of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



167 



special importance to closely study the Consular Keports from these 

 countries, in order to ascertain how best the demand may be increased. 



13. Russia. — The Reports from Russia show that the great obstacle 

 to extension of the trade in Scottish herrings is the high import 

 duty, which was some time ago increased from about 4s. 8d. to nearly 

 7s. per barrel, and which if maintained cannot fail to still further 

 diminish the importations. 



The Russians are one of the great fish-eating nations, fish forming a 

 staple article of diet in the case of the peasantry and poorer classes, and 

 the high import duty affects chiefly the lower qualities of herrings which 

 are mainly consumed by them. The result is that the cheaper qualities 

 'are not imported into Russia, to the disadvantage of the labouring 

 ' population of the country, who are consequently obliged to provide them- 

 ' selves with inferior Russian herrings from the Caspian, the Volga, and 

 ' Archangel.' It will be seen from Table I., however, that Russia imports 

 very large quantities of Scotch-cured herrings. 



It is stated that a point on which the Russian merchants lay great 

 stress is, ' that if the curers wish to find a good market and a greater 

 ' demand for their fish, more attention should be paid to quality, cure, and 

 1 packiug, and it is also suggested there should be an obligatory Govern- 

 ' ment inspection. 5 



14. Germany. — As has been said, Germany is the great market for 

 Scottish herrings, and exports large quantities of them to Russia and 

 Austria. The chief ports at which Scottish herring are imported are, 

 in the order of amounts received, Stettin, Danzig, Hamburg, and 

 Konigsberg; and smaller quantities are landed at Memel, Bremen, &c. 

 The only reports received from British Consuls at these places are from 

 Stettin and Konigsberg. At Konigsberg where 91,192 barrels of Scotch 

 herrings were unshipped in 1888, most of which were sent on by 

 rail to Russia, the Consul reports that — ' Great complaints are made of 

 c the careless way the barrels are now branded by the packers. Many 

 ' marked with the highest or Crown brand on being opened are found to 

 ' contain fish of an inferior quality. This inaccurate marking is so frequent 

 ' that the trade no longer attach any value to the Scotch herring brands.' 



The Report from Consul Powell at Stettin, where nearly half of all the 

 herrings exported from Scotland are landed, is in the same strain. This 

 Report^ from the intrinsic evidence it bears of thorough investigation into 

 the case, and from the fact that Stettin is the largest emporium in the 

 world for cured herrings, demands attentive consideration. The Consul 

 after careful inquiry, recommends : — 



1st. That the herrings should be sized, and those of equal size should 



be packed together. 

 2nd. That there should be a certain number of equal size packed in 

 each barrel, and that the number and quality contained should be 

 distinctly and accurately marked on the barrel, say, in lots of 600, 

 700, 720, and 800. 

 3rd. Also that more care should be taken in cleaning and curing the 

 fish. The complaint on this head is that Scotch herrings are 

 packed without the roes. 



Mr Powell goes on to say : — ' But a better selection of fish is the 

 ' chief requirement. It is the retail merchants that suffer most, and say, 

 ' with apparent justice, that if they purchase a lot which is stated to be, 

 ' say, Scotch Crownfulls, and which by the invoice purports to be Crown- 

 ' fulls of a certain number, when opened they turn out to be fish of all 

 ' sizes. 



' On the other hand, the Dutch and Norwegian fish are most carefully 



