The Harvest of the Sea: A contribution to the natural and economic history of the British food fishesBertram, James Glass
Science
The Harvest of the Sea: A contribution to the natural and economic history of the British food fishes
Bertram, James Glass
Fish culture; Fisheries -- Great Britain; Fishes
valuable, to our cold waters, but the experiment is, I believe, being
tried in France. The bass of Lake Wennern may also be mentioned as a
suitable fish for British waters, as well as the ombre chevalier of
the Lake of Geneva, a few of which latter are now, I believe, along
with some other varieties, being tried in the river Thames. So great is
the increasing interest of pisciculture becoming, that new ideas are
being daily thrown out regarding it. A few months ago a writer in the
_Times_ suggested the introduction of a white fish from the Canadian
lakes to our fresh waters:—“This fish (_Coregonus albus_), of the
salmon family, is from three to four pounds weight, as delicious as a
Dublin Bay haddock when fresh, and when barrelled considered a luxury
in the Central and Southern States of America and the West Indies,
bringing 50 per cent over the price of barrelled trout. Different from
our fresh-water fish, it is a vegetarian, living on weeds and moss. It
is a great article of food in the North-Western States of America and
Canada, the exports of it being $464,479 in 1861 from the states on the
lakes; but I have no return from Canada, which may be about one-half
more, making a total of over $700,000, or £140,000 a year.”
The latest achievement in pisciculture has been the introduction to
this part of Europe of “the Wels” (_Silurus glanis_), an interesting
account of which lately appeared in the _Field_ newspaper. Great
expectations have been formed that this gigantic fish may be
successfully reared in England. It is, I believe, the largest European
fresh-water fish, commonly attaining a weight of from fifty to
eighty pounds, and individuals have been found of the extraordinary
size of four cwts.! Dr. Gunther, the eminent ichthyologist, remarks
that this is the only foreign fish which it would be worth while to
introduce into this country; and thinks that, in several of our lakes,
particularly those in peat soil, it might be usefully placed.
[Illustration: SILURUS GLANIS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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