MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 3II 
— as is the case this year — the season is usually a good one 
for fishermen and merchants alike. But the current season, 
not only at Yarmouth and Lowestoft, but right from the start 
in May has been “ a fisherman’s year,” and nobody else has 
been “ in it.” 
I notice that there has been less “ telling ” from the boats 
this year. Most of the calculations are now made by means 
of the Scotch cran of a thousand fish, and the prices quoted 
have generally been at so much per ioo or at per cran. 
The value of the Herring fishery to all towns where the 
industry is carried on may be gauged from the following 
figures. At an average of 25s. per cran — not an extravagant 
estimate — the value of Herrings landed at Yarmouth alone 
to December 2nd, amounts to the large sum (in round numbers) 
of £477,000. Of this total the Scotch boats have earned 
over £230,000 and the local boats over £240,000. Adding to 
this the value of the Lowestoft fishing — say £355,000 — and 
the expenses of workers’ wages, merchants’ profits, transit 
to market, &c., before the Herrings reach the tables of the 
consumers, we find that something like a million pounds 
sterling has been paid for the East Anglian fishing this year. 
Owing to severe N.W. gales at the beginning of the season 
in October, a number of Yarmouth luggers reported the loss 
of all their nets, and a Kirkcaldy boat reported the loss of 
a hand who was washed overboard and drowned. The 
Scotch fleet lost several boats during the season, but fortu- 
nately the crews were saved. 
“ The question of Sunday fishing on the part of the Yar- 
mouth boats has long been discussed ; but nothing seems to 
come of it, the contention being that the local boats have the 
run of Monday’s market. That may be so, but it is a well- 
known fact that this sort of thing generally leads to prices 
being kept low, which would not be the case if all the boats 
kept in port for a couple of days. It is a noteworthy fact 
that the top boat at the Westward fishing was a boat that on 
Sundays kept in the harbour. Much is argued for and against 
the practice, but the evidence in favour of a general cessation 
is by far the strongest .” — Yarmouth and Gorleston Times. 
