IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE GROUNDS 257 



fishing has increased to a very great extent. Not 

 only has steam power been employed as the means 

 of propulsion, but even on many of the sailing 

 smacks steam power has been introduced for the 

 purpose of hauling the nets and hoisting the sails. 

 These changes, and a further one — the greatly 

 extended use of " carriers," vessels which visit the 

 fishing grounds and convey the catch from the 

 fleet back to harbour — have added enormously to 

 the catching power of the British fishing marine. 

 One steam trawler at the present day may be 

 regarded as the equivalent, so far as the power of 

 catching fish goes, of seven or eight sailing smacks. 



2. There has been no corresponding increase 

 in the number of sailing vessels. On the contrary, 

 these are steadily decreasing. As they become worn 

 out or obsolete, they are not replaced by vessels of 

 the same class, but by steam trawlers. Where sail- 

 ing fishing vessels are being built, they are usually 

 of a larger tonnage than the older type of boat. 



3. Trawling is taking the place of lining as a 

 method of catching fish. This change is much 

 more perceptible in the Scottish statistics than in 

 those which apply to England.^ 



[These changes indicate the increasing con- 

 centration and specialisation which is taking place 

 in the sea-fishing industry. Formerly the small 

 fishing villages were much more important than 

 they are to-day, and the old-time fisherman 



1 See Report, Scottish Fishery Board for 1902, pt. i. p. ix. 



17 



