74 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



It is difficult to obtain accurate statistics of the fish food 

 which is drawn from the sea ; we can only guess at it from 

 such data as have been made accessible. The following 

 statistics show the quantities of salmon (in boxes of 120 lbs. 

 each) received and sold in London from 1850 to 1871 : — 



The aggregate value of the salmon fisheries in 1871 was 

 estimated by the Fishery Commissioners as follows : — 

 Scotland, ;£'2oo,ooo ; Ireland, ;£'40o,ooo ; England, ;^90,ooo. 



At an average of \s. 2d. per lb., or £y per box, the 

 value of the ZAAS7 boxes sold at Billingsgate in 1870 was 

 ;£^24i,i99. Besides these metropolitan sales, 8600 boxes of 

 Irish salmon were sold in the midland districts of England, 

 2880 boxes in Dublin, and 2107 boxes and 31 baskets sent 

 to Liverpool. The sales at Billingsgate in 1871 were 

 35,275 boxes, weighing 1764 tons, valued at £24.6,g2S. 



The average annual sale of salmon in London may be 

 taken to be ;^2 50,000 in value. 



