THE INSHORE FISHERIES 189 



marked contrast between the Scottish and English and Welsh 

 Committees. The former consisted of five members, all closely in 

 touch with the fishing industry, the latter consisted of thirteen 

 members, none of whom, so far as could be ascertained, had any 

 special aptitude for inquiring into the condition of the inshore 

 fisheries, much less for reporting on steps to be taken for the im- 

 provement of an industry with whose operations they were quite 

 unfamiliar. Consequently the reports published by these two 

 committees are in striking contrast. That of the Scottish Fisheries 

 Committee is a lucid statement of the present condition of the 

 fisheries in the various countries visited. 



The report, though one may disagree with certain of the recom- 

 mendations, is an extremely valuable document, and one that merits 

 careful and detailed study by anyone who wishes to become ac- 

 quainted with sea fishery problems. 



In so far as this report relates to the inshore fisheries, it may be 

 considered here. There is some difficulty in defining or in framing 

 a comprehensive definition of the " inshore fisheries." In any 

 given case one could say whether one was dealing with inshore 

 fisheries or inshore fishermen or not, but, nevertheless, the difficulty 

 of framing a general definition remains. This difficulty was felt 

 by the Inshore Fisheries Committee (England, 1913), and probably 

 the best definition submitted was that by Mr. Fryer, ^ the Superin- 

 tending Inspector of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, who 

 stated " that inshore fisheries are fisheries carried on in waters 

 frequented by fishermen working boats owned by themselves." 



In Scotland, as the reports of the Fishery Board have indicated, 

 and as the report of the Departmental Committee on North Sea 

 fishing confirmed, there is, and has been for many years, a change 

 taking place in the methods of sea fishing. 



In particular, during the present century the extension of the 

 steam drifter in the Scottish great herring fishery has greatly 

 affected the distribution of the ownership of the means of production 

 and the habits of the fishermen themselves. Up to towards the end 

 of the nineteenth century the great herring fishery was carried on 

 by sail boats owned by fishermen, working in concert with curers. 

 The fishermen of a district looked more to the local fishing grounds 

 for the bulk of their catch, and the case of a local group not visiting 

 other grounds was not so exceptional as to-day. 



The introduction of steam into herring fishing boats, meant a 

 great increase in the area worked by any given vessel. In 1892 

 there were 44 steam fishing vessels other than trawlers in Scotland, 

 in 1902 the number was 100, and in 1912 it was 824. 



1 Now Sir Charles Fryer. 



