44 
Turbot fishing with brat nets was also very successful in the 
past. The custom was to leave the nets out all night, and 8 to 40 
turbot were got with a fleet of 12 nets. The men say this kind of 
fishing is now impossible because the nets would be destroyed by 
the trawlers. 
There are at present about 20 men engaged in the fishing 
industry at Newton, but about half go to work in the quarries in 
the latter part of the year. There used to be about 50 fishermen, 
and the decrease is due to many giving up fishing and going to 
work in Newcastle and elsewhere. 
A conference was held at Boulmer on 2nd October, 
Mr. Stephenson in the chair. A statement has already been made 
with regard to Boulmer (see report for 1900). The men 
complained that the ground to the north side of the Coquet is, 
especially during December, January, and February, much fished 
over by trawlers. The Boulmer men are in the habit of fishing 
1£ to 2 miles off for codlings, with good results. They catch 
very few haddocks. This, they say, is because the trawlers catch 
them on the ground above mentioned. They also fish in Alnmouth 
Bay for plaice, dab, turbot, and soles. The line fishing is prose- 
cuted more or less from October to the beginning of March. Crab 
fishing takes place from February to June, and is as a rule very 
successful. The crab pots in the early part of the season are 
sometimes placed at or even beyond 8 miles out, and are, therefore, 
liable to destruction by trawlers. Such destruction has in fact 
taken place, and the men say that to obtain compensation is impos- 
sible. While on the subject of complaint, the fishermen said that 
French fishermen often rob the crab pots, and even destroy them 
by ripping them open to get at the contents, and they added that 
the practice was getting more common. 
There were 10 boats employed at the crab fishing and 8 boats at 
the lines. The men, not fishing with the lines, went to work in the 
quarries usually. 
The salmon and trout fishing was very successful. The fisher- 
men have, in addition to a license of £5 payable to the Coquet 
Conservancy, to make a manorial payment. The young fishermen, 
moreover, those not householders, that is to say, have to pay to the 
landowner £L 5s. each. 
At Berwick, Mr. Buglass informed us that 5 cobles were 
engaged this year from February to the end of May fishing with the 
great lines from 84 to 7 miles out, and got good results, the 
