212 



Appendices to Thirty- second Annual Report 



There is but one fishery barometer in the district — that at Lybster 

 harbour. It continues to serve satisfactorily the purpose for which it was 

 intended. 



James Ritchie, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Wick, 5ih January ]914:. 



Wick District. 



Taken in their entirety, the fisheries of this district during the past 

 year did not yield such satisfactory results as in 1912, there being a 

 considerable decrease in the quantity of both herrings and white fish 

 landed. One feature of the year was the unusually high prices paid for 

 herrings, owing to which the pecuniary value of the year's work shows but 

 a shght falling ofi when compared with that of 1912, which constituted 

 a record. 



No pronounced advance was made in connection with the means of 

 capture. One second-hand steam drifter was added to the fleet at 

 Wick, which restored the number owned at that port to the figure at which 

 it had stood for several years previously. 



A few second-hand first-class saihng craft were purchased by crews of 

 the district, but these, however, did not counterbalance the number dis- 

 carded. It may be said that the only development effected during the 

 year was the application of motor power to a number of the large saihng 

 craft that are employed at net fishing and yawls used for fine fishing. 



An extensive shoal of herrings was unexpectedly located, early in 

 January, near to the land on the north coast of Sutherland and Caithness, 

 and some excellent landings were made. Fish were most abundant 

 between Strathy Point and Island Roan, and for about a month a 

 fleet of fully 30 boats fished on that part of the coast. Catches of from 

 80 to 200 crans were of common occurrence, and so dense was the shoal 

 that a great deal of netting was lost through weight of fish. Indeed, very 

 few were so fortunate as to avoid loss from this cause. 



Unfortunately there was at that time a long continuation of south 

 and south-east gales, which prevented fishing craft from getting to Wick 

 with their catches. Scrabster harbour had therefore to be resorted to, 

 at w^hich place there is only a very limited area of water deep enough for 

 berthing, and consequently a large number of boats could not be accommo- 

 dated. Besides that there was a great lack of facilities for the disposal of 

 the herrings. A considerable portion of the catch had to be conveyed to 

 Thurso railway station for dispatch, and some difficulty was experienced 

 in procuring a sufficient number of horses for that work. 



A few of the steam craft landed at Thurso harbour, wdiere they w^ere 

 much nearer to the railway terminus. Fishermen and curers found the 

 venture fairly remunerative, but had better conditions prevailed, much 

 more satisfactory results would, no doubt, have been obtained. It is now 

 some years since so many herrings were landed in the district in the 

 winter season. Prices paid for herrings varied from 5s. to 40s. 6d. per 

 cran. Over all the average price was 23s. 3d. Only the steamers con- 

 tinued to prosecute the fishing up to the close of the season, and their 

 earnings varied from £500 to £1100. 



Altogether 14 of the local fleet — 2 steamers, 2 motor and 10 sailing 

 vessels — engaged in cod net fishing. That number, however, was not at 

 work throughout the whole season. Besides those, a few Banffshire sail 



