The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-16
FISH INDUSTRY
IS THREATENED
Millions Of herring Being Wasted
by British Fishermen

ed in the fishing industry, which has
brought fame and fortune 10 Var
mouth. are much p.rturbed Gy the
prospects OF ruin through the doing OF
the trawlers. Conversation with many
people from the members OF i'ariia-
ment COR the borough. Arthur Fell.
ana ]. Bloomfield. one oil the leaders
OF the trade, down to shippers and
humble members OF the fishing COM
munity. show that there is an agree
ment ~ ooirion on the matter which
Is quite remarkable, and this feeling
found expression at big meeting in
Yarmouth last week.
The herring fishery is one Of the
Oldest industries in the country and
can be traced back Cor 500 years 1t
has increased steadily in magnitude
and Importance. until at tho present
time, il gives employment TO at least
100000 persons. apar from the SUD
Sidiary interests and industries OF the
trade. while half n million others are
sustained by ii. reckoning the families
o. the fisher folk alone.
There arc at the present momen'
about 900 steam Jrifters in Var
mouth. and these. estimated at an
average value Of 1000 apiece, repre-
sent an invested capital of eA.000,O0o
18th about the same number of boats
at Lovcstoft. Both Arthu" Fell and
Mr. Bloomfield state that 100000
is very conservative estimate OF the
capital employed in the herring in
dustry- i'm these two ports at the pres
ont time Apart from the enormous
home consumption. statistics of the
board of agriculture ana fisheries show
that the total value of cured or saited
hcrrings exported 10 foreign countries
by Great Britain in 1911 was c3,2s9,-
29i.
The herring have hitherto been
caught by driftcrs by means Of nets
sufficiently large TO permit TIE escape
O. the small fry. But, attracted by
the profitable character Of the indus
try, the trawlers have lately been TAX
ing a hand, and large cargocs OF
trawlcl hcrrings have been landed at
Grimsby, Hull North Shields and
Aberdeen. II the trawlers only caught
maturel herrngs there would be no
reason 10 complain. but. in point Of
fact. they employ closely meshed nets
and these, dragging along the bottom
OF the sea. catch anything ana every
thing
Small fish, two or three inches in
length. quite useless for food, are
dra sged up by the traulers in count
less millions. and IL is clear to those
concerned in the herring industry that,
just as trawling has dcnuded the old
fishing haunts. such as the DoSger
Bank. of turbot, plaico. soles cod and
so on. and sent the trawlcrs as far
field as Archangcl and the White sea.
so will it destroy the herring Not
only are the young fish destroyed by
the new method. but there is reason
TO believe that the spawning beds are
greatly disturbed, and countless mil
| lions OF fish are thus lest.
This sort OF thing has gone on
since 1905. but IL is only within the
last two years that the practice OF
| trawling for herring has been indulg-
| cd i'm 10 such an extent as 10 consti-
| tute 4 serious menace to the indus
| try. until owners and employers, as
well as the workers are up in
arms monster meeting was
/ Leld in Yarmouth on october
| 10, which was addressed by members
| of parliament and public men, also
| leaders OF the industry and shippers.
\ petition was adopted for presenta-
ton to the president OF the board OF
agriculture and fisheries AZ the same
| time, the president was asked to re-
| ccive A dcputation OF those interested
| H. the trade.
IL was also proposed to offer u suS-
gestion that a separate fisheries de-
partmcnt shall be established, as IL is
felt that the existing arrangement OF
keeping agriculture and fisheries un-
der the same department control IL
unsatisfactory and inefficient.
The petition sets forth existing evils
in concise and categorical terms. II
points out the results which follow
on what is called the recent innoNa-
ton of fishing for herring with trawl
nets braided 80 closely that nothing
can pass them n l. urged that the
custom which has obtained for GEN.
turtles is to catch herring by means
of drift nets, into the meshes OF which
the herring swim The bigger fish are
held by the gills, but the meshes Of the
lets are large enough to ALLOW all
small herrings to escape. Thus. none
but edible fish are taken from the sea
Under the old and accepted method OF
fishing, whereas n boat using the trawl
steams with its net spread. sweeps in
all manner Of fish and thus east
other fish, too small for human con-
sumption are destroyed.
a DRIFT net, il Is explained, rides
on the surface of the sea. being sup
ported by corks and bladders. where
az a trawl net is dragged along the
Potion. what arc called the otter
boards and ground ropes. heavily
weighted with chains blowing deep
into the sand.
. ~