The New York herald., 1873-12-08
AN Exhaustive Letter on the Extensive
Fisheries of the Mediterranean.
Courtesy OF the Italian
Government.
The Personnel, Tackle, Boats and
Statistics of the Industry.
A Il Il H E CAP S t A N
'YOn Must Be Either Rogue or Vaga-
bond To Be a Coral Fisher"
QUALITY OF CORAL.

ROME, Nov. 90, 1873.
Coral ornaments, when taken from the hands OF
q skihul lapdary, are generally costly artlcles.
Beauty OF design does not alone determine their
value, but shape size and color all separately
considered in addition to the time and the labor
expended by the artist.
Few ladies are probably aware OF the difficulties
attending the gathering OF coral. We all possess
a faint conception OF the dangers connected with
coral reefs yet few persons are familiar with the
hardships and the privations endured by persons
engaged in coral fishing vainly endeavored last
year TO obtain reliable information the subject.
Neither at Naples at Rome could be found per-
son willing capable to satisfactorily answer my
inquiries The booksellers at either OF the Italian
cities had nothing sale to meet my desire rinfor
nation Thus repulsed from the common sources
of knowledge, / resolved on an extraordinary at
tempt-namely, to make personal application to
the Italian Minister OF Commerce. The appeal was
not in vain. That gentleman expressed great
pleasure in finding opportunity to be useful to
the NEW YORK HERALD. Alter a short delay your
correspondent received full and elaborate digest
on the subject OF Italian fisheries. Tnus the
reader Is mainly indebted to the courtesy or His
Excellency Signor Z. Castagnola, the Minister OF
Commerce at Rome, for what follows; but to the
extracts from the Official document have been
added statements containing valuable Information
obtained from various sources.
The Kingdom OF Italy is divided into 81 maritime
districts, and, from tabuated statements compiled
at the bureaus OF the Italian Ministry, it appears
that in the year 1869 1t was estimated that
TwENTY-NINE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND
EIGHTY-FoUR PERSONS
were engaged In fisheries throughout Italy, ex-
elusive or the Ponti1ca States, they not being in
coTporated at that period. 1t was calculated that
Ofthe above number 2o,745 persons followed the
profession along the coast, while s,346 fishermen
went out to the high seas, the remaining 293 being
returned as auxiliary hands, attending only perl
odcally to fishing. The number OF boats employed
at the above named period returned as II ,219,
with an aggregate tonnage of 81, 7s3 TONS or that
number 9,s17 boats, aggregatlngs25 414 tons, were
supposed to cruise along the coast; CO. gauging
5546 tons, went out TO the open sea- and 1872 boats
aggregatng 1858 TONS operated in foreign waters.
Although these statistics had been collected from
the respective authorities OF the 81 maritime dis
frics, yet the Minister expressed grave doubts as
TO the reliability Of the returns. In taking the
census 1t appears that the officers had
probably been too rigid in their classi1-
cations; they had taken into account per-
sons only who followed fishing exclusively
as profession, to the exclusion OF all persons who
went out merely during the season, and who, Ior
the remainder OF the year. while on shore, followed
other vocatlons. Under the circumstances it was
deemed necessary to institute further inquiries,
and upon the results OF which 1t TRANSFERRED for
instance that the districts OF Naples and Castela.
mare had been represented in 1869 with 1865 fish
ermen, employing 1902 boats, while last year
Castellamare alone owned upwards OF 1000 fishing
boats. which Afforded employment to at least
1900 persons. And these figures, it is stated, do
not comprise 5000 persons engaged exclusively in
coral fishing, nor all the persons taken into ac-
unf xuEn pnf for ,f tbart,
shells.
Eliminating all exaggeratIons, the Minister has
gained the conviction that the total number OF
fishing boats extant is not far below oOo and that
there are upwards Of 10000 persons in the Italian
dominions who obtain living by fishing.
Next to sea and coast fishing there are not
few salt water lakes, as well as backwaters, used
Tor breeding and rearing fish. They are especi
ally numerous in the province OF Naples.
The example is quoted that Lake Varana
gives employment to upwards OF 200 fisher
men, and their annual catch is estimated
at 5000 600 pounds OF FISH. The Lakes OF Licola,
Fusaro, MaremOrto and others AFFORD the means OF
livelihood to more than 500 fishermen. Besides
the Neapolitan there are numerous lakes in the
province OF Sardinia.
As to the
FINANCIAL RESULTS
accruing from Italian fisheries, there is no accu-
rate information available. The entire produce is
consumed almost exclusively in Italy, the customs
returns showing that In the year 1869 the exports
OF tsh amounted to less than 500 tons per annum,
The estimated value being, in round numbers,
$l45,o0o.
The hshlng on inland tthat Is, fresh water) lakes
gives occupation to from 5000 1000 persons. 1t
consists mainly OF trout fishing. The produce OF
Lake Como may be roughly estimated at 500 900
pounds OF fish, while the catch on the Lago Mag
gore is calculated To reach roo 900 pounds annually
but, with the extension OF steam and the general
dncrease OF factories along the lake shores, the
catch is declining rather than otherwise.
SICILY
some 1900 persons find employment in the picking
and preservation OF ish. From 20 600 TO 25 600 small
Barrels are annually made up, in the process Of
which about 500 or 1,000 hundredweights OF oil Is
consumed. The sardnes are considered equal to
those shipped from Nantes and Bordeaux, but there
d. an apparent lack OF enterprise which nterferes
with the development OF trade from these
scgions 1t is worthy Of note that the
export OF sardines from France TO the United
states reaches, annually, $1,0O0,Ooo worth.
httc Whoiesome competition might, there
aore be probably introduced by opening
1rade relations between Southern Italy and Amer
lca. The existing relations between the two coun-
tries leave no room for announcement to Italian
enterprise. In report presented last session by
the Minister oi Commerce to the italian Para-
ment there Is passage which runs thus AL
though our fisheries are fair enough, yet they are
not at all equal to the development OF other conn
fres.n In support OF the assertion few compar
sons occur In the Italian report, which are well
worth repeating. Thus It is stated that
THE FISHERIES IN SCOTLAND
comprise 1000 boats, giving employment to 45, ooo
persons. In Ireland there are 1000 6shing boats,
with contingent OF 10000 fishermen, producing,
among other items, upwards Of 100000 barrels OF
herrings on yearly average. Ia France
the estimate comprises $1,000 boats, with
80 900 persons who follow the profession OF fish.
ing, with an annual revenue accrung thereirom
Oi upwards OF &8,000,000. The export OF fish fr1in
norway ana sweden exceeds annually fl0,0000p
worth, and not small portion OF IL Hnds market
tn Mediterranean ports. Thus, while nearly all the
xl,ff of En- ~nar I'M