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Appendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



per annum is given by the Aberdeen District Technical Committee to that 

 School. The Governors of Robert Gordon's Technical College have 

 decided to erect a Technical School for seamen and fishermen, and a site 

 has been given free by the Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners for that 

 purpose. 



James Donaldson, 

 Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Aberdeen, 16th January 1914. 



Peterhead District 



The year 1913 has been a remarkable one, and one which will be long 

 remembered by almost all connected with the fishing industry. It has 

 had no parallel as regards its success ; and it may be said that a wave of 

 prosperity has passed over the fishing community. This was due to 

 the fact that while the home herring fishing was exceptionally successful, 

 the season at East Angha exceeded all previous years. It was thought that 

 the records of 1912 would not be readily broken, but as regards quantity 

 of fish and profitable trading they have been considerably surpassed. 

 With the exception of two, all the curers belonging to the district were 

 engaged either at Yarmouth or Lowestoft, some of the larger firms opera- 

 ting at both, and all have reaped an excellent harvest. In fact, the home 

 and English herring fishings have been a source of great prosperity to all 

 connected with the fishing industry, with the result that an atmosphere of 

 confidence prevails, and the outlook for the year 1914 is most promising. 



As an outcome of the year's successs the means of capture are likely 

 to be considerably increased. The fleet of steam drifters registered as 

 belonging to the district shows an increase of 4 over 1912, but an additional 

 15 or 16 second-hand vessels, and 2 or 3 new ones, have been secured by 

 fishermen and fish-salesmen, and will shortly be added to the register. 

 Others are prepared to give orders for new vessels or to purchase second- 

 hand ones, but the latter cannot be got at prices which prospective buyers 

 are prepared to pay, and owing to the boat-builders being unable to 'cope 

 with the urgent demands the former will have to be delayed for a year at 

 least. 



The year's phenomenal success apparently makes it quite obvious 

 that the fishermen are keenly ahve to the fact that progress can only be 

 looked for by discarding old methods and adopting the newest and most 

 up-to-date means of capture. The fishermen now evince a preference for 

 wooden vessels of a size rather less than the iron and steel drifters which 

 they showed a preference for some years ago. These wooden vessels are 

 from £600 to £1000 cheaper, and the working expenses considerably less. 

 The year's success has also to a large extent made fishermen more inde- 

 pendent of extraneous aid for the development of their industry. 



In consequence of the prosperity attending those connected with steam 

 drifters and the herring fishery, only a very few fishermen, and those the 

 oldest, pay any attention to white-fishing. Therefore, while other dis- 

 tricts are going in for motor power in connection with the haddock and 

 codhng fishing, such auxihary aid is entirely neglected in this district. 

 True, there is one motor boat registered at the port of Peterhead, but 

 the fishermen who own it five in and fish out of Aberdeen. 



The classes in navigation for second hands, masters, and extra masters 

 on board steam drifters, which have been so successful during the past 

 few years, were well attended during 1913. The Burgh School Board 



