BAD EFFECTS OF TKAWLING. 225 



Thomas Bolam, on being examined, said : " I have followed 

 the herring-fishing for twenty-one years, and the white-fishing 

 six years. In the course of those six years I have found that 

 the supply of white 6ah has gradually diminished both in the 

 number and size of the fish. In twenty years' experience in the 

 herring-fishing I find a fearful diminution in the total quantity 

 caught. The shoals of herring are now only about one-third 

 the size they were when I first commenced the fishing. At 

 that time we used to get 14,000 or 15,000 ; now the length of 

 4000 or 1000 is thought a good take. I attribute the faUing- 

 off to the existence of the trawling system." 



Many other fishermen gave similar evidence. A fisherman 

 named Bulmer, residing at Hartlepool, said that the white fish 

 were not only scarcer, but that they were deteriorating ia size 

 as well. The falling off in quantity has decidedly been accom- 

 panied by a smaller size, more particularly in haddocks. Had- 

 docks, twenty years ago, were caught from five pounds to six 

 pounds " in weight ; now they hardly average three pounds. 

 There is scarcely a single cod to be caught now, and formerly 

 our boats got them scores together, and had to trail them out in 

 rows, and could only sell them for about 10s. a score; now they 

 realise at Christmas 5s. and 6s. each. " Of turbot-fishing I am 

 sorry to speak. It pains me to think of the injuries we have 

 sustained in this particular fishing by trawlers. At present we 

 dare not cast our nets, as they are sure to be lost. I lost two 

 'fleets ' of turbot-nets worth £25. About twenty-six years ago 

 I- have caught two hundred turbot in one day : now there are 

 none to be got." Another resident gave similar evidence, and 

 thought that if trawling was persisted in, their noble bay would 

 soon be fallow ground. John Purvis of Whitburn also says that 

 haddocks have decreased in size as well as in quantity — ^thinks 

 they are at least a third smaller now as compared with former 

 years. Considers that the trawling system has caused the 

 diminution of fish which has taken place during the last four 

 years. David Archibald of Croster had bought trawled fish not 

 for food, as they were only fit to be used as bait. 



Having given a fair sample of the evidence against the trawl- 

 ing system, it will be but just that we now hear the other side 

 of the case. It is unfortunate, of course, that we cannot obtain 

 really impartial evidence on this vexed question, as the party 

 complaining is the party said to have had their fishery prospects 

 ruined by the use of the beam-trawl, whilst the trawlers, of 



