YOUNG FISHERMEN
• SIR,—There are thousands of youths in this country, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, who are anxious to go to sea as fishermen in the trawling industry. Apart from the adventure and healthy life which trawling offers, the rewards are high and a qualified deck-hand can earn as much as £20 a week; with poundage, during a good season in the deep-sea grounds. Unfortunately, although there is no dearth of candi- dates, and the industry is seriously in need of crews to man the fishing fleets, youths under eighteen cannot be accepted for training under the Fishermen's Training Scheme owing to their liability to National Service. The present food crisis makes it imperative that greater quantities of fish should be made available for the consumer, and the Government should seriously consider granting exemption from National Service to young men of the right type who are anxious to enter this vital industry. It is in the interests of the community that fishing should be given equal priority with coal-mining and agriculture.—Yours faithfully,
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