence for trawlers to 

 run right through the nets, and it is at any time dangerous 



