204 



Appendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



Whitehills, at which, in addition to navigation, several are getting instruc- 

 tion in cooking. It is to be hoped that the interest in this class will be 

 sustained, but so many of the fishermen passed the Board of Trade ex- 

 amination recently, that comparatively little interest will be taken in these 

 classes until the younger fishermen are old enough to come forward for 

 examination. 



The fishery barometers are in good order, and fairly well attended to. 



Jas. Farquharson, 

 Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Macduff, Qth January 1914. 



Buchie District. 



The principal source of income of the majority of the fishermen of this 

 district is now herring fishing, which they prosecute throughout the whole 

 year from the principal fishing centres on the Scottish, English, and Irish 

 coasts, and the year under review may be considered as one of great pros- 

 perity for them, and, in fact, to all concerned in the industry. 



The value of the fish returned as landed in the district represents only 

 a small fraction of the earnings of the fishermen. It is estimated that 

 the aggregate earnings of the crews who followed the herring fishing 

 throughout the year exceeded half a million pounds sterUng. 



The most noteworthy features in the means of capture returns are the 

 continued increase in steam drifters, and a corresponding decrease in 

 sail boats, — 19 steam drifters having been during the year added to the 

 fleet, which now numbers 276 vessels of 7270 tons, while, on the other hand, 

 14 first-class boats were cancelled from the register. The number of 

 steam drifters now registered in the district exceeds the first-class saiHng 

 boats for the first time. The means of capture returns, w^hich include 

 vessels, and all fishing material, show an increase of £20,564 in excess of 

 last year. 



The winter herring fishing beginning in January was taken part in by 

 90 steam drifters, who fished principally on the West Coast, making Storno- 

 way their headquarters. The season proved most successful for them, 

 their earnings ranging from £400 to £800, with an average of £500 per 

 vessel. 



At the beginning of the summer fishing, in May, the whole fleet of 

 steam, motor, and sail boats fitted out and left home for the West Coast, 

 Shetland, Orkney, and the East Coast from Wick to Aberdeen, coming 

 home occasionally to refit, until the close of the season in September. 

 The results of the season were most gratifying to all concerned, as high 

 prices were reaHsed, owing to the partial failure of the fishing. Individual 

 earnings ranged from £800 to £1400 for steamers, £400 to £800 for motors, 

 and £350 to £500 for sail boats, or an average of £1000, £600, and £450 

 respectively. During that period operations at home were, until the last 

 week in June, confined to a few sail boats which fished in local waters, 

 after which date the bulk of the herrings were landed by steamers coming 

 home to refit at week-ends. The season ended with a total catch of 5401 

 crans, against 11,692 crans in 1912. 



Two hundred and seventy-six steam drifters, 9 motor, and 60 sail 

 boats comprised the fleet which proceeded to the English herring fishing 

 from this district. Their success on that coast taken in conjunction with 



