I 



FISHERIES 



date, however, the fish went into consumptio- . at once, 

 instead of being sen' '<ue or two hundred miles before it 

 reached the consumer. The increased demand for fish of 

 lite years has led to the building of trawlers of the best 

 description, as remarkable for their fas^ sailing as for other 

 improved qualities. There is racing home now from the 

 fishing grounds to catch the first of the market, and every- 

 thing ii done as quickly as possiiile to ensure quick dis- 

 tribution and diilivery ail over the country. The cost of 

 the vessels has of course largely increased, not only from 

 their greater size, but also because of the much higher 

 price now paid for everything used iu their construction. 

 In 1862 a new trawl vessel, and wliat wiis at that time 

 considered one of the larger class, could be built and fitted 

 out ready for sea for .£700 or £800 ; but it costs from 

 £1200 to £1300 to turn out one of the vt- -sels now com- 

 monly used in the North Sea fishery. is includes a 

 supply of everything necessary for fishing, costing about 

 £70 or £80. A proper fit-out consists of a double set of 

 almost every part of the gear, so as to provide against 

 accidents, and generally to save the time which would be 

 lost if the trawler were obliged to return to port before he 

 had done a fair quantity of work. A trawl-net will 

 perhaps last from two to four months, according to the 

 nature of the ground worked upon ; but during that time 

 parts of it will have to be renewed. The baclj of the net, 

 being exposed to the least wear, lasts the longest ; the 

 under part will generally reo' .re renewing twice, and the 

 cod or purse five or six times, before the net is finally con- 

 demned. The additional size now given to the trawl- 

 vessels has led to an alteration in the manner in which they 

 are rigged. The term " smack " has been for a long time 

 applied to those trading and fishing craft which were cutter 

 rigged, and until quite recent years all the trawlers were 

 known as trawl-smacks. It was a convenient rig ; the 

 single mast was stepped well forward so as to allow of a 

 large and powerful mainsail, ut the same time giving plenty 

 of free space on deck for getting in the net, and stowing it 

 and the long trawl-beam on the top of the bulwark when 

 not p^ work. But when the size of the vessels was 

 increased to 70 or 80 tons, it was found that the mainsail, 

 enlarged in proportion, wanted a good deal r lore looking 

 after in bad weather than was convenient, and the heavier 

 main-boom caused a great deal of straining. More hands 

 became necessary on this account than were required for 

 ordinary fishing purposes, and the increased expenses 

 interfered with profitable working. The new trawl-boats 

 were therefore built of greater length, so a.s to provide 

 room for a small second mast or mizen on which a gaff-sail 

 eould be carried, and thus something could be taken off 

 the large mainsaiL The result has been very satisfactory ; 

 just as much sail is carried as before, but it is not so lofty, 

 and being divided into smaller pieces, it can be handled 

 with greater ease and safety. As a gaff-sail is carried on 

 the raizeu, the rig is tlint of a ketch ; liad a lug-sail been 

 used instead of a gaff-sail, the vessel would have been what 

 is called "dandy-rigged." The increased length of the 

 vessel in proporiion to her size gives many advantages. 

 Space is provilod for packing away a considerable quantity 

 of ice, which is a very necessary article in the present 

 mode of workuig the North Sea tmwl fishery; the produce 

 of many fishing days can be properly stowed away and 

 preserved in good condition, and the crew have more roomy 

 and comfortable accommodation, — a point of importance, 

 since at certain seasons they remain at sea for several 

 Weeks at a time. 



"Barking" the sails is a regular practice with the traw- 

 lers, as it is with most other fishermen in England and 

 Scotland. The process consists in mapping them over with 

 a oojuposition of a solution of oak-b rk, tar, grease, and 



ochre, which acts as a good preservative of the canvas. 

 This is done once iu six or eight weeks, and a suitable 

 place is kept for the purpose at all the importaut fishing 

 stations. 



Working the beam-trawl requires some little skill which 

 can only be acquired by experience at sea. A knowledge 

 of the ground and of the direction and times of the tide is 

 essential ; for the tiawl is towed with the i-treara, a little 

 faster than it is running, so that there may be just suflicitnt 

 resistance from the water to expand the net. If it were 

 towed too fast, the pri.'ssure of the water against the long- 

 transverse beam would tend to lift it from the ground, and 

 then the fish would not enter the net. This important 

 point is regulated by a nice adjustment of the length of 

 tow-rope to the force of the wind and state of the sea ; and 

 experience enables the fisherman to tell, by pressing the 

 hand firmly on the warp between the vessel and the water, 

 whether or not the trawl is working steadily over the 

 ground. Lowering the trawl to the bottom is also a matter 

 requiring great care, so that it may reach the ground with 

 the beam above the iron heads and the ground-rope in its 

 proper position below. This can only be managed liy first 

 getting the whole apparatus in a proper jwsition at the 

 surface, and then keeping the vessel slowly moving through 

 the water whilst the lowering takes place. If, as sometimes 

 happens in spite of all precautions, the net and beam 

 should twist round while being lowered, and the npi)aratu8 

 should reach the bottom with its back downwards, then 

 the l»eam wo'ild be on the ground and the iron supports 

 above, the mouth of the net would close, and no good could 

 be done with it. The only thing for the fishermen to do 

 under such circumstances is to haul up the trawl and shoot 

 it again. The popular idea that the beam is always drug- 

 ging on the ground is therefore a mistaken one. The tiawl 

 is shot at the begiuniiig of the tide, so that it may be towed 

 for five or six hours, and during that time it will probably 

 pass over from fifteen to twenty miles of ground. As 

 trawlers when engaged in fishing are practically anchon-d 

 by their trawls, they cannot readily get out of the w;.<v of 

 vessels meeting them, and the law admits this view of the 

 case by obliging them at night to carry a single mast-head 

 light as an anchor V \t, instead uf the regulation red und 

 green side-lights for vessels under sail. 



When the tide has finished, or the smack has reached the 

 end of its fishing ground, the trawl is lii!!!"'^ nn Viy a winch 

 or capstan. This seldom takes less than three-quarteis of 

 an hour in fir>.-, weather, and two or thrc^ hours if it he 

 rough. The beam is got alongsi'le, and hoisted up and 

 .secured; then the net is gathered m, the cod or end of the 

 bag being hoisted iu by a tackle, and the cod-rope closiMg 

 the end being cast off, the whole catch of fish falls o'lfc 

 on deck. The fish are immediately sorted and packed 

 away, and the fishermen prepare for another haul, according 

 to the state of the wind and tide.' 



Trawl-fish are separated for market purposes into two 

 great classes, known respectively as " prime " and " offal." 

 Prime includes turbot, brill, soles, dories, and red mullet, 

 the last being ci'i'^'^t in large numbers in summer, 

 especially by the Brixl; m trawlens. Offal is the name 

 given to plaice, haddocks, whiting, and oMier kinds of 

 inferior fishes which are caught in great ahundance, und 

 usually sell at a low price. The term "offal" w^s applied 

 to these fish at a time when railways had not come into 

 existence, and purchasers frequently could not be found for 

 the quantity of fish the trawlers would bring to market in 

 one day. This was especially the ca.se with plaice and 

 haddocks when the newly dis' overed fishing grounds in 



' Fiillar details of the mode of workint; tlie lienintriiwl will Im 

 found in Veep Sea Fishing and Fishing Boati, London, 1S74. 



