“4 
The development of the fishing fleet during this period is due solely 
to the increased employment of steamers, steam frawlers and large 
and small motor boats, for the sailing vessels have practically disap- 
peared, and the number of rowing-boats is steadily diminishing. This 
development is clearly illustrated by the following table, which shows 
the increase in the number of gross register tonnage: 
ear 
Sailing Motor 
vessels . ships 
1905 
1910 
281 
6431 
1915 . . 3721 
1920 . . 1190 3538 
1925 . . 328 5691 
1927 . . 51 4 798 
Trawler 
Other 
Steamer 
Total 
£1 
‘06 
re 
Qc 
8287 
7736 
059 248 11018 
8730 223 13681 
13570 2769 22358 
15 193 2992 23 034 
As motor ships had hardly begun to make their appearance by 1905; 
sailing vessels may by said to have constituted 95% of the gross reg. 
tonnage of the decked fishing fleet. By 1927 only one of these old craft 
was left, while 66 per cent. were now represented by steam trawlers, 
and 13% and 20. % respectively by other steamers and motor ships. 
The trawlers, 46 in number, aggregated a (gross) tonnage of 15193 
tons, an average of some 330 tons per trawler. Other steamers num- 
bered 29 with an average tonnage of 103 tons (gross) per steamer, 
whereas the tonnage of the whole motor ship fleet amounted to 4798 
tons (gross), giving an average of 26 tons per ship. 
FISHING SEASONS AND FISHERMEN 
The fishing seasons vary greatly in length for the off-shore and in- 
shore fisheries. All the trawlers and the majority of the motor ships 
are run almost all the year round, while the small-sized motor boats 
and rowing boats are in a much higher degree dependent on the fish- 
ing grounds near the places where they are stationed. For them there- 
fore the length of the fishing season may vary from a few weeks to 
six months or even more, according to the locality. 
In 1927 the number of men and boys actually engaged in fishing 
from Icelandic ports, was 8617, distributed among the various types 
of vessels as follows: 
Decked vessels . . . . . . 
Motor boats (small-sized) . . 
Rowing-boats . TP ® i E 
3557 men 
2363 — 
2697 —