Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-29
SAY STEAM TRAWLERS
MENACE THE FISHERIES
Delegates Seek Restriction OF
Method Employed in North
Atlantic Waters.

James b. Connolly. author of Tales of
the Gloucester Fishermen arrived in
Washington today with a delegation
which seeks to restrict the operation of
steam trawlers in the North American
fisheries. Friends of the old Gloucester
fishermen fear that the steam trawler will
destroy not only the fish life of the north
Atlantic banks, but will alternate the
virile qualities of seamanship for which
the fisher folk of Gloucester have always
been famous.
Besides Mr.. Connolly the delegation con-
sssts of Capt Charles Young, who was
one of the American advisers in the
north Atlantic fisheries arbitration at The
Hague last year, and r. w. Freeman of
Gloucester.
Represent Bank Fishermen.
As spokesman for the Gloucester fish
ermen Mr.. Connolly said
I'VE are acting in the interest of the
great body of American bank fishermen.
We protest, not against the use of steam
vessels in the fishing industry. but against
the use of bean or otter travis with which
these steam vesseIS are equipped. This
bean trawl, which is dragged along the
bottom of the ocean, is a most destructive
agent. 1t scrapes the bottom, leaving
bare surface to which fish will not after
ward resort. Fish are afraid of the ocean
bottom where il is not covered with a
growth OF some sort
Beside the material damage to Ameri-
can nshing interests, the steam trawierS,
IL they are allowed to continue. are GER
tain to drive from the sea the present
nne type of deep sea fishermen An
other thing, the present sailing men work
OIL shareS-that is, IL Is purely CO.
operative business; there is no wage
system. The steam trawling crews get
wages. There : is small percentage
which the steamer crews receive in ad-
dltion, but il is small that it requires
All extraordinary catch to make II worth
while. On steam trawlerS the crew do
not have to 90 into dories. They work
entirely from the deck of the steamer.
The result is that instead of real fisher
men their crews are being made UP Of
men who need to know nothing of the
sea They merely landsmen afloat,
initiative. the resource and daring OF
the real fishermen, for the steamer
crews do not seek out new grounds or
even new places TO set They invaria bly,,
upon arrival on the grounds, pick out
some sailing schooner with her dorieS
around her and already at work, and us
ing her guide, they begin to drag
the bottom in circle around her.
Fish Scared Away by Racket.
are Immediately driven away by the
racket made by the steamer The sail
ing schooner already there is not given
fair chance for a catch. BY their
methods the steam trawlers also destroy
SO many fish which are too small for
market that the waste from an old
fashioned fisherman's point of view is
criminal.
They also destroy much of the sailin.
schooners gear-that is. their lines, hooks
and bait. especially in foggy weather
when no watch can be kept on them
And this gear so destroyed must be pait
Tor. not BY any vessel owners. but by tn,
fishermen themselves. Representative,
Gardner of Gloucester was the officia
spokesman of the fishermen at Washing
ton.
The Gloucester delegation called on Mr.
1aft and upon a number of representa-
tlVes and senators at the Capitol. Tn
Canadian government regards the use q
steam trawlers as a menace to fish lif
and TO the sturdy qualities which the fish
ing industry under sail gives TO the ma
ton. Great Britain has been iudisposes
to back UP the Canadian governments de
sire for an International agreement re
stricting the use of travis because Grea
Britain Is already party to a European
agreement under which TRAVELLING Is con
Quoted in the North <ea