of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xlv 



The total number so certified was 51,426, an increase of 2 per cent, 

 on the previous year, and about double the number annually branded 

 only twelve years ago. The quarter cran measure was legalised in 

 Scotland in 1889 ; boxes as well as baskets were at first contemplated, 

 but the box has never found favour. The quarter cran basket is now 

 employed in all the important herring fishings around Scotland, except 

 in the Clyde where special circumstances hold, and, like the Scottish 

 herring barrel, has recently (1908) been legalised also in England. 



Last year Aberdeen and Leith each furnished about 36 per cent, 

 of the Scottish total ; the Uig factory, in Loch Carron and Skye District, 

 to which attention was directed in recent Reports, appears to have 

 reached its full development meanwhile, as in 1913 its output fell short 

 of that for 1912. 



MARINE SUPERINTENDENCE. 



The five fishery cruisers belonging to the Board have been fully 

 employed during 1913 in carrying out fishery superintendence around 

 the Scottish Coast. H.M.S. " Ringdove " has also been on duty in 

 Scottish waters during a good portion of the year. This vessel has 

 been principally employed on patrol in the Moray Firth in connection 

 with work by foreign trawlers in that locality, but she also took some 

 part in the superintendence of the great summer herring fishery in 

 Shetland waters. The Board's cruiser Norna," on account of her 

 sea-going qualities and large bunker capacity, has been employed 

 mainly in Orkney and Shetland waters, but has acted frequently as 

 relief in the Moray Firth. The " Freya " has been mostly employed 

 on the Moray Firth Station, with occasional reliefs to the South 

 Station and to Shetland. The " Brenda " has been generally on the 

 East Coast from Berwick-on-Tweed to Buchan Ness, with occasional 

 reliefs to the Moray Firth, and special duties in the Firth of Forth 

 from time to time. The " Minna " has a very extensive station, com- 

 prising the whole coast line from the Mull of Cantyre to Cape \¥rath, 

 and including all the numerous islands on the West Coast. During 

 the past year considerable attention and time has been given to the 

 Lewis and Barra coasts. The " Vigilant," as during the past few 

 years, has been most of the year cruising on duty within the Clyde 

 area, with occasional visits to the Sol way Firth, and north as far as 

 Stornoway. 



When it is necessary to withdraw a cruiser from her station for 

 coaling, boiler cleaning, or annual overhaul, the best arrangements 

 possible are made to divide the patrol up between two other stations. 

 It will be seen from the accompanying table, showing some of 

 the details of the year's work, that the Freya " again heads the 

 list of the number of detections of illegal trawling, while the " Norna " 

 has again covered by far the greatest distance while cruising during 

 the year. In addition to the usual fishery protection duties, the vessels 

 have been used frequently for various special service calls, and on 

 several occasions during the past year have rendered valuable services 

 in the way of salvage and towage. Among these, the attempted salvage 

 and towage to safety by the " Minna " of the Glasgow Technical 

 Training s.s. " Vivid," after that vessel had struck the rocks of[ 



