OUE SEA FISHEEIES. 203 



to the report of the Commissioners, in spite of the 

 great depression existing in Ireland in 1860, there 

 were no less than 53,714 men, 3,384 boys, and 14,182 

 vessels of all sizes, more or less engaged in fishing of 

 various kinds The boats of course, as has been pre- 

 viously pointed out, are, for the most part, small craft, 

 and far from as efficient as they might be, while the 

 number of boys engaged appears to have fallen off 

 from the year previous, which cannot but be looked 

 on as a bad sign. I have no means of estimating 

 the number of men and vessels engaged in England, 

 but they must be considerable, as the fisheries on our 

 north-west and south-east coasts are of great extent 

 and importance. These figures wiU serve to show the 

 reader the magnitude of the interests already in- 

 volved, and it cannot be doubted but, by judicious 

 management, they might be vastly increased. 



Now, whether the management the fisheries meet 

 with be judicious or no, I leave the reader to judge. 

 In Scotland a Board exists for the protection of the 

 herring fishery. Let us see what the fishmongers 

 of Scotland, whose living is, to an extent, dependent 

 on the breath of this Board, have to say to it. 

 The following extract is taken from the speech of 

 the chairman at the Glasgow fish-merchants' annual 

 dinner : — 



