6 THE SEA FISHERIES 



packers of herring and 14,560 were engaged in the carrying trade. 

 The remainder were engaged in other work connected with the 

 fishing industry. As to the value of the fishing fleet, here again the 

 only estimate furnished is that for Scotland. The total value of 

 the boats and gear engaged in the Scottish sea fisheries during 1913 

 was £6,035,952. Of these the steam fishing vessels (excluding 

 trawlers) were valued at ^£2,051,980 and their gear at £343,632. 

 The fishing boats and vessels propelled by sails and oars (excluding 

 trawlers) were estimated to be worth £439,947 ; the nets £291,355, 

 the lines £44,380 ; the bush and buoy ropes, and stoppers £98,695. 

 Crab and lobster creels are worth £12,035. The total under this 

 heading therefore accounts for £886,412. Motor fishing vessels 

 and gear account for £206,535. The beam and otter trawl vessels 

 propelled by steam were valued, together with their gear, at 

 £1,320,430, and those propelled by sails at £2550. Full details of 

 the boats belonging to the various fishing ports are given in the 

 ofiicial returns. The value of the curing yards and other premises 

 connected with the Scottish fishing industry is estimated roughly 

 at £1,500,000. Of this total about £400,000 is attributed to herring 

 curing, which, it should be noted, does not call for any elaborate or 

 expensive accommodation ; £115,000 to whitefish (such as haddock) 

 ciiring premises ; £200,000 to ship and boat -building yards ; and 

 £160,000 to net and other gear factories, the remainder being 

 represented by ice and manure factories. 



Although no attempt is made in the official fishery statistics for 

 England to estimate the value, and the number of persons engaged 

 in, the fish-curing trade, it is possible to arrive at some conclusions 

 from the census returns. ^ In 1907 the gross output was £3,636,000, 

 the materials used costing £2,863,000, the net output being there- 

 fore £773,000. Of this Scotland claimed £2,277,000 gross and 

 £483,000 net, England and Wales £1,308,000 gross and £278,000 

 net, and Ireland £51,000 gross and £12,000 net. England ordinarily 

 employs 6603 wage-earners and 284 salaried persons, 2723 being 

 males and 4164 females ; Scotland, 16,769 wage-earners and 448 

 salaried persons, 3775 males and 13,442 females ; Ireland 560 wage- 

 earners and 20 salaried persons, 197 males and 383 females. The 

 net output per person, £31, is very low, but it must not be forgotten 

 that the curing season is a short one, and but few persons are 

 engaged throughout the whole year. 



There were ten fishing ports in England and Wales at which over 

 200,000 cwt. of sea fish were landed in 1913. 



Grimsby, 3,584,616 cwt. ; Yarmouth, 3,140,884 ; Lowestoft, 



1 Census of production, " Preliminary tables summarising the Results of the 

 Returns received under the Census of Production, 1906," Part VI, Cd. 5463, 1911. 



