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SCOTCH FISHERIES. 



THE sea fisheries on the coasts of Scotland are very 

 important, but they mainly consist of two kinds drift 

 fishing for herrings in summer, and line fishing for cod, 

 ling, haddock, and other fish more or less at other 

 times. Besides these, there is seaning (called " traw- 

 ling" in Scotland) for herrings and sprats in some 

 localities ; a few set-nets are used in others, and there 

 are several places in which crabs and lobsters are 

 regularly worked for. Beam-trawling is in very little 

 favour in Scotland ; and it is only within the last very 

 few years that anything has been done with it in deep 

 water, and then mostly by English trawlers. 



I have already spoken of the change which has 

 largely taken place, and is still going on, in the Scotch 

 fishing craft, by the substitution of decked for un- 

 decked boats, principally in those of the first class. 

 An increase in the size of the boats has been made at 

 the same time ; but the alteration in this respect has 

 been limited by the general absence of deep-water 

 harbours in Scotland, unless specially constructed. 

 The fishing harbours on the east coast, where they are 

 more particularly needed, are, with two or three ex- 

 ceptions, very small, and only suitable for boats which 

 will just go into the first class, or for smaller ones. 



