164 



Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



6. Roumania. — Local supplies are large ; imports chiefly corne from 

 Russia and France. Dutch-cured herrings are imported via British 

 ports. Agents to push the sales and study the local tastes and habits are 

 recommended. 



7. Turkey. — Most of the numerous Reports state that there is no likeli- 

 hood of opening a market. At Smyrna seven-eighths of the imported 

 herrings come from Yarmouth (2000 barrels yearly), and a few from 

 France and Holland ; but from the prevalence of smuggling, prices are low. 

 Greek merchants, with agents in Manchester, control the trade. The 

 British Chamber of Commerce at Constantinople, state that there is a 

 cheap and abundant local supply of fish. The yearly importation of 

 herrings into Constantinople is from 500 to 800 barrels from France, and 

 1000 to 1500 barrels from the United Kingdom. It would be difficult 

 to increase the sale ; but the Chamber suggest that if the Fishery Board 

 consign a small barrel to them they will put it into the market under the 

 most favourable circumstances at their disposal. 



B. The North Sea Group. 



In this group may be included France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, 

 Norway and Sweden ; Switzerland may be considered here also. 



8. France. — The Reports from France are of much interest, but they 

 serve to negative the probability of increasing the sales of Scottish-cured 

 herrings in that country. It is said to be 'difficult, if not impossible, to 

 1 make any suggestions as to the best means for increasing the demand 

 ' for Scotch-cured herrings or other fish in France/ for ' the tendency of the 

 ' legislation of France in respect of its fishing population generally, and the 

 ' sale of fish in particular, has always been to prevent or to limit the effects 

 ' of competition from abroad.' 



At present the trade with France is practically nil, although the 

 superior quality of the Scotch fish is freely admitted. The French 

 Government has recently been endeavouring to discover means to improve 

 their fisheries, and the official Commission which lately sat at Boulogne- 

 sur-Mer recommended among other things : — (1) that the herring fishing be 

 not allowed to begin before the 25th of July ; (2) that the French Rail- 

 way Companies be asked to lower their rates for the carriage of fresh, 

 lightly salted, and smoked fish ; (3) that the present duty of 5 francs per 

 100 kilog. on the import of foreign fish, or of 10 francs per 100 kilog. on 

 foreign dried, salted, or smoked fish, should be raised to a general and 

 equal duty all round of 15 francs per 100 kilog. It is obvious that 

 although commercial treaties secure to us until 1892 the present rate of 

 duties, the prospect of developing a market for Scotch fish in France is 

 not encouraging. 



The statistics of the imports of dried, salted, and smoked herrings from 

 Great Britain into France make no distinction between Scotch and other 

 fish ; but they show considerable recent increase : — 



Kilog. 



1884, .... 49,099 



1885, .... 34,313 



1886, .... 91,418 



On the other hand the exports of dried, salted, and smoked herrings 

 from France to Great Britain are very much larger : — 



Kilog. 



1884, .... 829,124 



1885, .... 1,265,363 



1886, .... 530,419 



