_ 97 — APPENDIX J: ENGLAND 



one in use amongst professional fishermen, the otter-trawl being used by amateurs. The 

 shape of the opening in these two nets is very Jift'erent, but the size of mesh and the 

 structure of the net are essentially the same in both. Near the opening, the size of mesh 

 is 3 inches (7-6 cm.) from iinot to knot, or 9 square inches (58 sq. cm.) in area. At the 

 closed end or cod, it is IV2 inches from knot to knot or 2V4 square inches (14'5 sq. cm.) 

 in area. The smaller beam -trawls have a slightly smaller mesh. 



Deep-sea fishing with the beam-trawl as now used, seems to have begun in England 

 during the IS* century, but it was not until the beginning of last century, that the great 

 fishing-grounds of the North Sea began to be exploited, and that by the trawlers from 

 Brixham on the south coast of England. The development of trawling on the east coast 

 may be divided into three periods. 



During the first period, embracing the first to the third quarter of last century, the 

 fishing was carried on entirely by sailing smacks and the principal advances were then 

 made. The fishing ports of Lowestoft, Yarmouth, Grimsby and Hull became great trawling 

 centres at that time, in the case of Grimsby from practically nothing. Although used by 

 the liners for some years previously, Grimsby became a regular port for trawlers in 1858 

 only. In 1872, there were 248 trawlers fishing from it, all of the largest type; and in 

 that year, about a 1000 sailing trawlers in all were regularly fishing in the North Sea 

 from the east coast ports. 



The second period saw the introduction of steam as propelling power. The exact date 

 at which it was first employed for trawlers, seems uncertain. It was used for many years 

 previously on the liners (about 1860), but in 1874, according to Holdsworth, its value for 

 trawling had still to be proved. The expense of working steamers was the chief draw- 

 back, and but few steam-trawlers were at work previous to 1880. In 1883, there were 

 only 181 steam fishing vessels in all England, and many, if not the most of these, were 

 liners. Previous to 1890, the average annual number of steam fishing vessels, trawlers 

 and liners together, was less than 400, whilst the number of sailing smacks, mostly 

 trawlers, exceeded 3000. 



From 1890 to 1895, however, the annual increase in the number of steam trawlers 

 was about 50, so that they had become fairly established by that time. The saiUng 

 trawlers, on the other hand, were decreasing during this period even more rapidly than 

 the steam trawlers increased. 



The third period in the history of the North Sea trawling began in 1895, when the 

 otter-trawl was first seriously employed in deep-sea fishing. This proved a great success 

 on the steam trawlers within the space of a year, and their numbers now increased annu- 

 ally not by 50 but by a 100 until 1900. The greater efficiency of the otter-trawl in the 

 capture of round fish such as haddock , and for fishing in deeper waters , added to the 

 •other advantages of steam over sail, proved too much for the sailing trawler. In 1893, 

 the number of the first class sailing trawlers was over 2000, in 1902, it was but little 

 more than 800, whilst the steam trawlers increased from 495 to 1,106 in the same period. 



Line-fishing in England as elsewhere, is one of the oldest forms of fishing, but it une-Kishmg 

 does not now play such an important part in supplying the fish of the country as formerly. 

 The North Sea was exploited by the large liners at least a century before the trawlers 

 appeared, Harwich being then the head quarters of the fishing. Welled-smacks, for keeping 

 the fish alive, were first introduced there early in the IS"" century. 



Appendix J xO 



