A drifter may be as much as 90 ft. long, with 20 ft. beam and 10 ft. draught. Its foremast is so constructed that it may be lowered when the vessel is steaming against a head wind, or when it is fishing. The ordinary sailing drifter is rapidly being superseded by the steam drifter, partly because the greater power of the steam driven boat increases its capacity and scope, and, further, owing to the centralization of the industry at a few big ports at certain times of the year, these harbours are so crowded that it is almost impossible to handle a sailing drifter in them. Many of the larger sailing drifters have been equipped with petrol engines which largely discount this disadvantage. A steam drifter can travel at from 11 to 12 knots, and both steamers and sailers carry a fishing crew of seven men and a boy.
Fig. 11
A SINGLE-BOATER AT FOLKESTONE
Inshore Fisheries. The development of steam fishing—trawling and drifting—has resulted in the re-grouping of the fishing industry into two well-marked divisions. Fisheries, whether trawling, drifting or lining, that are carried on in deep water far from shore in large steamers, for the most part owned by limited liability companies, are known as offshore fisheries. The fisheries of the seashore, carried on by small, privately-owned, sailing smacks and cutters within territorial waters, are distinguished by the term “inshore fisheries.” The inshore fisheries are mainly for shellfish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and immature deep sea fish such as plaice, soles, flounders, dabs, codling and sprats.
Shrimps and whiting are caught with trawl nets of 25 ft. beam or less, and of about 1⁄4 in. mesh. The net is generally drawn behind a small cutter, but frequently it is used in shallow water with a horse and cart. These nets are generally made of flax or cotton, and are either tanned or tarred, in order to preserve them.
Smaller, fine-meshed, trawl nets are used for catching shrimps and also immature plaice, soles and dabs. These shrimp nets are either attached to a long handle and pushed through the water in front of the fisherman (push nets), or drawn behind a small boat or a horse and cart (trawl nets).
Larger fish are sometimes caught in shallow water by casting a net over the fish so as to enclose it (cast nets). The fisherman of the Eastern Mediterranean uses a cast net with conspicuous skill. The net is essentially a circular disc of netting, to the circumference of which small weights are attached at regular intervals. A cord is attached to the centre of the net, and the fisherman, standing knee-deep in the water, grasps the net by its centre, swinging it round his head, and casts it so that as it approaches the water it opens out, and with a soft splash sinks through the water until it lies outstretched over the fish. It is then drawn up by the string attached to its centre, and the weighted edges fall together enclosing the fish.
Fish are often caught on shores and in rivers by causing them to pass between converging walls of stakes or basket work, until they enter an enclosure, the floor of which is covered by a net. When the fish have gathered in the enclosure, the net is pulled up.
The simplest form of inshore fishery is that for periwinkles, in which they are simply picked off the rock. Mussels live on the sea bottom, on the lower half of the foreshore. They generally attach themselves to a stone by a thread. They are usually collected at low tide by hand or, when submerged, are raked from the bottom. The rake is from 2 to 3 ft. wide, and is furnished with teeth 10 ins. long, the back of the rake being covered with netting. Sometimes the mussels are submerged even at low water and then a short rake is used.