34 
specimen of Nephrops norvegicus, a species of lobster, which, until 
the last few years, was unknown on this part of the coast. It is 
now, however, brought to the Newcastle market in considerable 
numbers, being taken in the trawl nets, the use of which has only 
recently been introduced by the fishermen.” The replacement of 
the sailing by steam trawlers, the competition in this method of 
fishing, and the capital put into the industry, have all aided in 
bringing about the conspicuous development at North Shields. 
Unlike the other methods of fishing, continual improvements in the 
gear have been made. The boats have been built with a view to 
more extended voyages, and to visit the more distant grounds. The 
progress at Shields has been great, but it has been greater still at 
other ports, both in England and Scotland, and trawling centres 
have within recent years been established at other places as Dundee, 
Peterhead and Fraserburgh. So that nowadays, instead of practi- 
cally only the coastal part of the North Sea being fished for a part of 
the year, the whole of it, or at any rate every available part is fished 
all the year round. Fish are landed also at North Sea ports which 
have been caught outside the limits of that wide ocean. We have 
to keep these considerations in mind in analysing the statistics. 
The coast fishermen who are still trying to carry on the methods 
of fishing pointed out above, have for many years complained that 
the grounds which used to furnish a good supply of haddocks, cod, 
plaice, and other white fish, are now practically depleted. Statistics, 
last year’s conferences, and our trawling experiments all tend 
to confirm these statements. The trawlers themselves admit that, 
in spite of the improved steam-ships and gear, the nearer grounds 
are not so productive ; and with regard to plaice at any rate, the 
whole of the North Sea seems to be suffering from over-fishing. 
One owner said to me that, some ten or twenty years ago, a boat 
could get more plaice in a night without going very far out than one 
could this year, fishing for a whole week, anywhere. 
Protection — The Fish. — Protection, then, is necessary. The 
fish itself trios hard to keep up the species. The important white 
fishes put into the waters of the North Sea numerous eggs. They 
are distributed through the waters and hatch out a vast army of fry. 
Those make their way to the banks and towards the shore, and 
during this period of growth suffer an enormous destruction from their 
many enemies. In a few years, gaining strength and agility, they 
become more and more difficult to catch. Their enemies are not so 
numerous, and they are more able to avoid them, but the larger 
