Fishery Board for Scotland. 



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districts, of 275,552J barrels, resulting in a net decrease of 170,542 f Net decrease 

 barrels in 1886, as compared with 1885. The districts which exhibit in 1886 under 

 the largest decrease are Fraserburgh, Wick, Orkney, and Shetland. 

 Those which mainly contributed to the increase, are Eyemouth, 

 Montrose, Aberdeen and Buckie. The greatest increase, however, 

 is due to Eyemouth and Aberdeen, and the largest decrease to 

 Fraserburgh, Orkney, and Shetland. 



The official returns of herrings cured on the whole of the East East Coast 

 Coast of Scotland for the fifty years preceding last year, on the prebedYng^O 

 average of each period of ten years, show a large and continuous years, 

 increase. They are as follow :— 



Periods of Ten Years. Ye ^ v ^erage of 



Barrels cured. of Barrels 



1836 to 1845 inclusive, 429,175 cured in 



1846 „ 1855 „ 517,392 P enods of ten 



1856 „ 1865 „ 496,875 years ' 



1866 „ 1875 „ 641,754 

 1876 „ 1885 „ 950,361 

 Barrels cured in 1886, 1,142,439|, 



The quantity of herrings cured in 1886, when compared with 1885, Decrease in 

 shows a decrease of 13*46 per cent.; but when compared with ^||| ^^in 

 the average of the preceding ten years, it shows an increase of crease over 

 20-21 percent.; of twenty-five years, 5415 per cent. ; and of fifty preceding 50 

 years, 8817 per cent. 



WEST COAST HERRING FISHERY. 



The nine fishery districts on the west of Scotland are: — Storno- Nine West 

 way, Loch Broom, Loch Carron and Skye, Fort- William, Campbel- Coast Districts, 

 town, Inveraray, Rothesay, Greenock, and Ballantrae. 



Stornoway District. 



The Islands of Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, and Boundary of 

 the smaller Islands within this range ; also St Kilda. District. 



District Fishery Office — Stornoway. 



Stornoway district had a fairly successful herring fishing in 1886. Fishing fairly 

 About the beginning of February, herrings appeared in large successfuL 

 quantities on the East Coast of Lewis ; and the district crews 

 then prosecuted the industry with satisfactory results. This 

 early fishing was continued, with slight interruptions, until May 

 20th — the generally recognised proper time for beginning the 

 summer fishing. A fleet of 1129 boats were employed, being Boats 

 an increase of 48 boats over the number in the preceding season, employed. 

 Of these about 200 belonged to the district, and the remainder 

 came from numerous other places. The average catch for the 

 season was 67 crans per boat. Of the two sections into which 

 the district is divided, Stornoway section had 521 boats, and Barra 

 section 608 ; and their gross average catches were estimated at Average 

 106 and 38f crans per boat respectively. The regular season closed sections 6 

 at the end of June, but a few Lewis boats continued fishing with 



