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Name
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The Herring Season
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Description
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The herring fishery was the lifeblood of the coastal parishes. The season brought its own customs and superstitions: boats were blessed before launching, certain words were never spoken at sea, and the first herring of the season was treated with ritual significance. The fishing communities at Peel, Port St Mary, and Port Erin lived by the herring, and the decline of the fishery after the Revestment was one of the economic catastrophes that drove emigration. The customs survived as long as the fishery did, and some persisted in memory long after the last herring boats were hauled up.
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Type
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Fishing
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Seasonal Custom
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Source
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Moore
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Oral tradition
