73 



Scotch Herring Fisheries I shall only take you back to the 

 year 1810, when I find by the statistics of the Scotch 

 Fishery Board the number of herrings cured were as 

 follows ; 



Barrels cured. Barrels exported. 



1810 90,185 35,848 



1830 326,557 181,654 



1850 770,698 340,256 



l88o 1,473,600 I,009,8ll 



I may here mention that a barrel contains 32 gallons 

 English Wine measure, and it is calculated that each barrel 

 contains from 800 to 900 herrings. A barrel of salted 

 herrings, taking the average of the different qualities, 

 represents herrings to the value of 2$s. According to this 

 estimate the value of the herrings cured in Scotland in 

 1880 represents ; 1,842,000. It is calculated that 20 per 

 cent, of the herrings are sold fresh, assuming the fresh 

 herring to be only worth as much as the cured, although it 

 is probably more valuable, the total quantity taken off the 

 Coast of Scotland in 1880 would represent a money value 

 of ^2,210,460.* In the valuable paper prepared for this 

 Conference by the Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness 

 estimates the money value of the fish taken off the Coast 

 of these Islands at ,7,380,000. It will thus be seen that 

 the produce of the Scotch Herring Fisheries bears a large 

 proportion to the total value of the fish brought to our 

 shores. 



The Herring Fishery of 1880 was the most productive 

 ever experienced in Scotland, and it was one which enabled 



* Professor Brown Goode estimates the American Oyster Fisheries 

 as producing ^2,799,790 a year, ^589,330 more than the Scotch 

 Herring Fisheries, the latter being twice as valuable as any other 

 single American Fishery. 



