S30 Appendices to Thirty-second Annual lleport 



year, those of steamers ranging from £400 to over £700, with an average of 

 fully £500. The best shot realised £89. Motor boats earned from £350 

 to £380. A feature was the fine landings of hake made by one crew in 

 particular. The best fishing ground for this fish was off Loch Torridon. 

 Prices throughout the season kept a high level, some exceptional figures 

 behig realised. Hake made up to £6, 12s. and eels £5, 3s. per score. Very 

 little great-line fishing was done at Oban apart from the local craft, there 

 being no strangers working regularly from the port. Boats on' their way 

 from Ireland landed considerable quantities of cod taken on the ripper. 



Crews working small lines experienced a year of moderate success at 

 Mallaig, but at most other creeks results were very poor. Landings from 

 trawlers show a large falling off, no vessels having operated from either 

 Mallaig or Oban, and the returns represent a few stray shots too small 

 to warrant the voyage to Aberdeen. 



The shell-fish returns show a slight reduction in value. 



No classes for the special instruction of fishermen or other persons 

 connected with the fishing industry were conducted during the year in this 

 district. 



The barometer at Mallaig continues in good order. 



John Glen, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Oban, 10^^ January 1914. 



Campbeltown District. 



During recent years a gradual change has been taking place in connec- 

 tion with the fisheries of this district — particularly those within the Clyde 

 area — and the returns for the year just closed indicate that this change is 

 still going on. Net fishing is now receiving more attention than it did in 

 the past, while line fishing is steadily declining in importance. This is 

 being brought about, principally, by the increasing scarcity of line fish 

 in the waters of the district, but also to some extent by the great advance 

 in the prices now paid for herrings, as compared with those of past years. 



In comparing the results for the year under review with those of 1912, 

 the quantity of fish caught by nets shows an increase of 18,482 cwts., while 

 the total catch by lines shows a falling off to the extent of 1557 cwts. There 

 is therefore — exclusive of shell-fish — a nett increase of 16,925 cwts. in the 

 year's catch for the district, while the total value is £15,656 greater than 

 that of the catch of the former year. 



Very little change has to be recorded with regard to shell-fish fishing, 

 the year's results being somewhat similar to those of last year. The total 

 value of all kinds of shell-fish landed in the district amounts to £2444, 

 compared with £2702 for 1912. 



A considerable reduction in the number of boats is shown by the means 

 of capture returns, but as the majority of the boats which have been struck 

 off the register were small and, in many cases, seldom employed at fishing, 

 the catching power of the fleet has been little affected thereby. Since the 

 close of the year 1912 7 motor boats have been added to the fleet, which 

 increases the number belonging to the district to 79. Of the new additions 

 4 were built during the year, the other 3 being old boats in which motors 

 were installed. In the course of the year several engines were taken out 

 of the boats, in which they had been in use for some time, and replaced by 

 more powerful ones. A noteworthy feature in connection with the progress 

 which is being made by the fishermen, in utilising motor-power in the 



