FROM YACHTS AND LARGE FISHING BOATS 299 



Select Committee of 1893 ? That committee reported, as re- 

 gards the great fishing grounds in the North Sea, that the con- 

 sensus of evidence of a number of persons interested in the 

 fisheries, whether professionals or landsmen, whether smack- 

 owners or fishermen, whether scientific experts or statisticians, 

 'showed that a serious diminution had occurred among the 

 more valuable classes of flat fish, particularly soles and plaice 

 a diminution which was to be attributed to overfishing by 

 trawlers in certain localities.' 



Perhaps some people who read these remarks have never 

 seen a beam trawl. The origin of this peculiar net is unknown ; 

 but for many years something of the kind has been used in the 

 Mediterranean, dragged between two vessels. In England, 

 Barking and Brixham both claim to be the first ports from 

 which trawlers sailed. The trawl generally used is a triangular- 

 shaped bag, the mouth of which is kept open by a beam of 

 wood. The beam does not rest on the bottom, but is fixed 

 along the upper edge of the mouth of the net and kept off the 

 bottom by two irons. The ground rope to which the rest of 

 the mouth of the net is fastened scrapes along the bottom, 

 forming a big curve behind the beam. As the fish meet this 

 ground rope many of them swim upwards, only to find the back 

 of the net above them, and a certain number, not by any means 

 all, work down to the narrow end of the net, which is called 

 variously the cod, purse, or bunt. The top of the net is called 

 its back, and the portion which scrapes the ground its belly. 

 To preserve the belly from being worn away on the bottom, 

 several layers of old netting are often placed under it. 



The trawl travels very slowly, and doubtless many fish after 

 entering turn their tail towards the purse and depart hastily. 

 If the net were simply a bag most fish would have little diffi- 

 culty on reaching the end of the net in turning and swimming 

 out again if they were so disposed. To prevent this, what are 



