Cockles live about an inch or so below the surface of the sand, and maintain a connection with the water above by means of small tunnels in the sand. They occur abundantly in many places between high and low watermark. When the cockles are abundant they are raked out of the sand, the rake being from 10 ins. to 1 ft. wide, with teeth 1 in. long. The cockles are riddled, the small ones being rejected. When the cockles do not exist in such large numbers, they are obtained by means of a “jumbo.” This is essentially a block of wood, 3 or 4 ft. long, and 1 ft. wide, furnished with two upright handles. The jumbo is rocked to and fro on the surface of the sand, with the result that the cockles are gradually worked up to the surface.
CHAPTER IV
THE HERRING FISHING INDUSTRY
Herrings abound in the waters round the coast of Great Britain. Ordinarily they are widely scattered in deep water, but at certain times of the year they come together in shoals in the warmer water near the surface for the purpose of spawning. It is at this time that they are of greatest value for food purposes and, being gathered together in shoals, are most economically caught.
The herring may spawn at any time of the year. In this respect it differs from all other British marine food fishes. Most British caught herrings spawn during September and Autumn. Very little spawning takes place during late winter and spring, i.e. just after minimum sea temperature. Each local race (or species) appears to spawn at a constant time of the year. The date of the annual spawning, and hence the herring fishing season, varies from point to point round the coast. Herrings caught at different places show well-marked differences in appearance and quality, which are evidently due to differences in species and feeding ground. The food value of the herring will depend also upon the time of the year at which spawning occurs. Thus, in the Irish Sea, there are two races of herrings—the Manx and the Welsh. The Manx herring spawns in summer (September), and is rich in fat; the Welsh herring spawns in winter (November and December), and is poor in fat. Herrings are first caught off the West coast of Scotland in the waters round the Hebrides. This fishing begins in the middle of May, its chief centre being Stornoway. In early June herrings are caught in the waters round the Orkneys and Shetlands, and then in succession off Wick, Fraserburgh and Peterhead, and the Northumberland coast (Eyemouth, Berwick and Sea Houses). About the middle of July the herring fishery season begins at Blyth and Shields, and at Scarborough and Grimsby towards the end of July. At Yarmouth and Lowestoft it begins early in October. The last herrings to be caught in British waters are caught round Devon and Cornwall in December.
Of the various kinds of herring obtained at different places, the largest and finest fish are those caught in Downings Bay off the North of Ireland, Castle Bay off the Island of Barra in the South Hebrides, and off the Shetlands. Herrings differ very much in their suitability for handling, keeping and curing. Most herrings have a small gut which is easily removed without seriously damaging the body of the fish. Blyth and Shields herrings, however, are very rich and fat, and have a specially big, distended gut. Such herrings are difficult to clean because, when this large gut is removed, the belly of the fish is so tender that it is often broken. Herrings caught off these ports are fat and oily, so that many are landed in a broken condition. The Yarmouth herring is firm and hard, and is the best adapted for handling and curing.
Unlike that of the cod, the flesh of the herring is very rich in oil and fat. The body flesh of the herring consists essentially of two well-developed layers of adipose tissue, alternating with two layers of muscular tissue. The fat in this adipose tissue is very liquid and oily, and tends to make the fish tender. The actual amount of body fat varies widely throughout the year. It gradually rises to a maximum before spawning takes place, and diminishes slightly before spawning and afterwards rapidly to a minimum. Thus, the fat content of Manx summer herrings is about 2 per cent during the winter, and rises rapidly in June and July, until in August, just before spawning, it is over 30 per cent. The herring has a small liver which also contains some oil.
Fishing is carried out with drifters. Practically all drifters to-day are steam-driven, although recently a number of motor-driven drifters have come into use. Motor-driven drifters are mostly sailing boats converted. Each drifter carries a crew of seven men, including the skipper and engineer. The boats are largely privately owned and the crew work on a share basis. A number of boats are owned by companies.
The boats from the various fishing ports work round the coast, following the fishing from port to port. At Yarmouth during the fishery season there are about 1,200 drifters from nearly all the fishing ports round the coast. Stornoway, Wick, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Aberdeen, Berwick, Whitby, and Yarmouth are all well represented.