Thirty-second Annual Report 



are engaged during the whole year — as in the case of most of the 

 trawlers shown under the heading " Trawlers, other than Scottish " — 

 or during the summer herring fishing — as in the case of the other steam 

 vessels shown at page 12. 



In Appendix A. No. 2 only Scottish vessels and boats are included, 

 and these are tabulated according to classes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), 

 and shown under the various stations or creeks. 



II. Men. 



The number of fishermen engaged in the Scottish fisheries during 

 1913 was 38,262. That number included, however, 4,439 men on 

 English vessels which fished in Scottish waters during the summer 

 herring fishing only, and also 1,145 men from inland centres similarly 

 engaged. 



The resident fishermen and boys, including crofter fishermen, 

 numbered 32,678, a decrease from 1912 of 457, of which 366 was 

 applicable to West Coast districts. The only district which showed 

 any substantial increase was Fraserburgh. 



The most important event during the year which falls to be 

 recorded under this head is the agitation and strike of the hired men 

 before the commencement of the summer herring fishing. Starting 

 with the Lewis fishermen the agitation spread to the East Coast ports, 

 and for a time it seemed that the commencement of the fishing would 

 be seriously delayed. Minor concessions were, however, made by the 

 owners, and in the end little difficulty was experienced in completing 

 crews, and, for the time being at least, the most important result was 

 that only about half the usual number of men from Lewis was 

 employed. 



The remuneration of trawl hands was also the cause of discontent 

 during the year at Leith and Aberdeen. At the former port a pro- 

 portion of the men were on strike for several weeks, but the differences 

 at Aberdeen were amicably settled after conferences between the 

 parties. 



III. Fishing Boats Propelled by Sails or Oars (except 

 Sailing Trawlers). 



A reference to Appendix A, No. 1 (pp. 4-7) will show that the 

 decrease in sail boats shows no signs of abating. For the year a 

 decrease of 569 was recorded, as compared with 445 in 1912, and 

 an average annual decrease of 360 in the years 1909-12. Two dis- 

 tricts — Barra and Lybster — showed increases of 7 and 2 respectively, 

 but all other districts returned decreases. The decline was pro- 

 portionately greater on the West Coast districts than on the East 

 Coast, and in Orkney and Shetland, the respective percentages being 

 8-5, 7-8 and 5. 



Dealing with the boats by classes (App. A, No. 2) it is found that 

 the first class sail boats over 45 feet keel have decreased by 133, the 

 first class between 30 and 45 feet keel by 81, the second class by 206, 

 and the third class by 149, while the distribution of the difierent classes 

 among the principal divisions of the coast is as follows : — 



