27 



The figures at the base of the plate show the years, the 

 figures at the side the value of the fish in tens of thousands 

 of pounds. Suppose one wishes to find the value of fish 

 landed, say, in Fleetwood in 1896, one runs one's eye along 

 the lower line till the year 1896 is reached, then along the side 

 line until the angle above 1896 is seen to be on a level, or nearly 

 on a level, with the £120,000 figure. This shows that nearly 

 £120,000 worth of fish was landed at Fleetwood in 1896. 



A rise in the " curve " denotes an increase in value, a 

 depression a decrease. 



The sudden decrease in the value of fish landed at Fleet- 

 wood in the year 1899 is to be explained by the fact that early in 

 that year the steam trawlers owned by Messrs. Beaching and 

 Kelsall left Fleetwood to fish from ports on the East Coast. 



On the whole, then, these ports have shown a steady 

 increase, this being due to the steam trawlers, who have, of 

 course, to a very large extent got their fish from distant fishing 

 grounds. Of the prosperity or otherwise of the sailing craft of 

 these two ports it is impossible to form any idea, since the 

 figures are swamped by the far more predatory steam trawler. 



We now come to two curves which show us some 

 interesting results, and these are the curves for Southport and 

 Marshside and what I may call for convenience the Morecambe 

 Bay Area, comprising the "ports" of Cark, Ulverston, and 

 Morecambe. 



