The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-29 00:00:00

HERRING, COD, and LING FISHERIES

So numerous and diversified are the ramifications of na-
tional industry in this great commercial country, that there
are hundreds of different descriptions of employments, each
furnishing the means of subsistence to many thousands of
individuals, which are scarcely known but to those in whose
immediate neighbourhood they are established. We are
aware that the Herring and Cod Fisheries, carried on upon
our own coasts for curing fish, are more generally known,
and their importance better appreciated, than many other
branches of British industry ; but there are, we have no
doubt, comparatively few persons who have any idea that,
during the year which ended on the sth April, 1834, there
were engaged in those fisheries, 487 vessels, of 15,232 tons,
and manned by 2,359 men ; and that the shore-curing
fishery furnished employment to 11,284 boats, manned by
49,212 men and boys, to 1,925 coopers, to 23,972 persons
in cleaning and packing the fish, to 7,157 labourers, and to
1,831 fish-curers, making a total of 95,381 individuals
Thus we may calculate, that, including the families of those
persons, and the tradesmen and artisans almost or entirely
dependent on their custom for support, full one million of
persons are furnished with the means of subsistence by the
above-mentioned fisheries alone, which are quite distinct
from the extensive fisheries which supply the kingdom with
fresh fish.

The returns from which we take the foregoing statement
are contained in the Report of the Commissioners for the
Herring Fishery, relative to the year ended on the .sth of
April, 1834, which is now published. After describing
several new but unimportant regulations relative to the
Fishery, the Report states that the duties of the officer at
Walls in Shetland have been added to those of the officer
at Whitehaven, and those of the officer at Ayr transferred
to the officer at Greenock, thus saving the salaries of two
officers ; that the Breakwater at Coldingham Harbour, in
Berwickshire, was finished, and proved most efficient ; that
the harbours at Keiss in Caithness, and at Fort William in
Inverness, would soon be completed ; and that the Com-
missioners had agreed to rebuild the pier at Sarclet
Caithness.

The Herring Fishery, during that year, was the most
abundant of any since the formation of the establishment,
in 1809 ; and the quantity of barrels cured exceeded that
of the year previous by about 12 per cent., the quantity
branded by 8 per cent., and the quantity exported by 20
per cent. The Cod and Ling Fishery was not, however,
so productive as the year before. The use of old barrels
was complained of on the West coast, but on the East (the
principal seat of the herring fishing), the state and quality
of the herrings was never excelled, and the official brand
continued in as great repute as ever. The assorting on the
Dutch plan was gaining ground. The cod and ling were
also well cured, and so high was the character of the stamp
in London, that no other fish was considered fit for ex-
portation to Spain.
The total quantity of herrings cured in the year ended
sth April, 1834, was 451,531 barrels ; of which 178,000
were branded, 59,276 assorted in the Dutch mode, and
272,093 exported ; whereof 149,254 were exported to Ire-
land, 55,852 to the Continent of Europe, and 66,510 to
other parts of the world. The total number of Cod and
Ling taken was 1,942,533 ; of which 52,710 were cure-
dried, and 5,522 cured in pickle ; and 18,167 were branded.
Up to 1815, the bounty on herrings cured was 2s. per bar-
rel, and 2s. Bd. more on exportation ; from 1815 to 1826,
the bounty was 4s. ; and it was reduced ls. per year until
1830, when it ceased altogether.