of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



XV 



The figures given represent the gross earnings, and the working 

 expenses, varying from 30 to 40 per cent, in the Scottish fishing and 

 from 25 to 30 per cent, in the English fishing, require to be borne in 

 mind. 



Except at Aberdeen, all the averages for the summer herring 

 fishing show substantial increases. Wick actually returns the highest 

 figure, but the steam drifter fleet there is small, and Banff may be re- 

 garded as taking first place with £1,280, Peterhead and Fraserburgh 

 being close behind. 



As regards the English autumn fishing, the returns show compara- 

 tively little increase on the figures for 1912, but it must be kept in 

 view that the 1912 earnings were themselves exceptional and, con- 

 sequently, that there was little room for improvement. 



The figures given above require to be supplemented by the earnings 

 from the other fishings engaged in. Many of the boats took part in the 

 Irish herring fishing and the winter herring fishing on the West Coast, 

 while others devoted attention to lining and cod net fishing. The Irish 

 fishing was not particularly remunerative, but very good earnings were 

 made on the West Coast. 



Of the fleet of 884 vessels only aoout 20 are engaged regularly at 

 line fishing, and during the year these were only moderately successful. 

 They operated under the double handicap of stormy weather and 

 frequent difiiculty in obtaining herrings for bait. The gross financial 

 returns of the Aberdeen vessels appear to have increased, but the 

 increase was counterbalanced by higher working expenses. In 

 addition to the regular Aberdeen line fleet 16 trawlers at that port 

 were fitted out for line-fishing, but the results were only fair. 



In the Report for 1912 reference was made to the fitting of a 

 drifter with trawling apparatus at the close of the herring season. 

 During the early part of last year two drifters registered at Banff 

 engaged in trawling, and while the venture did not prove a financial 

 success, the crews gained experience without much pecuniary loss, and 

 after the close of last herring season they were again fitted with the 

 trawling gear and proceeded to the south of England to engage in 

 trawling there. No report as to the results of their operations is, 

 however, available so far. 



V. Beam and Otter Trawl Vessels. 



The returns for 1913 again show a decrease in the number of 

 British boats engaged in trawl fishing from Scottish ports (App. p. 16) 



The Scottish fleet shows a decrease of 6, and now stands at 298. 

 The Leith and Granton boats have decreased by 8, while Aberdeen 

 and Peterhead show increases of 1 each. Notwithstanding this 

 numerical decrease it is plain that the fleet is more powerful than it 

 was a year ago, as the total tonnage shows an increase of 445. The 

 older boats are being discarded, and larger, more powerful and more 

 efficient vessels are being added, and those factors are more than 

 sufficient to compensate for the small decrease in number. 



The English trawlers engaged show an increase of 4 (App. p. 16), 

 while the foreign trawlers, mostly German, which fish chiefly in the 

 distant areas, such as Iceland waters and the White Sea, and land 



