FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



ordinary variations were noticeable in fish prices, 

 and it was not easy to fix a standard rate. 



It was obvious, however, that the prices of fish, 

 like other food, would have to be fixed, and on 

 January 23, 1918, the Food Controller issued an 

 Order establishing maximum retail prices for fish. 

 These new prices varied from 6d. a lb. for such 

 fish as pickled herrings (whole fish) to 4s. a lb. for 

 cuts of salmon. Other prices per lb. were : — Brill 

 and turbot, whole 2s. 6d., cuts 3s. 3d. ; cod, whole, 

 is. 3d., cuts is. iod. ; haddock, whole is. 3d., cuts 

 is. iod. ; halibut, whole 2s. 6d., cuts 3s. 3d. ; plaice, 

 whole is. iod. ; soles and slips, whole 3s. 6d. 

 Under the Order very high prices were chargeable 

 for various sorts of fish, which in pre-war days 

 were ranked as " offal." It was soon clear that the 

 Fish (Prices) Order had not made much difference 

 to the value of the catches, for catches from the 

 home ground often realised more than ^2,000 each, 

 while a deep sea catch fetched far more. In the 

 Easter period of 19 18 trawlers landing at Grimsby 

 had earned up to ^8,000 for a single voyage — on one 

 day catches of ^7,000 and ^8,000 each were re- 

 corded. In the same period a Fleetwood trawler, 

 after a little more than a fortnight's absence deep- 

 sea fishing, brought in a catch which realised 

 ^8,000, a record for the port. 



Strange tales were told of the earnings of skippers 

 and other fishers during the war, tales of fortunes 

 made in a few months and of skippers retiring to 

 country mansions on their earnings. Doubtless 



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