On the Herring. 371 



and suicidal means which have been used for their capture, 

 resulting in overfishing of the herring and the destruction of the 

 spawn. When trawling is practised, great damage is done to 

 the spawn, and the net being drawn through a " scull," or 

 shoal of the fish, breaks what is called the " eye" of the fish, or, 

 in other words, scatters the shoal, and frightens them from 

 their usual haunts. 



Pennant was wrong in supposing that the one shoal of her- 

 ring visited various spawning-beds, for every fish-curer knows 

 well that the fish frequenting one loch or bay is different from 

 those spawning ten miles distant. In fact, the fish can be dis- 

 tinguished as Lochfynes or Stornoways with perfect ease, thus 

 proving beyond doubt that they have but a local range, and 

 return to spawn on the same shallows they formerly frequented. 



These spawning-beds are well known to the fishers, who 

 often use illegal means to compass the capture of the spawning 

 fish by employing trawl-nets, which, dragged over the mass of 

 spawning and gravid fish, tears up the spawn and entangles 

 great quantities of the fish. 



The spawn torn from the bottom is driven by the tide ashore, 

 and, consequently, rendered useless. The trawl compasses the 

 capture of the sickly, weak, and unhealthy fish, and renders 

 them unfit for preservation. 



Trawling is made illegal on the west coast of Scotland, yet 

 there are many who risk their property in the pursuit ; and as 

 there is both excitement and profit in the work, all the efforts 

 as yet made have been unsuccessful in putting an end to it. 

 The peculiar mode of fishing adopted by the trawlers is as 

 follows : — A net, about one hundred yards in length, with 

 meshes of three-quarters of an inch in size, is supplied with 

 corks on one edge and heavy weights on the other, and this is 

 attached by the extreme ends to two boats, one of which remains 

 stationary over the spawning-bed, while the other describes a 

 circle round it, returning close to the side of its consort. By 

 this act, the net which has sunk to the bottom is dragged round 

 myriads of the spawning fish and enclosed. The net is now 

 raised to the surface, and the fish taken on board, when, with 

 sail and oar, the boat makes for the harbour, there to dispose of 

 the ill-gotten gains for a good round sum, because the first of 

 the market is gained, as the drift-net fishers are not able to get 

 into port till on in the day. 



When the trawlers come ashore, large quantities of spawn 

 is found in the boat, and, according to good authority, many 

 tons are cast ashore after the trawl has been in operation. 

 Couch bears testimony to the destruction caused by the trawl, 

 and fears for the ultimate value of our fisheries. 



To understand the drift-net fishing, we will, as the night 



vol. v. — no. v. c c 



