56 THE FISHING INDUSTRY 



of Manx summer herrings is about 2 per cent during 

 the winter, and rises rapidly in June and July, until in 

 August, just before spawning, it is over 30 per cent. The 

 herring has a small liver which also contains some oil. 



Fishing is carried out with drifters. Practically 

 all drifters to-day are steam-driven, although recently 

 a number of motor-driven drifters have come into use. 

 Motor-driven drifters are mostly sailing boats con- 

 verted. Each drifter carries a crew of seven men, 

 including the skipper and engineer. The boats are 

 largely privately owned and the crew work on a share 

 basis. A number of boats are owned by companies. 



The boats from the various fishing ports work round 

 the coast, following the fishing from port to port. At 

 Yarmouth during the fishery season there are about 

 1,200 drifters from nearly all the fishing ports round 

 the coast. Stornoway, Wick, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, 

 Aberdeen, Berwick, Whitby, and Yarmouth are all 

 well represented. 



Each boat carries from 70 to 80 nets. The nets are 

 approximately 1 in. mesh. Each net is essentially a 

 long rectangular curtain, hanging vertically in the water. 

 Its upper edge, which is about 55 yds. long, is buoyed 

 up by about 80 to 84 corks distributed equidistantly 

 along it from end to end. The net is about 6 yds. 

 wide. Each net hangs with its upper edge about 2 

 fathoms below the surface of the water, being attached 

 at each corner to two pellets or bladders, resembling 

 large footballs, and serving as floats. 



Fishing nets and sails are often coated with warm 

 gelatine, and then immersed in a strong solution of tan- 

 nin. This renders the gelatine insoluble and preserves 

 the nets against the attacks of destructive organisms. 



When fishing, the boat takes up a position stern on 

 to the tide, The nets are paid out over the bow and 



