THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEAM TRAWLING 147 



As an instance of the risks to which British trawlers are exposed, 

 it may be mentioned that in 1908, according to reports in the Press, 

 a trawler's crew fell into the hands of Moors while fishing off the 

 coast of Morocco, while another was wrecked in the White Sea 

 and only saved from starvation by Laplanders. With regard to 

 the productivity and the capabilities of the various fishing grounds 

 now frequented by trawlers, there is much guesswork, but little 

 real knowledge. 



Obviously pioneers, who in one case christened a new ground 



Klondyke," will not give away information which may be of 

 service to their trade rivals. Exploratory voyages of an expensive 

 nature, attended in many cases with considerable difficulties and 

 dangers, may or may not be financially productive. In either case 

 it is hardly to be expected that the trawler skipper will part with 

 the information he has acquired at great expense of time and money. 

 There are, however, certain facts relative to the various trawling 

 grounds which are accessible. Some of these have been placed on 

 record by the discoveries of scientific exploring vessels subsidised 

 by one or other of the Governments of North- Western Europe. In 

 other cases the information has been obtained from the commercial 

 trawlers. Since most, if not all, trawler catches are sold by public 

 auction at the quay side immediately on being landed, it is possible 

 to obtain an estimate of the quantity, kinds of fish, and the total 

 value realised by fishing for so many days in a certain area. Some 

 of the results obtained in recent years on the various fishing grounds 

 are of considerable interest. That the North Sea grounds have 

 declined, and are still declining in productivity, cannot be gain- 

 said ; and pace Herubal^ this result is due to excessive steam 

 trawling over an area which cannot be considered a small one, 

 seeing that there are 147,000 sq. miles of trawlable ground 

 in the North Sea practically, every square yard of which has 

 been fished over. Not only are the North Sea grounds suffering 

 from the effects of overfishing, but there is evidence to show 

 that the Icelandic and White Sea areas and the hake grounds 

 of the South of Ireland are undergoing a gradual process of 

 exhaustion. 



Some light was thrown on the North Sea problem by FuUarton^ 

 in his investigation of the trawling statistics of the port of Aberdeen. 

 There can be no doubt that the study of commercial statistics, 

 always provided they are reasonably accurate, is the best method 

 of elucidating problems of overfishing. Attempts have been made 

 from time to time to trawl in selected areas by means of a vessel 



1 Sea Fisheries : Their Treasures and Toilers. London, 1912. 



» Fish Trades Gazette, nth, i8th, 25th August, 1906, and 28th December, 1907. 



