of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



207 



lads who intend following a sea-faring life, and at Lossiemouth an engineer- 

 ing class is also being conducted with considerable success. 

 The fishery barometers are in good order. 



William Sinclair, 

 Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Lossiemouth, 9th January 1914. 



Cromarty District. 



The majority of the district fishermen were employed during the 

 greater part of the year in drift-net fishing at the chief herring- fishing 

 centres on the West and East Coasts. Fish landed in the district were 

 chiefly caught by means of small and hand lines. The earnings derived 

 from herring fishing represent fully three-fourths of the total earnings for 

 the year. Although the local fishing grounds were less productive than 

 in the preceding year, and earnings from that source of smaller amount, 

 still the deficiency was more than covered by the greater success of the 

 men at other parts of the coast. 



Close on 400 men were absent at herring fishing for a considerable period 

 of the year. Licluded in that number are the crews of 18 boats belonging 

 to the district. The remainder were employed as hired hands on boats 

 registered at other East Coast ports. The district crews fished for the most 

 part at Castlebay and Fraserburgh. A number of the hired men took part 

 in the fishing at Lowestoft and Yarmouth. 



Fewer district crews went to Castlebay than on former occasions, but 

 there 6 boats averaged over £300 each. Eighteen boats averaged £340 on 

 the Aberdeenshire coast, and 2 averaged £380 at Lowestoft and Yarmouth. 

 Three steam drifters, belonging to other districts, but manned entirely 

 by Avoch fishermen, averaged £1400 at Fraserburgh and £750 on the coast 

 of England. 



In connection with the different herring fishings the crews of boats and 

 hired men grossed in the aggregate £25,700. That amount is £4700 in 

 excess of the highest earnings of any of the past six years. In view of the 

 decline of the local line fishing this satisfactory result was all the more 

 gratifying. The increase was derived in equal proportion from the success- 

 ful seasons at Fraserburgh and on the coast of England. 



The fisher girls who left home as gutters and packers of herrings were 

 also well remunerated. Between 230 and 240 were employed from May 

 till September, and the majority till the close of the English season in 

 November. All are agreed that the season, on the whole, was one of the 

 best ever experienced. 



There was a sHght development in cod-net fishing, the fleet, which stood 

 at 3 boats in 1912, being increased to 6 in 1913. It cannot be said that 

 the work was profitable. Cod appeared to be scarce during the spring 

 months, and often the catches were of the most meagre description. The 

 boats employed were of the second class, similar to those used by the 

 Avoch men at sprat fishing. 



The fleet of first-class boats, which has been dwindling during the past 

 few years, shows a further reduction of 3 vessels. Two of these were sold 

 to Orkney district. One was acquired from Moray Firth owners and added 

 to the list, and 2 old boats were discarded as unsea worthy, and were not 

 replaced by others. Second- and third-class boats also tend to decrease. 



Emigration to Canada and other British Colonies, though not on such a 

 large scale as in the preceding year, again claimed half a score of men. 



