The Zoologist/4th series, vol 5 (1901)/Issue 715/Lowestoft Fish-wharf, Southwell

by Thomas Southwell

 

LOWESTOFT FISH-WHARF.

By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S.

 

During a visit to Lowestoft extending from the 3rd to the 24th of October, I paid almost daily visits to the fish-wharves, where the arrivals of fish are landed and disposed of by auction, the great bulk being at once packed and transferred to the railway-siding to be despatched to the various markets in London and elsewhere. There are two docks, each very extensive, and furnished with a landing-stage, covered in and paved, that devoted to trawl-fish being 500 ft., the other, 650 ft. long, to Herring and Mackerel brought in by the drift-netters. On the floors are deposited the Herring and Mackerel in great heaps, consisting of ascertained quantities, and these are sold by duly authorised persons to the highest bidder. The scene when the fish are being landed in large numbers may be easily imagined: the ringing of the auctioneers' bells; the shouts of "Mackerel buyers," "Herring buyers," or as the case may be; the crowding by rough men in a vast variety of costumes, from the great sea-boots and oileys to the serge-clad salesmen, some wearing an outer coat of linen to protect their clothes, and rubber boots or huge "clogs" to guard their feet: but all is picturesque in the extreme. The heaps of glittering Herring or beautifully iridescent Mackerel look like bright gems in the sun, and the bustle, great as it is, is in a manner orderly and perfectly good-natured, jokes and rough witticisms flying about in plenty; a stranger, however, soon finds himself in the way, and feels that he has no business there, if he is not present on business.

The wharf for trawl-fish is often an even busier scene, as there is a greater diversity of fish and more buyers, and many of them of a different class to those who frequent the Herring wharf, where, as a rule, the merchants and curers are the purchasers. The trawl-fish are landed in boxes called "trunks," and many a retailer will buy one or more trunks of fish for his business requirements; but the mode of disposal is the same. The auctioneer, preceded by a man ringing a bell, mounts upon one of the fish-trunks, and shouts his ware: "Now, then, But buyers," "Roker buyers," "Lachet buyers," or as the case may be. The buyers crowd round, and amid jocular remarks, in which the seller does his part, trunk after trunk, piled with Turbot, Brill, Whiting, Plaice, Soles, Skate, and a dozen other kinds, are rapidly disposed of, whilst others are being as rapidly landed from fresh arrivals to take their place.

It is the wharf for trawl-fish which is the most attractive to the student of fishes, and I scarcely ever went there but I saw something of special interest. There were always vast quantities of flat-fish of various kinds, from costly Turbot, some very large, and almost equally costly Soles, to humble Plaice and Dabs; but the infinite variety in the tints and disposal of the colours and markings was very interesting. I am told that the salesmen are so experienced that they can tell at once by the appearance of the fish from what locality they were derived. Large numbers of Skate and Rays were there, from baby fish which figured among the refuse, to monsters, hideous in appearance. Laid by itself, as a "curiosity," on one occasion, I saw a fine Torpedo Ray (Torpedo nobiliana), which is a very rare fish with us. Raia batis was common enough, but I also saw two specimens of Raia oxyrhyncus, a rare fish here.

On the 20th a fine Porbeagle was brought in, which measured 7 ft. 10 in. long; this species, much to the annoyance of the fishermen, is occasionally entangled in the drift-nets, to which and the contained fish it does immense damage. Large numbers of the Mackerel and Herring show injuries inflicted by the various species of Dog-fish, but I saw very few of these pests landed; perhaps the fishermen kill them, and throw them back into the seas, as they are of no use to them.

A Porpoise made its appearance one morning; they are abundant enough; but I have never, to my surprise, seen or heard of a Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) being captured by any of our boats. This is singular, as Sir Thomas Browne knew this species, and there seems no reason why it should not occasionally pay us a visit.

On the 18th there was a fine (broad-nosed) Sturgeon brought in, which I was told sold for £5; it excited more interest than the Porbeagle. Garfish was of daily occurrence, and Allis Shad (Clupea alosa), a few. Mackerel there were, of course, in immense numbers, but it is remarkable how little variation there was in colour and marking. This fishery, which formerly on our coast was confined to the spring, has now become quite an autumn industry, and vies with the Herring fishery.

On the 24th I saw a very handsome Three-bearded Rockling (Motella tricirrata), which the fisherman appropriately called a "Leopard-ling"; it was fifteen inches in length, and beautifully coloured. The Dory (Zeus faber) was of almost daily occurrence; sometimes as many as a dozen or more could be counted, but they were generally small. The same may be said of the Surmullet, which always appeared in more or less numbers.

There were many other fish which, not being highly esteemed, found their way into the refuse-heaps, and sold for very small sums. Among them were large numbers of Weaver-fish, and small Gurnards of various kinds; but the large Trigla hirundo, known here as the "Lachet," of which there was always a good supply, many of them measuring 22 in. to 34 in. long, were great favourites, and sold well.

Lobsters and Crabs were not numerous, but some of them very fine, as also dredged Oysters of very ancient appearance, whose shells must have formed the homes of vast colonies of Zoophytes and the lower forms of marine animals; but there was one crustacean which surprised me with its numbers, having hitherto regarded it as of very unusual occurrence on the Norfolk coast. These were often large baskets of Nephrops norvegicus, which the fishermen called "Prawns." I had never seen this species in such quantities before, and upon inquiry was told that it came from the "North Sea," a very wide address; but the fishermen have their favourite haunts, and do not care to speak too precisely to strangers. I, however, learned that they were brought by the trawlers from the "Dutch side"—that is, somewhere about the Texel, and from thence to Heligoland—and this Mr. Patterson confirms from Yarmouth.

Of course it would not be right to claim the fish we see landed here as belonging to our immediate neighbourhood. The steam trawlers go far afield, and their produce may have been acquired a long distance from home; but there are others which make their captures nearer home, and, by the exercise of due caution, a shrewd guess may be formed, and often accurate information obtained as to the locality of their origin.

My object in writing is to show how very interesting to an ichthyologist such a place as the Lowestoft fish-wharf is, and to express my regret that there is now, to my knowledge, nobody living there who takes an interest in the subject. Were such the case, I am convinced that in a few years we should have a much more accurate knowledge of the fish-fauna of the seas washing our shore than we have at present.