The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-15

THE NORTH SEA FIsHED OUT.
Steam, Ice and Rapacity the Causes
of Scarcity.

From the London Express.
There are just as good fish in the sea
as ever came out of it,"
The proverb is the formula of the ma
tional optimism, and as such. I'm regard to
the comforting view of life which it is
intended to convey, may be true enough
But as a simple statement of fact 1t is
unfortunately shockingly untrue.
There are not just as good fish in the
sea as used to be caught there are not
nearly so many of them, and the compar-
alive few that remain are much more
difficult to catch.
"Soles used to be caught in the North
Sea" people may say by way of express
Ing the view that life Is desert bar
rem of opportunity. For 1t is perfectly
certain. IL the present conditions continue,
that In a few years the North Sea sole
as well as the plaice, turbot, cod and
other formerly abundant fish, will exist
only in museums and in the regretful
memories of aged epicures. The North
Sea Is rapidly being fished out. There
are 10000 square miles of it, varying IN
depth from eight to one hundred fathoms
AN almost unimaginable volume of wa
ter which not long since was literally
teeming with life.
but impossible as the achievement
sounds. the sea is being exhausted of
its fish. and in a few years 1t will be as
void of FISH as the Westminster Aquari-
UNI Then, as happened in the case OF
that famous institution, ii may have TO
be reorganized on new basis, with new
objects, purposes and methods. 1t may
even be that It will have to be handed
over to the care Of Joseph Richie, who
IN some wonderful manner will manage
TO make b per cent. out of 1t by sheer
showmanship, exhibitions, with stalls for
the sale of marking inks, glass cutters
and India rubber stamps along the FORE
shore, swimming displays by the Beck
with family at Yarmouth, high diving
feats by Miss Luker and shapely assist
ants at Scarborough. shooting galleries
at Grims5y and Hull, twenty-four hours
continuous entertainment ON the Dogger
Bank, and, all included In the one charge
OF a shilling, grand electrical illumination
of the water in which the fish used to
swim.
1t was at Grimsby that l learned the
alarming danger of exhaustion that
threatens the North Sea fishing industry
In matters concerning fishing Grimsby
knows what II is talking about. II is
the greatest fishing port In the world
1t handles fish in the wholesale, Just as
Manchester does cotton, deals in fish.
speculates I'm fish. CANDLES in fish. Just
as the Stock Exchange does in shares.
Its pontoon, a covered wharf by the side
of the dock. where the fish is landed and
marketed, is more than a quarter of a
mile long and nifty or sixty feet In width;
and every day this great market is chok-
ed with the spoil that the hunting traw-
lers bring back.
AS you walk on II you paddle I'm fish
slime, among rushing, excited men
splashed with fish slime. You pick your
way with difficulty, leaping over huge,
cleaning white halibut making detours
round rows OF giant cod or boxes brim-
ming over with soles, place and had
docks.
handbeil rings, and dealers and buy
ers rush to the auction 90 compete fu-
riously for the latest landed cargo. For
II Is Away a ''bulP' market IN Grimsby,
However much FISH Is landed IL is less
than the possible consumption. And the
public demand Is always Increasing.
while the supply, as far as the North Sea
proportion OF II goes, is constantly d.
mlnishing. So prices are always rising.
Outside, IN the docks, the water is as
crowded with ships as the pontoon Is
with fish. Powerful looking steam traw-
lers lie nose to nose as closely as they
can be packed against the dock side.
These are the chief cause OF the profu-
floH VI nbH vi tue oTluiHDy DOntOOn ana
its growing scarcity In the North Sea.
Besides steam, Ice and rapaclty have
had a great deal TO do with Il. Steam.
which renders II independent Of wind. tide
and weather. quadruples the deyasta-
tlon OF fishing vessel; ice, which keeps
the catch In a marketable condition for
weeks II necessary. enables the steam
trawler 20 remain much longer at sea,
and 80 further TO Increase its devasta-
ton Rapacity does the rest Rapacity.
that does not stop 20 count how many
hsh II kills for every saiable nsh II ls able
TO bring 20 market.
slaughter % Immature Fish.
u II. Says Alderman Harrison Mudd. the
estimabie Mayor Of Grimsby, the wAnion
destruction Of young and immature fish
which 10 dep0pulaiinE the North Sea There
IL certain market for young and imma.
iure nnh, such ~ place. They are bought
hy the poor classes IN large towns. ana
sino Ia large quantities by the fried nah
shop people. IA Il not a very profitable
market this ana ~ Itself Il W0ul1