1 2 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



estimated at upwards of 2500 miles. The length along 

 which the more important herring and mackerel fisheries 

 are carried on does not, however, exceed 250 miles, and the 

 value of the capture of these — ;£"330,ooo — amounts to fully 

 two-thirds of all the fish taken around the coast. When, 

 therefore, it is considered that on the remaining 2250 miles 

 of coast not more than ;^i 50,000 of fish is taken, it will be 

 understood why an equal amount of cured fish has to be 

 imported from America and other foreign countries. 



The latest oflScial report on the Irish fisheries shows 

 that, exclusive of the home consumption in 1876, fish 

 were shipped to England to the value of £^04.,^ ig, thus 

 divided : — 



Herrings ... ... ... ;^227,990 



Mackerel ... ... „. 111,266 



Cod ... ... ... ... 165,463 



;^S04.7i9 

 The number of craft of all kinds engaged off Ireland 

 in fishing for sale, in 1876, was returned at 5965, with 

 crews of 22,773 men and 920 boys. In Scotland, in the 

 same year, the number of boats was 14,547 of 106,440 tons, 

 with crews of 45,263, and there were as many more other 

 persons employed as curers, coopers, etc. The value of 

 the boats was estimated at ;£'455,8ii, of the nets ;£"563,8ii, 

 and of the lines ;£'io8,347, making a total of ;^ 1,1 27,994. 



We have official annual reports respecting the fisheries 

 of Ireland and Scotland ; but the collection of returns for 

 England was discontinued with 1850, at the same time 

 that the branding and punching of the barrels of cod and 

 ling ceased. We are not able, therefore, to form any very 

 accurate estimate of the extent and progress of the coast 

 fisheries for England and Wales. 



The immense value of the fisheries of British North 



