In 1811 pilchards from Mullion were being sold at Penzance at one shilling for 120 (or ten-a-penny). In the early 1800s fish were plentiful and the pilchard fishing took place in the summer and autumn months. In 1833 the season was considered over by October. The markets for Cornish pilchards in the 19th century were in the Mediterranean, with Italy the main buyer. From the Mounts Bay fishing ports of Newlyn and Penzance the pilchards in their wooden casks would be sold in Genoa, Leghorn, Civitavecchia, Naples, Ancona, Venice, and Trieste, and to a lesser extent in Malta. Cornwall was not a county rich in trees and forests, and wood was needed for mining and shipbuilding. From Elizabethan times there was a rule that the ships going to Italy were to bring back wood to replace that used to cask the pilchards. By 1850 there were fewer fish, and the summer pilchard season declined: the boats went out for shoals much later in the year. After 1850 fewer fish were caught. In 1859, the shoals failed to appear at all, and in 1870 a shoal of pilchards was caught at Mullion on Christmas Day although in some seasons there were record catches, as in 1871. By 1877 the fishing was in decline and a number of boats, nets and gear were put up for sale. However catches varied and there were still some good years.