404 
MR. G. H. HARRIS ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
of 52 on the number of last year, an increase due almost wholly 
to the Scotch boats, which arrived in great numbers to repair the 
deficiency of the earlier fishing, and 530 from Lowestoft, giving an 
increase of 274 boats, made up of 215 Lowestoft and 59 Scotch. 
It will he noticed that there is a rapid growth of the Herring 
fishing in Lowestoft, whereas the growth in Yarmouth is not so 
noticeable ; a fact to he accounted for partly by the great con- 
venience of the Lowestoft Dock accommodation, which offers a 
“ restful ” and safe place in which boats may lie when they are 
in port. The superior methods adopted by the Scotch fishermen, 
which enable them to catch fish better, and to work their boats 
more economically than is done in Yarmouth, also militate greatly 
against the success of the Yarmouth fishing, and can hardly fail to 
affect the Lowestoft fishing as well, unless changes are made. 
These 85G boats together caught 3G,53G lasts, which gives an 
average catch of about 42^- lasts per boat, or 7J lasts per boat less 
than last year ; a result which confirms the statement that the 
largeness of the catch was not due to the Herring shoals being 
unusually large, but to the increase in the number of boats employed. 
I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness for the statistical infor- 
mation in this article to the Great Yarmouth Borough Accountant, t 
and to Mr. Henderson of Lowestoft, and for additional information 
and revision of proofs to Mr. John R. Nutman and Mr. N. Suffling. 
Return of Herrings landed at Yarmouth and Lowestoft 
Fish-Wharves in 1897. 
Yarmouth. Lowestoft. 
Lasts Thousands Hundreds Lasts Thousands Hundreds 
(132) 
2 
7 
(5 
4 
2 
G 
1 
(13,ii00) 
( January 
— 
Spring 
Fishing 
\ February 
March 
J April 
— 
v May 
3 
Mid- 
summer 
Fishing 
1 June 
) July 
162 
317 
North 
Sea 
Fishing 
i August 
i September 
. 322 
. 1,645 
Autumn 
f October 
. 0,244 
Home 
November 
. 10,276 
Voyage 
_ December 
. 1,014 
Yarmouth 
23,013 
Lowestoft 
13,523 
(1820) 
(133) 
(13,200) 
(1320) 
z 
z 
! 95 
7 
— 
— 
. 234 
3 
— 
— 
184 
1 
— 
— 
. 149 
5 
— 
— 
. 476 
1 


12 
4 
— 
— 
93 ■ 
6 
— 
— 
. 4,528 
8 
— 
— 
. 7,152 
7 
— 
— 
. 595 
6 
— 
— 
13,523 
2 
Total . 3G,53G 
