Fishery Board for Scotland. 



Majesty's Ambassador at St Petersburg, to invite the attention of Russian 

 the Kussian Governro.ent to the increased import duty which had attratfoT"^'^ 

 been imposed. Sir Edward Thornton stated in reply that, although called to 

 considerable injury was likely to accrue to the prosperity of the ^^^J^^^y^ 

 Scottish herring fishery in consequence of the new duty, this h.m. Ambas- 

 country had no special tariff arrangement with Eussia ; and that 

 H.M. Government could claim no more, as a matter of right, than ^ 

 the treatment of the most favoured nation; but that as the new 

 arrangement appeared to consist of an assimilation of the duties 

 on salted herrings with that formerly imposed on smoked herrings 

 only ; and inasmuch as the latter involved more expense in prepara- 

 tion than the former, and is consequently of more value, he had, 

 as directed by the Foreign Secretary, pointed out to the Eussian 

 Government the apparent injustice of making no distinction 

 between them, and expressed the hope of H,M. Government that 

 the Imperial Government would consent to re-consider the increased 

 duty which was being levied on salted herrings. To this communi- 

 cation an answer was received from the Eussian Government, in 

 which it was stated that the measure was taken for the purpose of 

 increasing the Eevenue ; that the duty was not more than 15 per 

 cent, on the price of the herrings ; and that a revision of the recent 

 increase of duties could not take place, seeing that it was conse- Result thereof, 

 quent upon supreme orders. The Board deeply regret that their 

 representations on this important matter should not have been 

 attended with success. With reference to the duty on cured Proposal as 

 herrings imported into Germany from Scotland, which, as already increasing 

 stated, amounted in 1883 to 750,128| barrels, the Board were i^Germany?^ 

 informed that a representation had been made to the German 

 Parliament, to increase such duty from 3s. to lis. 6d. per barrel. 

 The Board could not believe that so large an increase would actually 

 be imposed by the German Parliament, but it was greatly feared 

 that at least some addition to the duty would be made. They 

 therefore submitted to the Secretary of State that the Foreign 

 Office should also be communicated with on this matter, suggesting 

 that the British Ambassador at Berlin should be asked to watch British Am- 

 over what action, if any, might be taken there in the direction BerUn com- 

 feared, and to do what lay in his power to prevent the present municated 

 duty being raised. This request of the Board was complied with, 

 and they have much satisfaction in being able to add, that 

 according to the latest advices from Berlin, there does not 

 appear to be any change in contemplation in the present rate Position of 



of duty. matters. 



i>9lifi79iq ;WINTEE HEEEING FISHERY. 



..'lij ni b9gi}«na saoiiJ oi ■^1ojD£;la^J/^a vfiij^ixi nssd Qvjsrf blirov/ 



The winter herring fishing of 1885 was more productive than Pishing more 

 that of any former season. It was prosecuted to a greater or less Ji^jJ^J^ |4® 

 extent at nearly all the stations upon both the east and west coast, fjrme?\vinter. 

 and during the last two months of 1885 large shoals of herrings Large Shoals 

 were discovered at places where they had never been seen before. °" Gi'ounds 

 This was especially the case as regards the coast of Aberdeenshire; ^^"^^ 



