THE FISHERIES IN 1863 15 



were sufficient to secure the observance of this close 

 time in a population of 20,000. But there is no 

 doubt that it was submitted to with bitter feelings, 

 and not without a sense, natural enough in the 

 circumstances, however unfounded it may be 

 deemed, of cruel oppression."^ 



I have discussed the operation of the Scottish 

 Herring Trawling Acts at some length, because 

 there is little doubt that it was due largely to the 

 consideration of the effect of these enactments that 

 the Royal Commission of 1863 took up an attitude 

 which was entirely hostile to restrictive fishery 

 legislation of nearly every kind. 



All the methods of fishing referred to in the 

 Introduction to this work, with the exception of 

 otter-trawling, were in operation in 1863. Beam- 

 trawling was even then by far the most important 

 means of catching sea-fish. About 1000 sailing 

 trawlers were working regularly from about a 

 dozen English ports. These vessels were manned 

 by at least 5000 souls, and represented a capital 

 of at least one million sterling. They must have 

 landed about 300 tons of fish per day. Other 

 methods of fishing were of course followed, and 

 though it is impossible to obtain statistics, we 

 know that a great number of smaller boats must 

 also have been employed. A few steam trawlers 

 were working regularly, but steam was not gener- 

 ally applied to fishing vessels, and ice was not 



1 Report of the Commission on Herring Trawling, p. 18, 1863. 



