46 
Bait, as a rule, is procured from Stockton, but a good supply is 
only obtained at intervals of four years. Limpets are now much 
more numerous. The men recommended that Blyth should be made 
a mussel centre for supplying the southern fishing stations with bait. 
Were this done it would be a great boon to Newbiggin. 
On 20tli November a meeting was held at Cullercoats. 
The men pointed out here also that a decline in the fishing had 
taken place, as is shown by the small number of boats now employed, 
and the fact that the younger men are going into other industries and 
that even the older men spend the winter as labourers at shipyards 
and buildings. The fishing ground is now in about 20-22 fathoms, 
and the catch per boat is about equal to what was the catch per man 
some 20 years ago, and of much more inferior quality. A good 
haddock fishing was formerly prosecuted from September to 
Christmas by 44 boats. At the present time five boats are fishing, 
but the catches improve after Christmas — at a time, that is to say, 
when previously the haddocks deserted the fishing grounds. 
Reference was made, however, to the exceptional catches made in 
the year 1891. One boat, for example, landed 225 stones. There 
was also good fishing during the following year, but since that time 
it has been very bad. 
A number of recommendations were made at this meeting which 
deserve the careful consideration of the Committee. 
(1) That a license should be granted to the fishermen to use a 
small beam trawl of 16 feet, to be worked from the coble, say from 
1st September for six weeks. 
(2) That a fortnight’s extension of the salmon season should be 
given. 
(3) That mackerel fishing with nets would be worth doing at the 
end of the summer, as a fair number come to the coast at that 
season. 
(4) That as the white-nosed dolphin or “ dunter ” is the cause of 
a great deal of damage to salmon that a payment— as is made by 
France — of eight shillings a head should be offered as an induce- 
ment for reducing their numbers. A premium is paid by Denmark 
for the killing of seals, and it is proposed to offer a premium likewise 
for the killing of cormorants, such as used to be paid for killing 
cormorants on the Tyne. 
(5) That Blyth Harbour should be developed as a means of 
supplying the fishermen with bait. 
