THE EDUCATION OF FISHERMEN 215 



instruction. For a great portion of the year the j&sherman is 

 isolated, and this reacts on him in several ways. To a greater extent 

 than in the case of other working men, he is confined both when at 

 his work and in his leisure hours to association with men of his 

 own class ; and as the older fishermen are even at the present day 

 to some extent illiterate it is not surprising to find that they are 

 as a class extremely conservative. Quite a number of the older 

 fishermen have accumulated property which is beyond the reach of 

 men of the artisan class ashore, and since these men have proved 

 successful from a worldly standpoint in spite of their obvious lack 

 of education, it is not surprising that many of the younger men — 

 who, it must be noted, are under the commands of the older men at 

 sea — ^are apt to depreciate the advantages of study, and avoid or 

 shirk the unfamiliar labour associated with the commencement of 

 work at school or class. A fisherman of studious disposition or 

 inquiring turn of mind labours under serious disadvantages which 

 are not present in the case of shore artisans. During the time he 

 is at sea his work is practically continuous except for intervals for 

 meals and sleep. In addition to the regular watches which must 

 be kept on all sea -going craft, the fishing operations frequently 

 mean the employment of all hands whether it be their watch below 

 or not. Competition in the fishing trade is now extremely keen, 

 consequently the intervals between successive voyages tend to get 

 smaller and smaller, so that it is only the exceptional man who, 

 during the two or three tides his vessel is in port, can spare time from 

 his social and family claims for attendance at the fisherman's school. 

 The education of the older fishermen should, we think, be confined 

 strictly to those subjects an accurate knowledge of which will tend 

 to make him a more efficient workman. Much of this knowledge 

 he accumulates from day to day at sea, the only place where most 

 of it can be learnt ; instruction on shore should be devoted to the 

 co-ordination of this experience, and the elimination of erroneous 

 deductions based on imperfect observation ; an endeavour should 

 also be made to convey to the fisherman a true appreciation of his 

 relationship to his environment. The only subject which appeals 

 to the adult fisherman at present is " Navigation and Seamanship," 

 and this, not because he really believes he can learn anything of 

 this or any other subject at school, but because the vagaries of a 

 Government Department require him to pass an examination in 

 this subject in addition to a little reading, writing and arithmetic 

 of a simple character. As a result of success at the examination, 

 the Board of Trade bestows certificates of three grades, " second 

 iand," " skipper " and " extra skipper." 



In accordance with the regulations of the Merchant Shipping 



