CHAPTER IV 



THE HERRING FISHING INDUSTRY 



HERRINGS abound in the waters round the coast of 

 Great Britain. Ordinarily they are widely scattered 

 in deep water, but at certain times of the year they come 

 together in shoals in the warmer water near the surface 

 for the purpose of spawning. It is at this time that 

 they are of greatest value for food purposes and, being 

 gathered together in shoals, are most economically 

 caught. 



The herring may spawn at any time of the year. 

 In this respect it differs from all other British marine 

 food fishes. Most British caught herrings spawn during 

 September and Autumn. Very little spawning takes 

 place during late winter and spring, i.e. just after 

 minimum sea temperature. Each local race (or species) 

 appears to spawn at a constant time of the year. The 

 date of the annual spawning, and hence the herring 

 fishing season, varies from point to point round the coast. 

 Herrings caught at different places show well-marked 

 differences in appearance and quality, which are evidently 

 due to differences in species and feeding ground. The 

 food value of the herring will depend also upon the 

 time of the year at which spawning occurs. Thus, in 

 the Irish Sea, there are two races of herrings the Manx 

 and the Welsh. The Manx herring spawns in summer 

 (September), and is rich in fat ; the Welsh herring 

 spawns in winter (November and December), and is 

 poor in fat. Herrings are first caught off the West 

 coast of Scotland in the waters round the Hebrides. 

 This fishing begins in the middle of May, its chief centre 

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