78 BRITISH FISHERIES 



question. On the whole, it would appear, how- 

 ever, that the bounty system had a very real effect 

 in establishing the Scottish herring fishing and 

 curing industry. It was wisely planned, the 

 sums paid were fairly liberal, and the whole 

 system was gradually abandoned. In 1809, when 

 the payments were first made, the total cure was 

 only 90,000 barrels, and in 1830, the year when 

 the bounties were discontinued, this had risen, with 

 very minor fluctuations, to 440,000 barrels. That 

 the catch and cure of herrings fell only very 

 slightly for a few years after the change, seems to 

 be a sufficient answer to the somewhat cheap 

 argument that vessels were fitted out " to catch 

 the bounties" rather than the fish. After 1834 

 the catch of herrings, the amount cured, and the 

 amount exported all gradually increased, although 

 the vicissitudes of the seasons had, of course, their 

 effects on the fishing. A policy which was per- 

 sisted in after the abandonment of the bounties — 

 that of branding herrings meant for export — had, 

 without doubt, a most important share in the 

 perpetuation of the stimulus afforded by the 

 bounty system. 



When the bounty system was discontinued in 

 1830, a total sum of ^gzy,iio had been awarded 

 on the results of the cod, ling, and herring fisheries. 

 The protective policy of the Board was, however, 

 far from being abandoned. An annual sum of 

 ^3000 was voted for the repair and construction 



