EMDEN JOINT-STOCK HERRING-FISHERY ASSOCIATION. 7G1 



two, but the average number of annual voyages of the quick-sailing 

 and practically built " loggers " ought to be four. 



The year 1875 ranks lowest as to the average results; 187G, in spite 

 of the general failure of the fisheries iu all countries and the still pre. 

 vailing lack of good nets, shows a little advance. For, although 47 

 tons less were caught, the sura realized exceeded that of 1875 by $G,025. 

 But the^most important indication of an improvement in the fisheries 

 in 1870 may bo seen iu the fact that in 187G the result of the third 

 voyage was a great deal more favorable than iu the preceding year, one 

 vessel at least returning in time to undertake a fourth voyage. The 

 main profits of a season are iu the third voyage; the results of this 

 voyage are the criterion whether a season has been favorable or unfa- 

 vorable. Extraordinary results such as occasionally occur in Holland , as 

 for instance, one of the Vlaardingen " loggers " once caught 1,400 tons — 

 have not been obtained hy any Emden vessels. None of these has 

 made more than four voyages during the season, while among the 

 large number of herring-vessels which leave the Dutch ports every sea- 

 sou there are always some which make 5-G voyages. These, however, 

 generally catch many small fish which are not very highly esteemed in 

 Emden. 



Long since, however, certain measures have been introduced in the 

 management which will save a good deal of money, so that in future a 

 result of 500 tons per ship will be sufficient to make some small profit. 

 But as during the first two years the average per ship has been G31 and 

 G08J tons, some having caught 800 and more, it is to be hoped that in 

 the future our average results will not fall far short of the Dutch. 

 These according to the official reports obtained the following results 

 during the last five years : 



1872, G4 " logger " © 71G J bbls. ; 



1873, 68 "logger"® 975 <' 



1874, 83 " logger " ® 695 " 



1875, 88 " logger " ® 589i " 



1876, 94 " logger" ® 540 " " 



or an average of 6SG bbls. per vessel and per year. 



The details on which this calculation is based — to give which would 

 lead us too far — give an interesting insight into the varying results of the 

 Dutch herring-fisheries. Those associations which secured an average 

 success numbered 10-18 vessels. Extraordinary results were mostly 

 obtained by smaller associations. One of these follows the same prin- 

 ciple as the Emden associations, viz, to order nets with the largest pos- 

 sible meshes. The poorest result for years has been that of a Harlingen 

 association owning only one " logger"; this poor result has also in some 

 measure been due to the great distance between Harlingen and the two 

 chief herring-ports Vlaardingen and Maasluis. In the fisheries there is 

 always something new to be learned, and the smaller they are the fewer 

 will be the new experiences. The fact that the number of Dutch " log- 



