348 Supply of Fish in Great Britain. 
last twenty years, a progressive ratio of increase indicating 
a degree of prosperity probably not exceeded by any class 
of our population. 
Two exceptions, however, to the general prosperity of 
fishermen thus indicated must be noticed :— 
Ist. The oyster fisheries in the bays and shallow waters 
along the coast have been everywhere represented as ina 
state of great depression, owing to the scarcity of oysters. 
In many places, the oysters have, within the last three 
years, almost entirely disappeared. The valuable oyster 
fisheries off Jersey, which, between the years 1855 and 
1860, gave an annual return of from 30,000/. to 40,000/, 
_ have, during the last three years, produced from 3,000/. to 
4,000/,a year only. In the estuary of the Thames the 
greatest scarcity prevails, and the price of the native oyster 
has more than trebled during the last four years. It has, 
however, been conclusively proved that this scarcity is due 
to a succession of bad breeding seasons for the oyster, for 
which no well-ascertained cause can be assigned. In the 
estuary of the Thames, there has been no general good 
breed of oysters, either in public or private beds, since the 
year 1858. 
2ndly. The other exception which must be made, is of a 
more serious and permanent nature. The evidence and 
statistics of the Irish Sea fisheries represent a very great 
falling off in the number of boats and men employed along 
the coast. The following return, provided by the Irish 
Fishery Commission, and corrected by their last report, 
gives a comparative statement of the numbers of men and 
boats :— 
Number of 
Number of Men ane 
-_— -| Vessels of 
all Classes Boys 
*| employed. 
1830—Fisheries under stimulus of 
bounties or loan funds - 13,119 64,771 
1836—Fisheries under depression, 
caused by withdrawal of 
bounties = - - 10,761 54,119 
1845—Fisheries mete berere 
the famine - - - ~ 19,383 93,073 
1848—Fisheries after the famine - 15,032 70,011 
1865—_ - = - - - - 9,300 40,946 
