FISHERY denotes also the commerce of fish, more particularly the catching them for sale.
Were we to enter into a very minute and particular consideration of fisheries, as at present established in this kingdom, this article would swell beyond its pro per bounds ; because to do justice to a subject of that concernment to the Billfish nation, requires a very ample and distinct discussion. We shall, however, observe, that since the coasts of Great iritain and Ireland abound with the most valuable fish ; and since fisheries, if successful, become permanent nurseries for breeding expert seamen ; it is a duty we owe to our country, for its natural security, to extend this trade to the utmost. No na tion can have a navy, where there is not a fund of business to breed and employ seamen, without any expense to the pub lic ; and no trade is so well calculated for training up these useful members of this society as fisheries.
The situation of the British coasts is the most advantageous for catching fish in the world ; the Scottish islands, parti cularly those to the north and west, lie most commodious for carrying on the fishing trade to perfection ; for no country in Europe can pretend to come up to Scotland in the abundance of the finest fish, with which its various creeks, bays, rivers, lakes, and coasts, are replenished. King Charles 1. was so sensible of the great advantages to be derived from fish eries, that he began the experiment, to gether with a company of merchants, but the civil war soon occasioned that project to be set aside. King Charles 11. made a like attempt, but his pressing wants made him withdraw what money he had em ployed that way ; whereupon the mer chants that joined with him did so too. Since the • union, several attempts have been made to retrieve the fisheries, and a corporation settled to that effect, entitled the Royal British Fishery.
In the year 1750, the parliament of Great Britain taking the state of the fishe ries into consideration, an act was passed for the encouragement of the white her ring fishery, granting a cbarter, whereby a corporation is created, to continue twenty-one years, by the name of the So, ciety of the Free British Fishery, to be under the direction of a governor, pre sident, vice-president, council, &c. who are to continue in office the space of three years, with power to make by-laws, &c. and to raise a capital of 500,000/ by way of subscription. And any number of per sons, who, in any part of Great Britain, shall subscribe 10,0001. into the stock of this society, under the name of the Fish ing Chamber, and carry on the said fishe ry on their own account of profit and loss, shall be entitled to the same bounty al lowed to the society. The bounty is 306.
the ton, to be paid yearly, for fourteen years, besides three per cent. for the mo ney advanced by each chamber. The act contains other proper regulations relative to the nets, marks on the herring-barrels, number of hands, and the quantity of salt that is entitled to the bounty, &c. It is then by the encouragement given by this act, that we now see a laudable emulation prevailing all over the two kingdoms, and fishing busses fitted out from almost every port, in order to repair to the Shetland islands, where the herring fishery is car ried on -with an ardour becoming so im portant a branch of trade. Scotland, which suffered incredibly from the neglect of this valuable and natural produce of the seas, has not been backward to join in a scheme that tends so evidently to its own advantage: for the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the towns of Montrose,Dun dee, Perth, Inverness, and some other bo roughs, have raised the proper sum, and chambers have been erected in each of them; the gentlemen of estates, adjoining to the respective places above-mentioned, liberally contributing with merchants to wards the prosecution of an undertaking so visibly tending to the good of their country in general anchovy. Anchovies are fished on the coast of Provence, in the mouths of May, June, and July, at which season shoals of this fish regularly come into the Mediterranean through the Streights of Gibraltar. They are likewise found in plenty in the river of Genoa, on the coast of Sicily, and on that of the island of Gorgone opposite to Leghorn ; _these last are reckoned the best. It is remark able that anchovies are seldom fished but in the night time. If a fire be kindled on the poops of the vessels used for this fish ing, the anchovies will cbme in greater numbers into the nets ; but then it is as serted, that the anchovies taken thus by fire are neither so good nor so firm, and will not keep so well, as those which are taken without fire. N't7hen the fishery is over, they pull off the heads of all the an chovies, gut them, and afterwards range them in barrels of different weights, the largest of which do not weigh above twen ty-five or twenty-six pounds, and they put a good deal of salt in them. Some also pickle them in small earthern pots, made on purpose, of two or three pounds weight, more or less, which they cover with plaster, to keep them the better.