190 THE SEA FISHERIES 



The fishermen in some districts took the risk of using the new 

 kind of vessel more readily than in others, and in particular the 

 fishermen in the fishing villages on the south side of the Moray 

 Firth took the lead in the innovation. With the increase of the 

 steam drifting fleet the sail boats began to diminish. Crofter- 

 fishermen tended more to give up their small boats and engage 

 themselves as hired fishermen with East Coast boat -owners in 

 greater numbers than before. Some of the important districts, 

 however, held to sail, notably Fraserburgh, which still has the 

 largest fleet of sail boats on the east coast of Scotland (see Fig. p. 126). 

 During recent years experiments have been made in the installation 

 of internal-combustion engines in the sailing drifters as an auxiliary 

 means of propulsion. So far as the districts taking part in the great 

 herring fishery are concerned, Eyemouth is the one fishing village 

 which has taken to motors on a relatively large scale. 



The number of sailing boats engaged in the great herring fishery 

 has diminished from 2,228 to 1,486 between 1900 and 1912. This 

 decrease in the number of boats has been accompanied by a diminu- 

 tion in the number of fishermen interested in fishery undertakings 

 as owners of a share in the boats or gear. The Fishery Board reports 

 round about 1905 note as one of the reasons for the decline in the 

 number of smaller boats that their owners were throwing them up 

 and taking to service as hired fishermen on steam drifters. The 

 small fisherman is thus diminishing, and as the management of the 

 steam drifters does not lend itself to divided ownership, it follows 

 that the majority of the fishermen are becoming wage-earners. 



There is a growing feeling that the sail boat will not hold its 

 own unless aided by some form of mechanical propulsion. Boats 

 depending on their sails alone go in smaUer numbers to the late 

 English fishery, as owing to the press of boats it is mcreasmgly 

 difficult to get in or out of Yarmouth Harbour without the use of 

 mechanical power. Apart from this, the sail boat is more restricted 

 to the fishing in its own district. In many cases the crew of a 

 sailing boat are not under the same pressure as the crew of a steam 

 SS. the season's programme makes it easier for hired fishermen 

 from crofting districts to take service m a sailmg boat 



Soposals were made to the Departmental Committee ior State 

 asStance to enable fishermen to provide themselves with modem 

 Srvessels These proposals were of three mam types :- 



in a boat to become part owners of a steam drifter. 



