TRAWL FISHERIES 81 



long voyages of many weeks' duration. Between 

 1900 and 1906 the average net tonnage of the steam 

 trawlers increased from 54 to 62. The steam trawlers, 

 in opening up new and more distant fishing grounds, 

 left the home grounds to the smacks. Consequently 

 we find that the smacks confined their operation to the 

 smooth ground in home waters, leaving the rough and 

 more distant grounds to the steam trawlers. A direct 

 result of this gradual redistribution of the fisheries 

 between sailing smacks and steamers was the develop- 

 ment of specialized fishing ports. Such ports as Lowes- 

 toft, Brixham and Ramsgate, off which good fish are 

 obtainable and which are within easy access of good 

 markets, have retained their importance as smack 

 ports ; on the other hand, the development of steam 

 trawling has led to the rapid growth of deep water 

 ports, such as Fleetwood, Grimsby, Hull, Aberdeen, and 

 Mil ford Haven. In Grimsby, originally one of the 

 greatest strongholds of smack fishing, smacks have been 

 entirely displaced by steam trawlers, owing to the special 

 facilities which the port offers in being near cheap coal, 

 in possessing deep water, and in being in direct rail 

 communication with large markets for trawl fish. 



There is no doubt that the rapid development of steam 

 trawling was accelerated by the invention of the otter 

 trawl. This is not only a larger net than the beam 

 trawl, but is for all but small, flat fish, a much more 

 efficient instrument. From the study of market 

 statistics between the years 1889 and 1898 Garstang 

 has calculated that a steamer caught on the average 

 between four and seven times as much fish in the year 

 as a sailing smack. 



A modern steam trawler is from 150 to 160 ft. long 

 by 25 ft. beam and 12 ft. depth, constructed with a 

 high bow and a low, flat stern. Her net tonnage is 



