of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



XXXV 



FISH CUKED. 

 I. Herrings. 



The prominent position occupied by the fish-curing industry in 

 Scotland is due mainly to three factors — (1) the perishable nature of 

 the commodity to be dealt with, (2) the remoteness of most of the 

 places of origin from the consuming centres, and (3) the well-known 

 enterprise of the Scottish curer, who is without exaggeration 

 practically ubiquitous in so far as His Majesty's Dominions are 

 concerned. The herring, although regarded as a plebeian fish, is one 

 of the most delicate and tender fishes brought to our shores, and as a 

 consequence it rapidly deteriorates after capture. It is therefore 

 necessary to take immediate steps to provide for its preservation in 

 order that it may reach the consumer in good condition, and, in so far 

 as Scotland is concerned, the method in most common use is pickling. 

 Roughly speaking, 90 per cent, of the herrings landed are cured in 

 one way or another, but the great bulk of them is pickled. The 

 circumstances attending the reaping of the main harvest of the sea are 

 of more than ordinary interest. The principal season usually extends 

 over two to two and a half months in the summer time, and the 

 catches are landed all along the coast from Balta Sound on the 

 north to North Shields on the south, thus rendering it difficult to 

 purvey them to the best advantage. The obstacles to their rapid 

 consumption compel those engaged in the industry to adopt curing 

 as the best means of maintaining the demand and at the same time 

 the market prices. The advent of the steam drifter has to some extent 

 minimised the difficulties, as it is capable of taking the catches 

 further afield and nearer the consuming centres. 



The industry affords employment to a large floating population, 

 consisting chiefly of women, and they are moved from place to place 

 according to the exigencies of the fishing. The difficulty of dealing 

 with a sudden influx of large numbers of workers is often a source of 

 anxiety to the local authorities, as in many instances a normal 

 population is suddenly increased tenfold, and the moral and sanitary 

 responsibilities are correspondingly multiplied. 



The large majority of the women workers hail from the northern 

 centres, and they are engaged by the different curing firms for the 

 season and removed from place to place in vessels specially chartered 

 for the purpose. 



It is estimated that the number of gutters and packers engaged 

 in Scotland annually is from 13,000 to 14,000, of whom 8000 proceed 

 to districts other than those in which they reside. A large number 

 proceed to English ports for the autumn fishing. The amount of 

 their earnings for a year frequently runs from £90,000 to £100,000. 



In addition to the gutters and packers, there were 728 curers and 

 2479 coopers employed directly in the industry, and there were 

 8788 British persons and 5772 foreigners employed in importing 

 curing material and wood for barrels, and exporting cured fish — chiefly 

 to Europe. The most striking feature in these figures is the large 

 increase in the number of British persons (1478) and the decline in 

 the number of foreigners engaged (516). 



The Scottish curer, however, is not content to confine his 

 attentions to the Scottish fishery, but also takes a prominent 



