of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



185 



the remaining 10 now fish from other ports. In the Scottish section several 

 motor boats and steam drifters have been added to the fleet, making a 

 total of 10 steam drifters, 41 motor herring boats, and 3 motor yawls. 

 The prospects for the present year are that 4 motor boats and 11 steam 

 drifters will be added to the fleet. 



The summer herring fishing was opened as usual early in May at North 

 Shields and Eyemouth, and later in the month at the other ports in the 

 district. The prospects during the early part of the season were considered 

 good, but expectations were not realised, more especially in the northern 

 ports. During the first two months the fleet was small, but early in July 

 the failure of the fishing at Shetland and the East Coast induced a number 

 of curers and fishermen to proceed south to Blyth and North Shields, and 

 towards the end of the month there was a record fleet for the district of 

 524 vessels. Of these, 378 — mostly steam drifters — fished from North 

 Shields and Blyth. With the exception of a couple of days at North 

 Shields, at no time did the supply exceed the demand, and with the increase 

 in the number of buyers and the keen demand, prices were generally at 

 figures which did not leave much margin for profit to the curers. Fortun- 

 ately, however, the demand for the cured article was good all through the 

 season. While the landings at North Shields and Blyth constitute records 

 for these ports, the other stations were lightly fished, although all show 

 slight increases upon the returns for the previous season. While the fishing 

 was practically closed by the second week of September, a number of 

 trawlers continued operations till the end of October, the highest number 

 employed at one time being 31. They landed a total of 16,427 crans, 

 which realised an average price of 26s. Id. per cran. Including the 

 trawled herrings, the total catch for the district was 244,219 crans, as 

 against 129,546 crans for the previous year. Prices ranged from 4s. to 50s., 

 with an average of 28s. 3d. per cran, as compared with 24s. Id. in 1912. 

 Only once has this average been exceeded during the last thirty years. 



In general, the early herrings were of a keepable nature, and as the 

 cured market was in a healthy condition, curing was conducted on a larger 

 scale than usual. In 1912 the percentage cured for export was about 19, 

 while last year it was 42. Shipments were carried on briskly, so that few 

 barrels remained on hand by the end of September. The principal fishing 

 grounds were from 10 to 20 miles N.E. to S.E. of the Farne Islands, 

 and 30 to 40 miles S.E. of Blyth. 



Besides the 119,421 barrels of herrings exported direct, 16,472 were 

 sent coastwise, and 4276 by rail to Leith for exportation to the Continent ; 

 also 791 by rail to Glasgow, and 266 coastwise to Liverpool, for exportation 

 to America. The small proportion sent via Leith was due to a strike at 

 that port during the early part of the season. 



While the number of boats engaged in the line fishing was about the 

 same as in the previous year, the quantity of haddocks landed shows a 

 considerable decrease, but with higher prices the value was practically the 

 same. With the exception of 1902 the catch is the lowest on record. The 

 fishing grounds were from 3 to 8 miles offshore, only a few trials being made 

 on the more distant grounds. The total landings of line-caught fish were 

 slightly below those for the previous year. Haddocks realised from 7s. 

 to 38s. per box, with an average of 28s. 8d. per cwt., as compared with 

 21s. 3d. in 1912. This constitutes a record. 



The value of the shell fisheries was slightly above that for 1912, and 

 slightly below the average for the last ten years. Crabs realised from 2s. 3d . 

 to 3s. 9d. per score. 



In barrel-making the conditions were similar to those of 1912. A 

 short fishing left curers with large stocks, but these were disposed of during 

 the English autumn fishing, which was a record one. All available coopers 

 are engaged for the present year. 



