THE WONDERFUL WEALTH OF THE OCEAN.
[To ins Etaree or ran " Secemoa."3
SIR,—Mr. Frewen has quoted the cave of the Prince Rupert fishing vessel ' James Carruthers.' Her crew made a profit of 4400 each for six months' fishing. The 'Rennel,' fishing out of the same port, made .2122 for each of her four men in nine days. The ' Atli' on July 10th, 1918, landed 286 cwt. of halibut for five days' fishing. Her skipper and hands received £107 each. Such are some of the golden chanced awaiting trained lishernien in the Pacific. Comparisons with our home waters are perhaps dangerous. Presumably a sovereign still goes further in Yarmouth than in Prince Rupert? Certainly on the day the Atli' landed her halibut at about 7s. per stone the controlled price in England was 27s. But there are now as limey fish in the North Sea as in the Pacific, and prizes are to be drawn. During the six weeks of the Eaet Coast autumn herring season, 1918, 320 drifters (mostly Scottish) fished out of Yarmouth. The Lowestoft steam drifter ' Record' made a profit of 130,000; 47,000 to £9,000 woo made by many vessels. 'rite bemired Fraserburgh drifters averaged 42,000. The con- trolled price was £6 fss. per crap, the average price realized on the quay about £4 Ns. The drifter man is therefore not a " profiteer." On the Lowestoft system a profit of .€10,000 would
be divided Os follows:— Owners ,nine shares of 4625) Crew (seven shares of £025)...
.s. d.
Skipper (13 shares) ... ... 1,093 15 0 Mate (14 shares) ... ... 703 2 6 Engineer (13 shares)... ... 781 5 0 Four "hands" (1-share each) ... 546 17 6 Two " youekers" (y'-share each) 468 15 0 Boy (4-share) 312 10 0 Engine (1 share) ... ... 625 0 0
The difference between this catch and the average catch is due (as every fisherman knows) to the science and luck of the • Record's' skipper. More power to hint! So long as these gel feu chances remain to attract adventurous spirits into the .hit-sea fishing fleets, no long will all our coasts in every sea
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