280 



UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



the statistics). The importance of the matter to this country may 

 be realized by giving a few figures. 



In 1901 the number of fishing-boats registered in the United 

 Kingdom (including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) was as 

 follows: First class (15 tons or more), 7083; second class, 14,067; 

 third class, 4647; total tonnage, 302,188. And to this must be 

 added a large number of unregistered boats, chiefly of the third 

 class. During the same year 68,878 persons were regularly 

 employed in fishing, and 37,599 more found occasional employ- 

 ment. 



The amount and value of the British catch for 1902 were as 

 follows : 



We do not entirely rely upon the British fishing industry for 

 supplies, for in 1902 our imports of fresh and cured fish amounted 

 to 2,587,370 cwts., valued at ,4,105,800. Of this amount, how- 

 ever, 439,773 cwts. (worth 809,322) were re-exported, while we 

 exported a part of our own catch to the value of 3,706,002, 

 which included 2,249,976 barrels of herrings, worth "2,933,864. 

 Of the exported herrings no less than 1,364,613 barrels were 

 cured in Scotland, and the greater part of these were for Russian 

 consumption, some of them finding their way as far east as Vladi- 

 vostock. 



During the last few decades it has gradually been realized by 

 maritime nations that the supply of fish is not inexhaustible, and 



