228 . OPINION OF A SALESMAN. 



were nearly all agreed that the beam-trawl did not do the injury 

 to the fisheries that was charged against it, especially as regards 

 injury to spawn. I may perhaps, hy way of conclusion to this 

 contradictory evidence, be allowed to quote from the Times a 

 portion of a letter on trawling, written by a " Billingsgate Sales- 

 man ;" — " Seven years' experience in Billingsgate, and my life- 

 time previous spent among the fishermen in a seaport-town, may 

 enable me to offer a few remarks, which through your able ■ 

 abilities may be sifted, and perhaps leave a portion of matter 

 which you may consider of some value and turn to some account. 

 My personal interest is not only in trawl-fishing, but hook-and- 

 line, seined-net, drift-net, and other kinds ; for, being a commis- 

 sion agent, it is all fish that comes to my net. I cannot speak 

 of the qualities of trawl-net fishing, either for or against, not 

 having been connected with that branch of the trade, but after 

 a remark or two on the information received by Mr. Fenwick, 

 and which is conveyed in your columns from certain gentlemen 

 professing to have a knowledge of the trade, I will give you my 

 information as briefly as possible. The fact is this — it never 

 will be possible to catch what we consider trawl-fish in sufficient 

 quantities to meet the demand but by the trawl, the principal 

 kinds being turbot, brill, soles, and plaice. A small quantity 

 may be taken by other means, but niore by accident then other- 

 wise. As for trawl-fish being mutilated and putrid before land- 

 ing, how does it happen that so many spotless and pure fish, out 

 of the above kinds, are not only sold in London but all over the 

 country, and exhibited on the tables both of rich and poor ? Your- 

 self and every nobleman can speak on this point ; and when 

 informed that they are all caught by the trawl (a fact undeni- 

 able), you win consider it wrong on the part of any one to 

 mislead the public on a matter of so much importance. Advise 

 him to fathom the secrets of the ocean, and discover a better 

 mode to obtain them." 



A great deal of obloquy has been thrown on the trawl, 

 because it hashes the fish ; but the destruction of young fish — 

 that is, fish unfit for human food because of their being young 

 — is not peculiar to the trawl. When the lines are thrown out 

 for cod the fishermen cannot command that only full-grown fish 

 are to seize upon the bait : the tender codling, the unfledged 

 haddock, the greedy mackerel, will bite — the consequence being 

 that thousands of sea-fish are annually killed that are unfit for 

 food, and that have never had an opportunity of adding to their 



