MB. G. II. HARRIS ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
269 
VI. 
NOTES ON THE HERRING FISHERY OF 1896. 
By G. II. Harris. 
Read 26th January, 1S97. 
The Herring Fishery of 1896 lias been notable, both in Yarmouth 
and Lowestoft, for two things, large catches and low prices. 
Unfortunately the largeness of the catch never affects the cost 
price in the same proportion as it does the selling price, with the 
result that whenever “gluts,” or unusually large catches occur, 
prices tall readily and quickly below profit-bearing value. 
Therefore the Herring Fishery of 1896 has been, to. those engaged 
in it, despite its large catch, as disappointing and almost as 
calamitous as though it had been a fishing ruled by small catches 
and heavy weather. The weather in the autumn of 1896 was as 
good as can ever be expected of our treacherous English winters, and 
no small consolation has been derived by the owners from the fact, 
that the losses of gear have been inconsiderable. Nor have we 
had any deplorable wrecks of Scotch boats with loss of life. 
Indeed, their season was a good one ; and the discrepancy between 
the takings of the Scotch and of the Yarmouth boats at the end 
of the voyage -was considerable. I have been informed on good 
authority, that this is mainly due to the importation of Norwegian 
Herring. These fish, caught at a trifling cost in the fjords of 
Norway, have, for some years past been swamping the markets, 
proving themselves formidable competitors. And the unfortunate 
part of it is, that they are not the less formidable, because they are 
bad fish. Imported here, and depreciating prices on the home markets, 
they are also exported by the Norwegians to the Continent, where 
they threaten to damage English fish as much as here. For, so far as 
I know, they are, as regards appearance, indistinguishable to the 
