A visit to Billingsgate affords the best means of obtaining a proper notion of the food-wealth of the sea, many tons of all kinds of fish being daily distributed from that mart. The average quantities of white fish estimated to pass through Billingsgate in the course of a year are as follows: Haddocks, 3,500,000; whitingS; 20,000,000; soles, 100,000,000; cod, 950,000; Plaice, 35,500,000; mackerel, 35,000,000. This estimate is only at the best a very rough one, as no machinery exists for gathering such statistics. So great is the demand for white fish throughout the kingdom, that many fishermen run n. to the Orkney islands to obtain them. Molt of the cod-smacks carry their cargo alive as far as Gravesend; but they dare not venture further up the Thames, as the fish would not live in its foul waters. The Irish seas are famed for the fine quality of their white fish; the haddocks of Dublin, in particular, have a great reputation, but during late years they have become very scarce. In Scotland, a vast proportion of the haddocks are slightly smoked, and sold as " finnans," which form a well-known breakfast delicacy in all parts of the country. Large quantities of cod and ling are caught, split up, and sold in a dried state. In 1877, the cod, ling, and hake fishery produced 187,200/ cwt. cured in that way, in addition to 8,620 barrels which were pickled. In 1875, the yield was 187,788/ cwt. cured dried, and 11,749/ barrels pickled. The number of fish taken was 5,791,387, being 1,250,298 more than in the previous year. The most valuable white fish, individually considered, is the aldermanic turbot, which brings a high price. The supply of turbot is chiefly derived from Holland, the fishermen of that country mak ing the capture of the turbot and the sole a Tcleiatitg. Eels are also caught in large quantities at all seasons, and fetch a remunerative price in the London fish-markets. As many as 16,285 boxes of eels are annually sent from Ireland to England. These boxes will each contain on an average 40 lbs. weight, and the price at 6d. per lb. mould give a money value equal to the number of boxes. In Scotland, where a prejudice has long existed against that fish, the eel F. are beginning to prove remunerative.
The lobster, being by far the most valuable of the crustacean kind, is most assid uously nursed in ponds, so as always to be ready for market. Mr. Scovell of [ramble, near Southampton, keeps a thousand or two always on hand, and steam-vessels are employed to bring them alive from the most distant parts of the coast: these boats are built exclusively for this purpose, and have immense wells in them to hold the living freight. The lobsters are not at once brought to London, but are kept ready in per forated boxes, in various parts of the Thames, to answer the demand as it arises. Norway supplies at least two thirds of our lobsters, the daily consumption of which in Great Britain has been estimated at 60,000. The lobsters taken from the British seas have now to be sought for at greater distances from the shore than formerly—those obtained on the immediate coast being now very small, and technically called "half lobsters;" they do not, of course, yield such a remunerative price as the larger fish.
There is also an enormous demand for oysters, and a considerable proportion of our maritime population earn a comfortable livelihood by breeding and dredging them. At Whitstable, in Kent, and at various places in Essex, there are depots for sorting and storing oysters. The " spat" is procured and grown in the course of four years into a marketable commodity of much value, the wholesale prices for the various kinds having been doubled between the years 1860 and 1873. The oyster used to be found in great abundance on the Bristish coasts, but some of the natural beds have been so largely drawn upon that they are becoming exhausted. The natural oysters of Ireland are now very nearly dredged up. In America, the oyster is a common mollusk, and notwith standing a constantly increasing demand, the natural beds are still productive. See OYSTER.
Whilst sea-fisheries are open to all who have the means of working them, salmon rivers are for the most part private property. The owners of particular streams usually form themselves into au association chiefly for the protection of the fish during the spawning season. The usual method is for the " lairds" to let their fishings to tenants, who are called " tacksmen," and whose interest it is to capture and sell all the fish they can find. The rents obtained are, in some instances, very large, and form a handsome addition to the land-revenues of the proprietors, Before the invention of packing in ice, and previous to the introduction of steam-boats and railways, salmon used to be hawked through the country towns by cadgers at an almost nominal price, whilst it was sometimes sold in the public markets at twopence per pound. When the increased demand for it, created by these facilities of conveyance, caused it to attain its present price, tacksmen were tempted to overfish their streams, and the consequence was th© comparative exhaustion of particular rivers; but by the wisdom of the legislature in passing one or two protective acts of parliament, the salmon-fisheries arc now proving very remunerative both to lessees and lairds, the fish having again become compara tively plentiful and increased in size. The rental of the river Tay, in 1872, was £17,000. To pay such a rent, and provide for the working expenses of the various fishing-stations, 70,000 salmon and grilse, of the average weight of 10 lbs. each, would require to be captured. See SALMON, PISCICULTURE.
The following statement of the number of boxes of salmon received in London for the year 1872 will afford an index to the value of the British salmon-fisheries. Each box contained 112 lbs. The English rivers include those of Wales: Scotch 23,023 Irish.... 5,293 English 2,706 Dutch 952 Norwegian 352 Swedish 964 Total for 1872 33,300 " for 1871 35,275 Decrease 1,075_ It is impossible, from the paucity of reliable information, to do more than roughly estimate the amount of capital employed in the British F., or the value of the stock of boats, nets, and other instruments of capture. However, it is certain that the value of the annual produce of British F. of all kinds is not less than £5,000,000.