MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 75 
The Earl of Stradbroke, on behalf of the Conference, 
sincerely thanked the Mayor of Yarmouth and Mr. Colman 
for the very hearty welcome they had extended to the 
delegates, and he ventured to say that the Conference would 
be a benefit to themselves and to the town. After declaring 
the Conference open, the Earl said that he thought that 
matters affecting the fishing industry were of great interest 
and ought to be discussed. The trade in Herrings altered 
a good deal. Some years ago it was a usual thing at this 
time of the year to see a number of carts distributing Herrings 
through the villages at a cheap rate. They did not see so 
much of that now, because the merchants had found a better 
market for the fish. 
His Lordship mentioned that certain Gulls were reported 
to be doing a great deal of mischief to the small fry and 
fish in different places. The chief offenders in this respect 
appeared to be the Saddleback Gulls and the Grey Gulls. 
On Tuesday evening, October 20th, the delegates were 
entertained to dinner at the Minor Hall, Royal Aquarium, 
by the Mayor and Corporation and the Chairman and 
members of the Port and Haven Commission of Yarmouth, 
and a very pleasant time was spent. 
In the course of a speech by Mr. Alward of Grimsby, he 
said that he must admit that Yarmouth, to his mind, appeared 
to be one of the finest fishing ports it had been his experience 
to see. There were certain natural conditions which attended 
almost every industry, and it appeared to him that Yarmouth 
was the place best fitted to carry on the fishing for Herrings, 
and he hoped the port would be successful, that their fishing 
trade might continue to increase, and that prosperity’ might 
come to the whole of the inhabitants of the town. 
October 30th. During the early part of this week great 
numbers of Herrings were landed at the Fish wharf, but on 
Wednesday stormy weather set in with such violence that 
only the craft caught in it remained at sea. The total catch 
was 27,000 crans less than in the corresponding week of last 
year, but the catch for the season up to date was between 
