The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-19
NORTH SEA FISHING
OFF BRITISH COASTS
Industry Giving Employ
ment to Thousands.
STIMULATED BY PARLIAMENT
Legislation Prescribing Limit of Trawl-
ing Operations Due to Fears of
Exhausting the Supply.

/ in long communication 10 the Stale
Department w. Il. Smyth. United
consul at Hull. discusses the North Sea
fisheries. 1t is exhaustive in detail.
and contains much valuable informa-
| ticn on the subject In part. he saws:
! From the earliest times. the fisher
les Of the east coast of Great Britain
I have engaged the energies of large
numbers Of people. both men and wo-
men. and legislative efforts have from
time to time been made 20 stimulate
the industry. In Scotland especially
was this the case a century ago. Boun-
ties were given by parliament with.
however, unsatisfactory results. After
the failure OF repeated experiments of
this kind, parliament resolved to give
the fisheries a free hand. and since
that time the prosecution OF the in
dustry by the hardy Scotch fishermen
prospered so greatly that. down to
comparatively recent times. it ranked
as the most lucrative and important
branch OF employment
up to the eighties the methods Of
fishing differed little from those pur-
sued in primitive times The applica-
tons Of steam to the boats was. an idea
which had not been put into operation.
probably because the fishermen are OF
all classes IN the country the most
conservative in their habits.
Modern Steam Trawlers.
"A modern steam trawIer. equipped
with the most up-to-date appliances
costs from $4,000 to $50. 900. and some
IF them are 100 to 100 feet between the
perpendiculars and considerably more on
deck. with depth of ten to twelve feet
Coal is usually carried in the side bunk
ers. which in the best ships have floor
of cement so as 10 minimize the danger
from fire. The finest vessels carry about
sixty tons Of fuel in the side bunkers adj
joining the engine room. and burn only
about two and one-haIf tons with surface
condensing boilers: but fairly good ships
often exceed this quantity. The economy
in fuel is shown by the fact that the
earlier type or steam paddle trawIers
used about thirty-ive tons OF coal week
ly. seif-acting scuppers to carry of the
water during heavy seas contribute an
preeiably 20 the seaworthiness of the
newer craft; moreover. the Iifeboats are
placed in a position from which they
can be launched with greater facility.
while occupying less space than form
erly.
Fears Of Exhausting the Supply.
From the earliest times of which we
have records, the Improvement of the
facilities for catching fish has given
rise 10 fears Of he ultimate exhaustion
Of the resources OF the sea. As far back
as 1876. Parliament was petitIoned 10
prohibit the use OF an instrument called
the 'wondrychOune. by which so many
small fishes were taken that the fisher
men did not Know wha> 10 do with
them but TO feed and fatten their pigs.
to the great damage OF the whole COM
mons of this Kingdom Again. at va
rious times. measures were passed reg
ulating the size Of nets. clearly show |
ing that, in the eyes OF the legislature |
the destruction of immature fish was a I
peril to the food supply OF the country. /
During the last century the CRY was
raised at intervals that the North Sea
was becoming depleted OF fish. and. 4
whenever the agitation became politI- /
cally significant. a royal commission was 4
appointed to investigate the subject
Agitation Still Continues.
'Of these inquiries the most inn
pOrtant was that carried out in 1888 by 1
a small number Of experts presided 4
over by the late Earl OF Dalhousie. who /
visited the principal ports and collect
ed a volume OF evidence from the hsh-
ermen. The result was that the com
mission presented a report 10 parlla-
ment setting forth that the alleged
dirninution in the fish supply had not
been proved; but the agitation con-
tnued and, as a concession to the line
fishermen, sea fisheries committees
were constituted which were author
lied. If they saw fit TO prohibit trawl-
ing within inshore waters-that is to
say. within three miles from land The
law is enforced most vigorously in Scot
land where the line-fishing industry
is very strong; but so far from salts
wing the maIcontents the demand is
now being raised for an extension OF
The limit TO twelve miles. In constitu-
sncies where the fishing element is pow