THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEAM TRAWLING 157 



Trawler-owners and skippers know their business ; they will not 

 send their vessels on longer voyages to distant fishing grounds 

 if shorter ones to nearer grounds would produce the same effect. 



The northern grounds are undoubtedly richer or more prolific of 

 fish life than the southern. Demersal fish are classified in the 

 official statistics furnished by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 

 as coming from one of a number of different regions. The amount 

 of potential trawling ground in these regions varies a great deal, 

 and there is not much reason in contrasting one area with another ; 

 at any rate, the contrast or comparison should not be pushed too 

 far. Several interesting facts are, nevertheless, apparent from a 

 study of the table showing the quantity of demersal fish landed in 

 England and Wales from the various fishing grounds from 1906 to 

 1913. The gradual decline in the productivity of the North Sea is 

 noticeable. Twenty-five years ago, probably 90 per cent of the 

 demersal fish was caught on these famous grounds. In 1904, the 

 first year in which any attempt was made to distinguish the locaUty 

 of origin, about two-thirds, i.e. 66 per cent of the demersal fish landed 

 on the east coast was taken from the North Sea. In 1905 about 

 55 per cent represented the North Sea's share, and in 1913 this had 

 still further diminished to 41J. Probably the yield of the North 

 Sea will still further diminish until it reaches a point at which, 

 with minor fluctuations, it will become stable. 



It must not be forgotten that it is not only English steam trawlers 

 which take toll of the North Sea. The Scottish steam trawler 

 statistics, which are considered more especially in reference to plaice 

 and haddock (see Chapter IV, pp. 64 and 92), must not be omitted 

 from consideration. There are also the other nations bordering the 

 North Sea, a reference to the destruction of plaice caused by German 

 trawlers has already been made (p. 62). The market statistics 

 for Ymuiden give one an insight into the results of the Dutch steam 

 trawl fisheries in the North Sea. The landings of these vessels at 

 Ymuiden were 3961 in 1911, 3583 in 1910, and 3403 in 1909. The 

 percentage of landings of all steam fishing vessels, including liners 

 and drifters, to total landings increased from 8 in 1900 to 37 in 1911, 

 while the percentage of fish landed by them increased from 49 to 

 85-3. In 1911 fish was landed at Ymuiden from in steamers 

 (mostly drifters), compared with twenty-eight in 1910. The 

 Ymuiden fleet itself consisted of 142 vessels, of which ninety-four 

 were steam trawlers, compared with seventy-nine in 1910. The 

 landings of fish by trawlers was much increased in the few years 

 ending 1911. In spite of this there has been a steady decline in the 

 catch of fish by steam trawlers in the North Sea per voyage day 

 from 1904 to 1911. In the former year the daily catch was I075'2 



