The Ttmny Fishery. 



89 



of tunny only require to be better known in England to be 

 highly appreciated. 1 870 and 1871 proved disastrous 

 seasons for the Italian tonnaras, the tunny fish having, 

 unaccountably, almost entirely failed to make their accus- 

 tomed appearance, and the two most famed tonnaras of 

 Trapani only secured 2000 fish each in 1871, whilst others 

 were forced to break up their establishments from want of 

 success, before the season was half over. 



Tunny fish preserved in oil (" scabeccio ") is much used; 

 the price is about ^3 5^. the cwt., and the produce of the 

 fishing in 1871 was — 



Scabeccio preserved, in barrels .., ;,^io,336 



Salted tunny ... ... ... 10,200 



Scabeccio in tin cans ... ... 7,200 



Tunny oil ... ... ... ... 1,600 



The export of tunny fish from Tunis in 1873 was : — 



Salted, to the value of ... ... ... £^^^ 



Pickled in oil ... ... ... 4S13 



This fishery might be profitably carried on in Algeria. 

 Arzeu has one small madrague, where on some days as 

 many as 300 tunny fish have been taken. 400 or 500 

 persons could be profitably occupied in this fishing. A 

 madrague established at Sidi Feruch, or at Cape Matefou, 

 would give during the season, at each lift of the nets (an 

 operation which might be renewed several times during the 

 week), 300 or 400 tunny fish, weighing from 60 lbs. to 

 600 lbs. It might be salted or marinated, and as this fish 

 will keep fresh for a week, it might be shipped to supply 

 the Marseilles market. It could only be carried on during 

 the months of March to June. 



