198 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



strong presumptions,'' that the operations of steam trawlers have had a tendency 

 to deplete the United Kingdom fisheries. 



(2) Much weight has been attached by opponents of the otter trawl to the 

 charge that the spawn or eggs of fish are destroyed by the trawl-net when 

 being dragged along the bottom. This accusation is disposed of summarily 

 by a simple negation and by the statement that " the only destruction of spawn 

 is that involved in taking spawning fish, and such fish are also taken on hand- 

 lines on Georges bank at least and by nets along the coast." 



(3) The most serious charge of which the otter trawl is convicted, and 

 the one on which almost entirely the recommendations to limit its operations 

 are based, is the third enumerated, viz., " that immature fish are taken in very 

 large numbers, which are killed in the process of capture and are thrown away." 

 On this point the evidence was plain and the case is clearly stated in the fourth 

 conclusion : " Otter trawls, as compared with lines, take a much larger pro- 

 portion of commercial fishes too small to market. From January to May, 3 

 per cent of the cod and 11 per cent of the haddock, and from Jtme to December, 

 40 per cent of the cod and 38 per cent of the haddock were unmarketably 

 small, while the lines caught practically no such fish. These proportions were 

 fully maintained in the respective classes of vessels fishing at the same season 

 on the same grounds. These young fish are practically all destroyed." 



(4) The accusation that valuable shellfish are destroyed in large numbers 

 by otter trawlers was passed over without any comment by the committee. 

 However, from a careful perusal of the report, it would appear that the officials 

 by whom the investigatory work was conducted found no evidence in support of 

 the charge. 



(5) The report is decisive in expressing the conviction of the committee 

 that steam trawlers are not guilty of carelessness or intentional damage in 

 respect to the gear of line fishermen. On the contrary, the evidence submitted 

 would indicate that those engaged in steam trawling exercise all possible pre- 

 caution. A less prominent accusation, namely, that the dragging of the trawl- 

 net over the floor of the sea causes serious damage to marine life and fish 

 forage in general, was also proven to be largely fiction. The committee's state- 

 ment on this point is as follows :" Otter trawls do not seriously disturb the 

 bottom over which they are fished nor materially denude it 6i the organisms 

 which directly and indirectly serve as food for commercial fishes." In regard 

 to the preceding contention, however, it was pointed out that trawling and line 

 fishing carried on in proximity results almost inevitably in some unintentional 

 damage. 



(6) Turning to the representations made by the trawling interests in vin- 

 dication of the otter trawl, the most important claim was to the effect that the 

 otter trawl is not unduly destructive. The example of European waters, which 

 have been fished intensively for many years, without any noticeable depletion, 

 was cited in support of this claim. The North sea and other British fisheries 

 were a rather unfortunate choice for this purpose. While the evidence from 

 these fisheries is by no means conclusive, it is nevertheless unmistakably favour- 

 able to the view that constant steam trawling tends to ultimate depletion of 

 the fishing grounds. 



(7) The trawlers have further claimed the merit of ability to supplement 

 the present supply of food fish by adding edible species for which a market can 

 readily be created. There is some foundation for this contention but, as yet, 

 in actual practice, very little development has been made in America along 

 these lines. Thus far " sole " has been the only species for which an important 

 demand has been created and it is well to note that the total weight of " sole " now 

 marketed annually does not exceed one-third of the weight of the immature 

 marketable species destroyed by the otter trawls. Moreover, any advantage 

 that the trawlers possess in this respect is relative, not absolute. As stated 

 in the report : " Both trawlers and lines catch considerable quantities of edible 

 species for which they have failed to develop a market." 



(8) Finally it was urged on behalf of otter trawling that only by that 

 method of fishing could continuous supplies be provided for the growing 



