oj the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



199 



in addition to these have opened engineering classes for drivers and firemen, 

 and the opportunities offered by the Board have been well taken advantage 

 of. It is considered very desirable and necessary that all those acting as 

 engineers should be certificated under the Board of Trade, and owners of 

 steam drifters are beginning to realise this. 



The summer herring fishing began about the middle of May, but in 

 contradistinction to 1912 no close time was observed or even mooted. 

 At the outset the only difficulty experienced arose out of the agitation of 

 the hired men for better terms. The difficulty was quickly surmounted, 

 and the fishing was soon in full swing. The results from the first were 

 satisfactory, especially for the steam drifters, which were able to proceed 

 50 to 70 miles off in a south-east by east direction, where the grounds 

 proved to be very prolific. The quahty of the herrings found on these 

 grounds in previous years was generally very inferior, but the fish caught 

 during the season of 1913 were superior to anything landed in the last 

 few years. 



At the beginning of the season the weather was unfavourable for sail 

 boats proceeding to the distant grounds, but when about the middle of 

 July shoals of herrings made their appearance on the inshore grounds 

 conditions were entirely changed in favour of sail boats. The shoals, too, 

 contrary to what happened in previous years, remained on these grounds 

 for a protracted period, a fact which reminded the fishermen of the days 

 when they used the old baulk rope nets. The season was remarkable 

 for heavy takes both on the offshore and inshore grounds. Shots of 100 

 up to 180 crans were not uncommon, such shots being conspicuous by their 

 absence during the previous three or four years. 



While other leading ports were strugghng on with meagre success, 

 Peterhead forged steadily ahead, with the result that numerous stranger 

 boats were attracted to the port, and the number of craft increased from 350 

 to 420. About 50 EngHsh drifters came from Shetland about the first 

 week of July, and so fortunate were they that they remained for the rest 

 of the season. The fleet for the whole season consisted on an average of 

 400 craft, 185 steam drifters, 212 sail boats, and 3 motor boats. The 

 earnings of steam drifters ranged from £900 to £2100, sail boats £350 to 

 £1000, and motor boats £500 to £1100. 



A feature of the year's fishing was the exceptionally high prices which 

 were paid to fishermen. In the beginning of the season the average price 

 per cran was 20s., but latfer on prices rose to 40s. and as high as 49s., the 

 average price for the season being 32s. lOd., as against 23s. for 1912. 



The curing industry has never before been in such a sound condition, 

 nor have its prospects ever been so hopeful. It iis, however, impossible to 

 foresee, and unsafe to prophesy, what another year may bring forth. 

 As the catching power increases the markets throughout the interior of 

 Russia and Germany are apparently opening up in proportion. As a 

 result of the handsome profits reahsed by curers, especially in East Angha, 

 12 or 13 additional curing establishments are to be opened, most of them 

 by fishermen who have been successful in their operations with steam 

 drifters. 



The line-fishing industry, once of very considerable dimensions, has 

 been decadent for a good many years, and although it is not hkely to die 

 out altogether, it gets less year by year. The great scarcity of haddocks 

 and other white fish along the coast, with the success of the herring fishing, 

 caused a still further dechne during the j^ear under review. 



The Engfish herring fishing has in recent years attained extraordinary 

 magnitude, and the season of 1913 has, as already been said, beaten all 

 pre^aous records. The number of craft which proceeded to the English 

 herring fishing was 128, all steam drifters, except 4 sail boats. The earn- 



