PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 347 



former sometimes causes the latter to assume a partially 

 horizontal position instead of a perfectly perpendicular 

 one, which is the position required. The corks play a very 

 important part in the fishing, either by their absence or 

 their presence, as in various waters and at various seasons 

 the net is sunk and worked at various depths, sometimes 

 with hardly any corks at all on the net-rope. These depths 

 vary from I to 20 fathoms, and the net, when worked 

 in this way, is termed a sunk net. This happens more 

 particularly in the early part of the North Sea voyage, when 

 the fish are not healthy, and consequently do not rise 

 much to the surface, or swim actively, but, as the fishermen 

 term it, " skulk." When this is the case the net is held at the 

 required distance from the surface of the water by seizings 

 attached to each end of the net, and from thence to the 

 bowls or buoys on the surface of the water. At other times 

 and places the net may be either what is termed " swum " 

 or " half-swum," as the case may be. In the former case the 

 corks are numerous enough to keep the net on the surface 

 of the water of themselves ; then there is no strain on the 

 bowls till the fish have struck the net, and caused it to 

 sink by their dying and losing their natural buoyancy. In 

 the latter case the net is less corked, say with only about 

 half the number of a " swum net," and in consequence sinks 

 in the water a few feet, till it is just checked from sinking 

 further by the seizings from the bowls to the net having, 

 become tight. The half-swum system is adopted by many, 

 not because they do not expect the fish to rise to the 

 surface, but to prevent damage accruing to the net by 

 vessels and steamers crossing over. They pass harmlessly 

 over in this case, whereas in the other case the net would 

 have been spoilt. The sizes of these nets vary according 

 to locality. The Scotch boat will usually have a net of 



