The Tunny Fishery. 85 



lation of the Sicilian coasts during the summer months 

 with employment and food, generally yield more than 

 enough for home consumption. The surplus, preserved 

 in oil or salt, forms, together with anchovies, sardines, and 

 sturgeons, a considerable article of export from Sicily. In 

 1866 the fishery carried on in the "parages" of the Isle of 

 St. Pierre, situate on the south coast of Sardinia, yielded 

 15,850 tunny fish, weighing nearly 3,000,000 lbs., and 

 approximately valued locally at ;^5 1,000. In 1869 the 

 shipments amounted in value to about ^^25,000, in 1870 to 

 ^22,000, and in 1871 to about ^35,000. This fish is 

 exported to England, the north of Europe, to Italy, and 

 also to Greece and Turkey. 



The fishery occasionally employs at Palermo 1000 boats 

 and 3500 men. 



The produce of the tunny fishery at Caloforte, Italy, in 

 1874 was : — 



Kilogrammes. Francs. 

 Tunny in oil ... 301,000 ... ... 590,400 



,, salted ... 18,400 ... ... 9,800 



Eggs and entrails ... 22,230 ... ... 24,200 



Tunny oil... ... 30,850 ... ... 36,000 



372,480 660,400 



The value of the fishery in 1873 was as high as 4,248,700 

 francs (about ^170,000). 



The tunny fishery of 1875 from Cagliari, though better 

 than that of 1874, was below the average yield, the value 

 of the products not reaching 1,000,000 francs. 



The exports of tunny fish salted and pickled from 

 Sardinia in twelve years were as follows : — 



lbs. 



3 years ending 1854 ... ... ... 3,777,280 



1857 7,596,904 



„ i860 ... ... 3,493,013 



»» 1863 2,152,453 



