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Appendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



£800. The English fishing also proved most remunerative, steam drifters 

 earning from £400 to £1300, motor boats from £300 to £500, and sail boats 

 from £200 to £400. 



The principal feature in connection with the means of capture was the 

 increased interest shown by the fishermen in motor propulsion. Four 

 boats, ranging from 33 to 40 feet keel, were specially built for the installation 

 of motor engines, while a second-hand sail boat of similar size was also 

 fitted, the engines installed being three " Avance " and two " Nat." The 

 number of steam drifters was increased by three, while the number of first- 

 class sail boats shows a decrease of twelve. 



At Inverness the herring and sprat fishing, which is usually prosecuted 

 during the first two and last three months of the year, proved a failure, 

 the landings amounting to only 3159 cwts., valued at £1128, against 28,564 

 cwts., valued at £5303 in the previous year. All the catch was disposed of 

 in a fresh state, a considerable proportion locally. 



The cod net fishing was prosecuted from the latter end of January to 

 the middle of April by a fleet of 24 steam and 45 saiHng vessels, chiefly 

 from Lossiemouth. The results were fair, although the quantity and value 

 were 8239 cwts. and £998 respectively less than during the previous season. 

 Prices fluctuated considerably during the season, ranging horn 13s. to 75s. 

 per score. Two firms conducted curing operations and dealt with 4500 

 c^vts. five weight, but the great bulk of the catch was dispatched in a fresh 

 state to the Glasgow and London markets. 



During the summer herring fishing landings were practically confined 

 to boats arriving home for the week-ends, and the catch amounted to only 

 2736 crans, against 4029 crans for the previous season. Exceptionally 

 high prices prevailed, the average per cran being 33s 7d., against 24s. in 

 1912, so that the cash value showed only a shght decrease. For local 

 curers the season was unprofitable, as the herrings were kept on hand for a 

 considerable time and sold when prices had dechned. 



Small-hne fishing yielded poor results throughout the year. The 

 number of crews employed ranged from 30 to 60, composed chiefly of the 

 older fishermen. Haddocks were exceptionally scarce, the catch being 

 less than half that of the pre\"ious year, and this species shows a decrease 

 of 8164 cwts. in quantity and £3548 in value. As a natural result of the 

 scarcity prices were unusually high, occasionally touching 30s. per cwt., 

 while the average for the year was 5s. per cwt. above that obtained in 1912. 



The boat-building trade was not particularly brisk. Four steam 

 drifters and a motor boat were built at Inverness, two of the former being 

 for Londonderry and one for Buckie, while at Lossiemouth five motor 

 and two sail boats were constructed. For the current year prospects 

 are exceptionally good, the orders placed meantime all being for steam 

 vessels. Coopers were steadily employed throughout the year, and the 

 heavy Enghsh fishing absorbed all stocks remaining over at the close of the 

 summer fishing. 



Unfortunately the loss of life was unusually heavy. In February a 

 Burghead steam drifter was lost off Buncrana, and the crew of nine men 

 drowned. In March a Lossiemouth fisherman was drowTied while engaged 

 in the cod fishing. Two steam drifters were wrecked on the West Coast 

 during the progress of the winter fishing, but were afterwards salved and 

 repaired, while two first-class sail boats were also %vrecked during the year. 

 In local waters considerable damage to cod netting was sustained, while 

 at the Enghsh fishing the loss of netting was estimated at £50 per boat. 



The teaching of navigation to fishermen has been carried on at four 

 centres in the district during the last few years and has been largely taken 

 advantage of by those anxious to obtain certificates as skippers and second 

 hands. Navigation is also taught at evening continuation classes to young 



