SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SEA FISHERIES BILL. 



139 



17 March 1904. J 



Mr. GOODBOURN. 



[Continued. 



Lord TweedmoiUh. 



2468. What is the length of beam that you 

 use ? — Average about 40 feet. 



Duke of Abercwn. 



2469. How manj' trawlers have you at Rams- 

 gate ?— About 160 to 170 all told. 



2470. You fish chiefly along the Channel ? — 



Duke of Ahercorn — continued. 



Chiefly to the eastward of Ramsgate, abreast of 

 Orfordness. 



2471. You do not go lar out ? — Not more than 

 80 or 90 miles. 



2472. How far south ?— The South Foreland. 



The Witness is directed to withdraw 



Mr. JAMES SYDENHAM is called in ; and Examined as follows : 



Chairman. 



2473. You come from Brixham ? — Yes. 



2474. You are a working fisherman and owner 

 of a sailing ketch ? — Yes. 



2475. You have been for 34 years trawling 

 the east coast of the North Sea and the English 

 and Bristol Channels ? — Yes ; not very much in 

 the North Sea. 



2476. Would an order of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries under this Bill, which was 

 restricted to steamers or sailing vessels of 65 

 tons and upwards, affect your trade ?— I think it 

 would. 



2477. Have you got any vessels of 65 tons and 

 upwards ? — No. 



2478. Have you got any steam trawlers ? — 

 No. 



2479. Then how would it affect the trade ? — 

 Because we do a little trade of our own — the 

 same as Lowestoft and Ramsgate men do. 



2480. But, I say, if the Bill did not apply how 

 would it affect your trade ? — As the Bill stands 

 now it would seriously interfere with our trade. 



2481. But the Bill is an enabling Bill, you 

 see ? — Yes. 



2482. Have you read the Bill ?— Yes. 



2483. It is an enabling Bill ?— Yes. 



2484. The point I put to you is, if the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries made an order 

 affecting every steam trawler and sailing vessel 

 of 65 tons and upwards but no others, would 

 that affect you ? — it would not affect us if it left 

 us out altogether — only steam trawlers alone. 



2485. Would it affect you if it touched sailing 

 vessels of 65 tons and upwards ? — No ; we have 

 none of 60 tons at Brixham. 



2486. Did you hear the evidence given by Mr. 

 Jeffs ? —Yes. 



2487. He said that what they wanted was 

 something which would protect the steam 

 trawling vessels against themselves, that is to 

 say a self-denying ordinance ? — Yes, and we 

 want something to protect the sailing vessels. 



2488. But he said he wanted something to 

 prevent them from going to what is known as 

 the Eastern Grounds ofi the coast of Holland ? — 

 We do not go there. 



2489. Therefore it would not affect you at all ? 

 —No. 



Chairman — continued . 



^.2490. Otherwise, what you want is, not to be 

 affected by any Order imder the Bill? — Yes; 

 that is what we want. 



249 L. And you are perfectly satisfied if you 

 are not ? — Yes. 



Duke oi Abercorn. 

 many trawlers has 



Brixham ? — 



2492. How 

 140 large, 60 small." 



2493. They work on the co-operative system, 

 do they not ? — Yes, we call it the single boat 

 owners system. 



2494. You have no companies there? — No, 

 all fishermen owners. 



Lord Tweedmouth. 



any difference in the 



Not 



grounds you fish ? 



2495. Do you notice 

 number of fish on the 

 very much. 



2496. Do you think there are as many fish 

 now as when you first went to it ? — Yes. 



2497. Are you doing a good business ? — The 

 trade has gone back a tremendous lot lately. 



2498. Why is that ?— I could not tell you. 

 The French steam trawlers trawl the English 

 Channel ; that is it. 



2499. Your catches are less then ? — Yes. 



2500. You have found fewer fish than you 

 did ? — In the English Channel. 



£501. Do you not go to the English Channel 

 so much ? — Yes, it is all fish in the English 

 Channel. 



2502. But you get smaller catches of fish ? — ■ 

 Yes. 



2503. And you attribute that, not to the 

 diminution of fish in the sea, but really to the 

 French steam trawlers ? — Yes. 



2504. Have you any idea of the sort of Bill 

 you would like to see passed ? — No. 



2505. You want to be left alone altogether ?— 

 Yes. ^ 



Duke of Abercorn. 



2506. Have you any idea where these foreign 

 steam trawlers come from ? — Belgium and 

 Ostend mostly. 



2507. They are foreigners ? — Yes. 



The Witness is directed to withdraw. 



Ordered — That this Committee be adjourned to To-morrow at 11 o'clock. 

 (0.10.) s 2 



