Statements about catch rate, price and fish size, which were given during two Royal Commissions of Enquiry (in 1863–66 and in 1883–85), revealed a perception by fishermen that numbers of white fish, such as cod, had fallen by 64% during their careers. Many fishermen blamed the declines on trawling. These largely forgotten records suggest that trawling began to affect fish stocks long before scientific monitoring and official statistics began. |
