The commercial products of the sea; or, Marine contributions to food, industry and art

Our imports of fish from abroad have largely increased, as will be seen by the following figures, giving the value :-1856 te ee a £228,075 1866 " wee ou eee = 631,552 1876 wee aa ove 1,459,974.Of the imports in 1876, 966,119 cwt.-about one-thirdwas fresh fish not of British taking.We also imported in 1876 train oil or blubber to the value of £445,262, spermaceti or head matter valued at 4290,359, and seal-skins value £219,540, making a total of £2,415,135.This is exclusive of sardines, anchovies, caviare, oysters and shell-fish, pearls, mother-of-pearl, tortoise-shell, coral, sponges, and other articles obtained from the fisheries, which would swell up the aggregate to over 43,000,000 of products obtained from the sea.We exported in that year, of British produce :-Salmon to the value of 439,083 Cod and ling i 44,383 Herrings " oe ae ose = 732,737 Herrings wus Sa ws 227,990 Mackerel ave aes rrr 111,266 Cod oor ee aoe eee =: 165,403, £504,719The number of craft of all kinds engaged off Ireland in fishing for sale, in 1876, was returned at 5965, with crews of 22,773 men and 920 boys.In Scotland, in the same year, the number of boats was 14,547 of 106,440 tons, with crews of 45,263, and there were as many more other persons employed as curers, coopers, etc.The value of the boats was estimated at £455,811, of the nets 563,811, and of the lines £108,347, making a total of £1,127,994.We have official annual reports respecting the fisheries of Ireland and Scotland; but the collection of returns for England was discontinued with 1850, at the same time '* Each creek and bay With fry innumerable swarm, and shoals Of fish, that with their fins and shining scales Glide under the green waves; . .The Commercial Products of the Sea.Frances.Brought forward ws 43,813,200 Other species... a wee 25,878,896 Oysters ... vhs was we 1,950,334 Mussels... sie eat 265 817,211 Other shell-fish_ .., ix ise 485,478 Crustaceans ts oO wee: 2,285,458 Line fishery aie eos ese 3,004,787 78,331,304 = £35133,254 Besides seaweed and sand as officially valued at £60,000.The French fisheries gave employment to the following :-Cod fishery of Newfoundland and Iceland.Coast fishery.Vessels and boats ess 420 19,585 Tonnage eae vs 54,022 101,488 Men employed we 11,965 65,501Out of a gross return of 80,000,000 francs the coast fisheries brought in over 63,000,000 francs.