Report on Salmon Fisheries. 



vii 



In Note V. appended will be found the details of the averages here p. 64. 

 given. The practice of distributing salmon direct from rivers and 

 fishing stations to various markets, rather than as formerly for- 

 warding all fish to London, seems to be on the increase in Scotland, 

 and for this reason we have referred to the returns of the Eailway 

 and Steamship Companies as giving a fuller account of the trade 

 in salmon than is now to be obtained from Billingsgate. A com- Number of 

 parison of the figures derived from these two sources of information galmonsent 

 show a marked difference. The number of boxes of salmon sent to Billingsgate. 

 Billingsgate in 1898 was 14,174, as compared with 16,284 in 1897, 

 being a decline of 2,110 boxes. But the total delivered at Billings- 

 gate — taking a box as 1 cwt. — represents only 708 tons 14 cwt., 

 so that fully 1,000 tons of salmon seem to have been sent to 

 markets other than Billingsgate. 



With reference to the Billingsgate returns themselves, this year's 

 figure is lower than any since 1879. The average for the period of 

 eighteen years since 1879 is 23,161 boxes, compared with which the 

 figure for 1898 shows a decline of 8,987 boxes, but from the infor- 

 mation supplied from the Eailway and Steamship Companies this 

 decline may be regarded as due in a measure to the practice already 

 referred to of sending salmon direct to other markets. 



Table showing the Number of Boxes of Scottish Salmon sent to 

 Billingsgate from 1834 to 1898 inclusive : — 



Year. 



Boxes of Salmon. 



Year. 



V 



Boxes of Salmon. 



1834 



30,650 



1867 



23,006 



1835 



42,330 



1868 



28,020 



1836 



24,570 



1869 



20,474 



1837 



32,300 



1870 



20,648 



1838 



21,400 



1871 



23,390 



1839 



16,340 



1872 



24,404 



1840 



15,160 



1873 



30,181 



1841 



28,500 



1874 



32,180 

 20,375 



1842 



39,417 



1875 



1843 



30,300 



1876 



34,655 



1844 



28,178 



1877 



28,189 



1845 



31,062 



1878 



26,465 



1846 



25,510 



1879 



13,929 



L847 



20,112 



1880 



17,457 



1848 



22,525 



1881 



23,905 



1849 



23,690 



1882 



22,968 



1850 



13,940 



1883 



35,506 



1851 



11,593 



1884 



27,219 



1852 



13,044 



1885 



30,362 



1853 



19,485 



1886 



23,407 



1854 



23,194 



1887 



26,907 



1855 



18,197 



1888 



22,857 



1856 



15,438 



1889 



21,101 



1857 



18,654 



1890 



18,931 



1858 



21,564 



1891 



25,889 



1859 



15,823 



1892 



21,919 



1860 



15,870 



1893 



" 18,903 



1861 



12,337 



1894 



15,489 



1862 



22,796 



1895 



25,364 



1863 



24,297 



1896 



22,435 -UlL 



1864 



22,603 



1897 



16,284 i* 0 i, 

 14,174 



1865 



19,009 



1898 



1866 



21,725 





