404 
Part III. — Ninth Annual Report 
number was 445, an increase of 68. The number of steam-vessels was 
18 last year, compared with only 1 in 1886. The number of men em- 
ployed has increased within the same period from 1341 in 1886 to 1907 
in 1890. Few of the boats engage in drift-net fishing (23); most use 
some species of trawl, set-nets, and hook and line. Further particulars are 
given in the * Deutsche Nordseefischeri-statistik' of Dr M. Lindemann."^ 
In 1883-84 the number of fishermen engaged in the coast fisheries of the 
North Sea was 1459, but of these only 317 were regularly employed. The 
number of fishing-boats was 704, 145 being decked. The value of the 
boats and gear is not in all cases given, but it probably exceeds £20,000. 
Besides these, 303 Schleswig-Holstein fishermen prosecuted deep-sea fish- 
ing in 104 boats, 101 of which were decked. The value of these deep-sea 
boats and gear was over .£45,000. Official registration returns for 1889 
show that in that year there were 402 German boats and 1429 men em- 
ployed in the North Sea in fishing beyond the territorial waters. Some 
particulars are given as to the fish caught. In 1886, 86 Schleswig- 
Holstein deep-sea boats caught fish valued at over £17,000. The soles 
amounted to 147,620 kilogrammes, valued at £7250 ; 34,827 kilogrammes, 
valued at £1044, are described as small; and 112,793 kilogrammes, 
worth £6204, as large. The plaice are divided into large, medium, 
and small. The large are valued at £300, the medium at £170, and the 
small at £4922. 29,806 kilogrammes of turbot were valued at £1788 ; 
the whole of the haddocks taken were valued at only £1100. 
>r M- the Exhibition held at Bremen last summer, prizes varying from 
£50 to £7, 10s. were offered for the best models of a fishing steamer, and 
of a cutter as carrier ; for the best methods of preserving fish by dry 
cold ; for the best method of preparing German sprats or young herrings, 
as anchovies, after the Norwegian and Swedish fashion, in tin boxes or 
kegs, &c. Besides models of fishing-boats, nets, there were scientific 
collections representing the fauna and flora of fishing-grounds, the 
development of fish, &c. 
The Fishery Conference in connection with the Exhibition was under the 
presidency of the President of the Fishery Department (Kloster-kammer- 
director Herwig). The chief questions discussed were : — (1) The scarcity 
of properly qualified crews for the North Sea fishing-boats; (2) the im- 
portance of Heligoland to the sea fisheries of Germany; (3) whether it is 
desirable to establish close- times in sea fisheries, similar t6 those in inland 
fisheries : if so, which would be the most advantageous in the interests of 
German fisheries ; (4) how the trammel fishery (? Wattfischerei) may be 
promoted ; (5) the drift-net fishery in the Baltic. 
The lack of suitable fishermen for the North Sea Fisheries is ascribed 
to a variety of causes — diminution of catches and of earnings in recent 
years, the difficulties in the way of a man obtaining a boat of his own, 
alteration in the regulations as to the qualifications of pilots, who used 
to be selected from amongst fishermen, and the want of proper harbours 
for fishing-boats. It was suggested that it would be advantageous to 
shorten the compulsory military service of crews who had served forty 
, months in a sea-fishing boat. The Conference resolved to make inquiries 
of other countries as to how the supply of fishermen is promoted. 
Satisfaction was expressed at the possession of Heligoland. It is desired 
to transform that island, excellently situated in proximity to the German 
Coast and the great fishing banks, into a centre and emporium for German 
North Sea Fisheries. It is said that England did little to promote the 
fisheries of Heligoland, which were very productive in the sixteenth cen- 
* Beilage, zu Nr. 3-10 der Mittheilungen der Sektion fur Kiisten und Hochseefischsrei, 
Berlin, 1888. 
