216 



Appendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



Stronsay continues to be the chief centre at which herrings are landed 

 in the Orkney district. The steady development of this port during the 

 preceding four years has been drawing more curers to the place every year. 



In 1912, the Harbour Commissioners decided to go on with a scheme 

 of development — to extend the old pier 300 feet and the new pier 200 feet, 

 and also to dredge out the channel and harbour basin — at an estimated 

 cost of £20,500. In aid of this scheme they were promised a grant of 

 £10,000 from the Development Fund. 



The comparative failure of the fishing during the first half of the season 

 was attributed by fishermen to the presence of a large shoal of mackerel 

 on the grounds. Fishermen reported the shoal of mackerel to extend from 

 a few miles off land to 60 miles off. It frequently happened that some 

 boats caught 60 and 70 crans of mackerel, and after clearing their nets of 

 these fish, shot their drift the following night on the same grounds and 

 landed heavy shots of herring. 



Towards the end of July, when the mackerel disappeared from the 

 fishing grounds, a welcome improvement set in, and the fleet operating 

 from the port had a most successful time until the end of August. Un- 

 fortunately for curers, the fleet was small, and as the demand was always 

 much greater than the supply, prices were maintained at a higher figure 

 than the prices for the cured article warranted. 



The principal fishing grounds were from 4 to 15 miles off Auskerry and 

 Copinshay, and 30 to 60 miles east-by-south to south-by-east from Stronsay. 

 The best quaUty was generally landed from the more easterly and more 

 distant grounds. As the bulk of the fish was caught at a moderate 

 distance from land, fishermen were able to arrive early in the day, and to 

 deliver their fish in good condition, thereby giving curers the opportunity 

 of making the best possible cure and of turning out a first-class article. 



Daring the first week or two of the fishing the quality landed varied 

 from poor to fairly good, and prices for May fish ranged accordingly from 

 10s. to 39s., the average price being 22s. Id. per cran. 



From the second week of June the herrings rapidly improved in quahty, 

 and, as there was a pretty strong demand at that time for cured herrings 

 of good quality, curers shipped them away as fast as they were being 

 cured, at prices which left them with a fair margin of profit. For June 

 herrings prices ranged from 30s. to 45s., the average price being 38s. 6d. 

 per cran. 



As the season advanced the quality became excellent, most of the 

 takes consisting chiefly of full and lafull fish. For a number of years 

 back America and the Continental markets depended mainly on Shetland 

 to supply them with these herrings, but, as the Shetland fishing yielded 

 poor results, Stronsay curers naturally concluded that the supply of 

 lafulls would be short. 



The result was that the demand for fresh herrings became very keen, 

 and prices were maintained at an abnormally high level. The highest 

 price ever paid for curing at Stronsay was touched on 19th July, when 53s. 

 per cran was paid for a shot of herrings. The average price for the month 

 of July was 45s. per cran. 



The quality remained very fine until the middle of August, but from 

 then it became mixed, and towards the end of the month spent fish pre- 

 dominated. The average price paid during August was 39s. lOd. per 

 cran. For the season the average price was 40s. lOd., compared vnih 

 28s. lOd. in 1912, and 23s. lOd. per cran in 1911. 



When the herrings became suitable for branding, most of the curers 

 selected their herrings for the brand, and of the total cured 34,945 barrels 

 or 31 per cent, were branded, compared with 26,402 barrels or 14 per cent, 

 of the cure of 1912. 



