of the Fisher ij Board for Scotland. 



203 



some boats having good shots, while others working in the same vicinity 

 had nothing. On no occasion was the supply equal to the demand, with 

 the result that prices were exceptionally high, the average for the season 

 being 30s. 3d. per cran, against 23s. 3d. in 1912, Although the catch was 

 about 1700 crans below that of the previous year, the value was greater. 

 The high prices certainly benefited fishermen, but acted adversely on 

 curers. Kippering, generally a considerable source of income in this 

 district, did not pay, so had to be given up earher than usual, and curing 

 for exportation was by no means profitable. Fresh and kippered herrings 

 go to Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, and those cured for exporta- 

 tion went mostly by rail to Peterhead, Aberdeen, and Leith, en route to 

 Stettin and Danzig. 



Line fishing shows a considerable falHng ofi, largely in haddocks, but 

 prices being exceptionally high to some extent helped the shortcoming in 

 quantity. 



Unsettled stormy weather, particularly towards the end of the j^ear, 

 frequently prevented the boats from getting far enough off, while fish were 

 very scarce on the inshore grounds, and it must be borne in mind that the 

 number of boats carrying on this fishing is decreasing year by year. The 

 haddocks were mostly large-sized fish of superior quahty, the proportion 

 of medium and small being comparatively small. The greater part of 

 them was sent off by curers, part smoked, and the rest fresh, chiefly to 

 Glasgow, but a good many were disposed of locally by women. 



Cod-net fishing was prosecuted by about the usual number of boats, 

 but with less success. The catch was about one-third smaller than last 

 year's, but good prices made the value almost equal. The White hills 

 fishermen did very well, fishing with nets for soles and plaice near the shore 

 off the village. The catch and value were about double those of 1912, 

 which made a considerable addition to the earnings of these men. 



Shell-fish fishing was carried on at Gardenstown, Macduff, and White- 

 hills with poor success. The varieties are crabs and whelks, but the latter 

 are of httle account, being small, scarce, and not much sought after. 



There was an increase in the number of steamers at the English fishing, 

 and a decrease at the Irish fishing, but very few sailers went to the former, 

 and none to the latter. The steamers' earnings in England were from 

 £500 to £800, with in a few cases £1000, and sailers' £150 to £300, In 

 Ireland, steamers made from £200 to £450, 



Boatbuilders were busy during the year, building in all 34 fishing 

 vessels (of which 17 were steamers). Twenty-four were for the district, 

 9 for other districts, and 1 for England. For the coming year prospects 

 are good, as builders' hands are full, and Hkely to be so, constructing 

 steamers. 



During the year 2 steam drifters belonging to Banf! were lost in con- 

 nection with the English fishing. One was run down by a steamer and sank, 

 and the other, just after leaving Lowestoft for home, sprang a leak and 

 foundered. Fortunately, in both cases, the crew was saved. There was 

 no loss of fife in connection with the fisheries in the district, and the damage 

 to gear in Scottish waters was comparatively light. In England there 

 was, as usual, a good deal of loss of and damage to netting. 



Navigation classes for fishermen were carried on at two centres in the 

 district in the beginning of the year, but were not much taken advantage of. 

 In one case 11 men presented themselves for examination, of whom 7 

 passed as skippers, 2 as second hands, and 2 failed ; and in the other — a 

 smaller class where the interest was not kept up — 2 passed as skippers, and 

 3 as second hands. This year an attempt was made to form a navigation 

 class at Macduff, but, owing to the small number who came forward, it was 

 given up. Quite recently a class of 38 to 40 young fisher lads was started at 



