119 — 



APPENDIX J: SCOTLAND 



port. Some foreign trawlers also occasionally land their catches in Scotland, but their 

 quantities are relatively small (to the value of f 6,813 in 1903), and probably do not 

 counterbalance the amounts landed on the west coast of Scotland by the east coast 

 trawlers and not included here. 



The otter-trawl was introduced on to the Scottish boats in 1895 — 96, and its effect is 

 displayed in the increase of the average catch from 1896 onwards. From what has been 

 said on a previous page, however, part of this increase in the average catch is due to 

 fishing on different grounds and more especially in deeper waters. This has to be taken 

 into consideration in comparing the fishing capacities of the beam and otter-trawl from 

 statistics. 



An exact estimation of the average catch and earnings of the boats engaged in lining 

 and drift net fishing is very difficult, owing to the fact, that many boats engage in both 

 pursuits at different times of the year. The Scottish statistics give two separate accounts 

 of the number of boats engaged in the herring fishing. In one, which is joined with the 

 quantities and value of the fishing, the average number of boats fishing from the various 

 ports is given for each of the three main seasons during which the herring fishery is 

 carried on. It is possible, that the boats engaged in the great summer fishery represent 

 the total number of boats throughout the year, but this is by no means certain. The 

 second account gives the largest number of boats engaged in the fishery from the different 

 ports at one time. A comparison with the other table would indicate, that this means 

 the maximum number at any time throughout the year. In the first account, the number 

 seems to be too low, in the second too high. In 1903, for example, the boats engaged in 

 the great summer fishing on the east coast, including Orkney and Shetland, were 3996, but 

 the maximum number for the same region was 4897. 



It is possible of, course, to consider only the great summer and autumn fishery by 

 itself, but this would not give the total value of the herring fishery to the east coast 

 fishermen. The whole fishery has therefore been taken into account, and the average earn- 



Liners and 

 drifters 



Table LXXVII. Progress of the Hue and drlH-net fisheries on the east coast of Scotland 



' The drift-Uet is taken to be 16 yards (8 fathoms) in depth on the average. 



