220 



Appendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



of the average earnings of strangers who participated in the Shetland 

 herring fishing. 



Although the cured market was in a very satisfactory condition, and 

 curers did very well in May and June, the subsequent collapse of the fishing 

 led to such a keen competition for the few herrings that were landed, and 

 entailed so much expense for wages, removal of stock to other stations, etc., 

 that most curers finished the season with adverse balances. Highest 

 prices for cured herrings were quoted in July, when, for several weeks, 

 Lafulls were selling about 50s. per barrel, and Full from 4:2s. to 45s. 

 Throughout August Lafull sold at from 43s. to 45s., and Full at about 2s. 

 less ; and La Spent, which were not on sale till after the middle of August, 

 brought from 33s. to 34s. 6d. till the middle of September, after which 

 balances of all selections were difficult to sell at reduced prices. 



One Lerwick vessel was fitted out for curing at sea, but carried only an 

 ordinary fishing crew, who ran to port and sold their best catches fresh. 

 In the course of the season, however, they cured over 300 barrels of 

 herrings on board. Nine small Scandinavian sailing or motor vessels 

 were at Lerwick in the late summer or autumn, and their crews cured 

 about 1000 barrels of mackerel which they bought from British fishermen. 

 A few hundred barrels were also cured on shore by local fishcurers. 



No vessels were specially chartered to carry roused herrings to Hamburg, 

 but upwards of 500 crans w^ere sent early in the season by the Leith 

 steamers which traded between Lerwick and Hamburg. As the season 

 advanced this business had to be given up on account of the high prices 

 that were being paid for the fresh herrings here. 



The quantity and value of cod, ling, etc., were slightly less than the 

 figures for 1912 (which, however, had included about 300 tons of trawled 

 fish from Iceland). The bulk of the fish landed in 1913 was caught by 

 the herring fishermen in summer by hand lines. The small-line fishing 

 proved the poorest for many years, the landings of haddocks showing a 

 decrease of about 50 per cent, as compared with the previous season. 

 Stormy weather, with prevailing westerly gales, accounted for the decrease 

 at Scalloway, but fish were scarcer on the Lerwick grounds, especially 

 in the autumn, than they have been for many years. 



Five local steam drifters went to the herring fishing on the English 

 coast, where they averaged £829. For the whole year their earnings 

 averaged £2523, but none of the boats was employed for more than nine 

 months. The most successful Shetland steam drifter earned about £3200 

 for the year. 



Coopers had an exceptionally good year. The outlook was not too 

 bright for a week or two at the close of the Shetland herring fishing, but 

 large shipments of stock were taken from Lerwick to Yarmouth and 

 Lowestoft, and all the coopers were re-engaged. 



No first or second-class boats were built in the district during the year. 

 The output of small third-class boats was normal. Carpenters were kept 

 busy during the summer, but work turned slacker after the close of the 

 herring fishing. 



There was fortunately no loss of life in connection with the fishing during 

 the year — rather a remarkable fact considering the extent of the industry. 

 With the exception of a first-class boat which was sunk as the result of a 

 collision during the herring fishing season, there were no serious accidents 

 to the fishing fleet, and owing to the fine weather experienced during the 

 herring fishing season there was very little loss of fishing material. 



Increased attention is being given to the teaching of navigation to 

 fishermen, and classes are being conducted at a number of centres through- 

 out the islands. Special classes for the instruction of teachers were 

 arranged at Lerwick during the summer and Christmas holidays, and 



