of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxxix 



years of the nineteenth century, consequent on the abolition of slavery, 

 the slaves having been fed largely on Scottish cured herrings, (2) the 

 outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 1854, and (3) the serious financial 

 troubles through which the trade passed in 1884 and 1887. The 

 industry is not now subject to the same violent fluctuations as were 

 experienced in the ante-steam drifter period, as the steamer is not 

 bound by the same limitations in the matter of distance from fishing 

 gTounds as was the sailing vessel, and failure to secure fish on the 

 nearer grounds can be compensated for by the discovery of the shoals 

 in the more distant areas. Still, it behoves those engaged in the 

 curing industry to consider whether it would not be wise to extend 

 the field of enterprise and to cater for a wider public, as there can 

 be no denying the fact that with the higher wages now prevailing 

 in almost all parts of the world, the tastes of the worker will gradually 

 become more fastidious, as witness the futility of the efforts made this 

 winter to induce the people of Great Britain to return to their former 

 liking for pickled herrings , and thus to relieve a deserving industry 

 of a serious burden in the shape of stocks of herrings, the comparatively 

 limited market for which was for the time being closed. On the Con- 

 tinent a large and growing trade has been developed in tinning herrings 

 and in putting them up as delicatessen goods, and the bulk of the 

 fresh fish used for this pm^pose is imported. The district which has 

 made this trade practically its own lies in the vicinity of Altona, where 

 there are a large number of establishments doing a prosperous business, 

 but other German ports are fast following the lead. The business is 

 well organised, and the fishermen of all the countries bordering on the 

 North Sea and on the Baltic Sea are drawn upon for the necessary 

 supplies at different seasons of the year. 



The number of persons engaged in the Scottish herring cming 

 industry in 1914 was computed at 35,500, and these embraced curers, 

 coopers, gutters, packers, labourers, carters, and seamen engaged on 

 carrying vessels. Some idea of the extent to which our coast population 

 are dependent on the curing industry may be gained when it is stated 

 that the number of women employed as gutters and packers was 13,800, 

 while their earnings for the limited season in Scotland amounted to 

 £166,700, and for the very short and reduced season in East Anglia, to 

 £9336, or a total of £176,036. The districts from which the girls hailed 

 in greatest numbers were the Lewis (2720, and earnings £45,400), Peter- 

 head (1626, and £17,569), Fraserburgh (1425, and £14,250), Shetland 

 (1159, and £18,135), Buckie (1063, and £11,693), Orkney (1032, and 

 £12,923), Wick (965, and £8260), and Barra (819, and £8563). 



During the course of the season an unfortunate strike occurred 

 among these women, which plaoed the curers in an awkward pre- 

 dicament for a time. The dispute arose out of the keenness of the 

 demand for gutters, and an increase of 2d. per barrel, or 25 per cent,, 

 was asked for. Unfortunately, those who had already contracted to 

 give their services on the old terms also demanded improved terms, 

 but eventually the Women's Union representative intervened, and 

 work was resumed. 



The success which had attended the operations of the curers during 

 the years 1912 and 1913 — particularly in England — induced a certain 

 number of fishermen to embark on that branch of the industry, but 

 it is feared the experiment was a disastrous one owing to the outbreak 

 of war. 



