Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xliii 



owing to fogs and stormy weather, all of them remained in harbour 

 on other 10 nights. From 10th July till the close of that month, 

 the fishing was carried on with fair success from 20 to 50 miles 

 from land, and the herrings taken were of good quality. There- 

 after it was mainly prosecuted on grounds lying from 2 to 7 

 miles off-shore, and with good results. On 4th August, 400 boats 

 landed 20,800 crans, or the high average of 52 crans per boat. 

 Four-fifths of this great catch, however, unfortunately consisted Quality of 

 of spent fish. During the remainder of the season, spents and Hernn s s - 

 maties formed the largest portion of the takes. The highest 

 individual take was 145 crans, but takes, varying from 90 to 130 

 crans, were frequently landed. The total quantity of herrings cured Barrels Cured, 

 was 102,611 barrels, being 15,143 barrels less than in 1885. The Loss of Nets, 

 loss of nets, caused by the weight of fish which they captured, was 

 estimated at the large sum of £3260. Happily, no lives were lost, 

 nor were any boats wrecked daring the season. There are two 

 establishments at Wick for the manufacture of fish offal into 

 manure, but only one was working last year. 



The winter herring fishing of 1886 was attended with un- winter 

 precedented success. It was prosecuted in January, February, and ^^gmost 

 March, and during most of that time 130 boats were engaged. success u ■ 

 The total catch amounted to 22,184 crans, while the greatest rarticulars 

 yield of any preceding winter was 6494 crans. Owing to the thereof - 

 abundant fishing, prices were low, the average being estimated at 

 10s. per cran, but which would give a return of £11,092 for the Disposal of 

 season's fishing. 3000 barrels of herrings were cured for exporta- Herrings, 

 tion. The remainder of the catch was either cured as kippers or 

 red herrings, or sold for consumption fresh. 



Orkney District. 



The Orkney Islands ; and Svvona in the Pentland Firth. Boundary of 



District Fishery Office — St Margaret's Hope. District. 



In Orkney district, 168 boats were engaged in the fishing of Boats engaged 

 1886, being 92 less than in 1885. The average catch per boat was and 1 aver ^ )at 

 90J crans, as compared with 154 crans in 1885. The fishing catc per oa " 

 began on 13th July, but, owing to the stormy state of the weather, 

 and to the low price of herrings, it was not at first prosecuted 

 to any great extent. The total catch landed in July was only particulars of 

 1157 crans, of w 7 hich 900 crans were captured on the 29th. Fishing. 

 The best week of the season was that ending 7th August, when 

 fully one-third of the season's catch was landed ; the average per 

 boat being 32 crans. At Stronsay, the best fishing was made on Quality of 

 the in-shore grounds ; and the herrings were of better quality Herrings, 

 than those taken on the distant grounds. At the South Isles 

 stations, no herrings were found in-shore, and the bulk of the 

 catch there was got about 40 miles to the south-east. The quality 

 of the herrings was inferior to that of most former years, the takes 

 containing a much larger proportion of spent fish than was usual 

 in the district. The weather was stormy throughout the season, and Quantity of 

 the boats got regularly to sea only during one week. The quantity Q^jf gs 

 of herrings cured was 18,949 barrels, as compared with 53,300 in 



