Iviii 



Fifth Annual Report of the 



COD, LING, ANt> HAKE FISHERY. 



Returns in 

 1886 against 

 recent years. 



Quantity 

 Cured in 

 Vessels, about 

 twice as much 

 as in 1885. 



Yield of 

 Districts. 



Rich Fishing 

 Grounds. 



•Swedish 



Vessels 



engaged. 



Cod, Ling, and 

 Hake cured 

 and exported 

 in 1885 and 

 1886. 



The returns of the cod, ling, and hake fishing of 1886 show a 

 decrease in the catch, when compared with that of 1885 ; but an 

 increase over the average of recent years. The quantity of fish 

 cured dried amounted to 121,075 cwt., and the quantity cured in 

 pickle to 6700 barrels, being ;a decrease under the previous year 

 of 4277 \ cwt. dried, and in pickle of 400 barrels. Of the above 

 quantity, 23,770 cwt. dried, and 95 barrels pickled, were cured on 

 board of vessels. This is nearly twice as much as in the previous 

 year, although the number of vessels employed was only 45, as 

 compared with 59. With the exception of 3, all these 45 vessels 

 were fitted out at Orkney and Shetland. The cod fishing at 

 Faroe having proved a failure last year, the vessels went to Rockall. 

 Fish were found there in extraordinary abundance, and full cargoes 

 were got in a few days. Some of the vessels made four or five 

 successful voyages. One of these voyages, including the time spent 

 in fishing, occupied only twenty-one days. Shetland district yielded 

 61,067 cwt. of fish dried, being about one-half of the total 

 quantity cured at all the stations in Scotland. Of the other 

 districts, Stornoway and Orkney show the best returns. The 

 grounds lying contiguous to these three districts abound with 

 superior cod and ling ; and it is to be regretted that this fishing 

 is not more extensively prosecuted. There were also ten or 

 twelve Swedish vessels engaged in the industry upon the coast 

 of Shetland during the summer months. Some of these vessels 

 disposed of their takes to local curers; whilst others, considering the 

 prices too low, carried them home. 



The following is a statement of the total quantity of cod, ling, 

 and hake cured and exported in 1885 and 1886, showing the in- 

 creases or decreases in the latter year :— 



Total Quantity Cured. 



Total Quantity Cured Dried, and 

 in Pickle, Exported. . 



Years. 



Dried. 



In 

 Pickle. 



To 

 Ireland. 

 Dried. 



To the 

 Continent. 



To Places 

 out of 



Europe. 

 Dried. 



Total 

 Quantity 



Ex- 

 ported. 



Dried. 



Pickled. 



1885, . 



1886, . 



Cwt. 

 125,352| 

 121,075 



Barrels. 

 7,100 

 6,700 



Cwt. 

 30,144 

 38,845 



Cwt. 

 6,689 

 8,033 



Cwt. 

 177 



Cwt. 

 10,408 

 9,494 



Cwt. 

 47,241 

 56,549 



Increase in 1866, 

 Decrease in 1886, 



4,2774 



400 



8,701 



1,344 



177 



'914 



9,308 



The total quantity of these fish exported in 1886 shows a con- 

 siderable increase as compared with that of 1885, although the 

 catch was smaller. For many years the largest quantity exported 



