68 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



price of the fish being 26s. per hundred ; total value, 

 ^^"4907 lOs. In 1862 and 1870 the annual take was 

 valued at ^9000. 



The average number of boats engaged in this fishery 

 may be stated at about 50. 



Mackerel nets have only about 24 or 25 meshes to the 

 yard, and are not so deep as the herring nets, but they are 

 twice as long — a fleet of mackerel nets, such as is used by 

 the Yarmouth boats, extending to a distance of nearly two 

 miles and a half. 



The official returns of the mackerel fishery for Ireland 

 for 1876 showed a gross capture of 1,391,083 boxes, of 

 six score fish each. The prices varied from 3^. to 55*. per 

 box, the total amount realized being ;f 110,223. The 

 regular mackerel fishing season commences about the 

 middle of March and ends about the last of June. During 

 that period the lowest price obtained was 12s. per box. 

 The average price for the total quantity taken was i6s. per 

 box of six score. 



The mackerel fishery on the French coast, taking the 

 catch of the years 1873 and 1874, averages ;^i40,ooo in 

 value. It is principally carried on from the ports of 

 Boulogne, Dieppe, Fecamp, Caen, and Douarnenez. In 

 1867 the value of the French catch of mackerel was under 

 ^100,000. 



The mackerel on the coast of Norway is, as an article 

 of export, comparatively of modern fishery growth. The 

 fishery is carried on along the southern coast from Chris- 

 tiansand to Mandel, during the three summer months of 

 May, June, and July. The quantity exported to Great 

 Britain in 1869 was 3,698,637 fish, valued at ^18,117. The 

 average price paid was 2s. per score. The boats' crews 

 engaged in this fishery earned about £60 to ^90 per boat. 



