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Appendi es to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



APPENDIX R. 



HERRING TRADE ON CONTINENT.— REPORT OF VISIT 

 OF INSPECTION OF ASSISTANT INSPECTOR OF SEA 

 FISHERIES. 



Fishery Office, 

 Inverness, 19^ November 1906. 



Sir, — With reference to your letter of 3rd May last informing me 

 that I had been appointed to proceed to the Continent to report during 

 the months of August, September, and October, on the import of Scottish 

 cured herrings and the market therefor, I left Leith on 1st August, 

 arriving in Hamburg two days later, and returned to Scotland on 31st 

 ultimo. During my sojourn, I visited Hamburg, Stettin, Danzig, 

 Konigsberg, and Libau, and several of the smaller towns. I beg to 

 forward herewith my report thereon. 



I have the honour to be, 



Sir, 



Your most obedient Servant, 



John Skinner, 



The Secretary, Assistant Inspector. 



Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 Edinburgh. 



Hamburg. 



The import of East Coast herrings for the season had just begun, 

 and, notwithstanding that there were 14,000 barrels in excess of the 

 previous year, there was a good demand and prices were satisfactory. The 

 principal imports of fish are herring and cod, but the various modes of 

 preparation of the former far exceed those practised in any other district 

 I visited. The imports of dried cod are chiefly from Norway, the bulk 

 of which is intended for transit to Italy, Africa, and South America. 



No crown branded herrings had as yet come to hand, but I learned 

 that there was every prospect of a good demand for these. Part of one 

 of the cargoes of unbranded herrings, which I saw inspected, was from 

 Baltasound, and part from Lerwick. The herrings were a perfect cure, 

 but in some cases the selection was defective. The packing in bottom 

 of barrels and filling up was excellent. A large proportion of the 

 imports are sold ex ship, and conveyed inland by barges, many of them 

 with a carrying capacity of from 1000 to 2000 barrels, through the 

 numerous canals and waterways by which North Germany is intersected. 

 The attention given to the herrings bought direct by inland dealers varies 

 considerably from that practised where they have to go into store to 

 await a buyer. In fact, many of the herrings must reach the interior 

 in very poor condition, as they are frequently transferred direct from 

 the ship into a barge without repickling. 



