Fishery Board for Scotland. 



XXXIX 



amounted to upwards of £4500. On the 10th September a fisher- 

 man was knocked overboard and drowned off St Combs. 



There were 712 crans of herrings landed during the winter and winter 

 spring months, which were chiefly used for bait. Fishing. 



Banff District. 



From Troup Head, inclusive, to Cullen, exclusive. Boundary of 



District. 



District Fishery Office — Macduff. 



In Banff district 70 boats were employed in the season of 1886, Number of 

 being 37 less than in 1885. A larger number than usual of the 

 district boats went to the Shetland herring fishery, while 40 first- Forty left ou 

 class boats were left on the beach, their owners preferring to Beach, 

 associate themselves with other boats rather than engage hands to 

 man their own. The fishing opened on 20th July, and closed about Opening, pro- 

 the end of August, with an average catch of 188J crans per boat, as g e ^^ close 

 compared with 177J crans in 1885. The greatest success was got 

 in the week ending 7th August, when in four days the whole fleet 

 averaged 66 crans per boat. In that week several boats landed 

 individual takes ranging from 80 to 112 crans, and one boat had 

 120 crans. This boat landed a total catch for the season of 600 

 crans. The grounds principally fished extended from 2 to 10 miles Grounds 

 from land, but those which yielded the great bulk of the season's Flslied - 

 catch lay from 2 to 4 miles from shore. Distant grounds were 

 seldom visited. The quality of the takes was much better than in Quality of 

 1885, and contained a larger proportion of full fish. The total Herrings, 

 quantity cured was 21,158 barrels, as compared with 26,230 barrels Quantity 

 in 1885, being a decrease of 5072 barrels. Cured - 



The winter herring fishing made a good beginning, but owing winter 

 to the continued low prices of herrings, it was soon abandoned Fishing, 

 for other fishing, which it was thought would be more remunerative. 



Buckie District. 



From Cullen to east side of Spey, both inclusive. Boundary of 



District. 



District Fishery Office — Buckie. 



Buckie has 640 first-class boats, being more than any other Fleet of Boats 

 district in Scotland. The great bulk of the boats, however, fish at larger than in 



o any otlier 



other stations. Last year, only 88 remained at home, of which 12 District, but 



fished from Cullen, 10 from Findochty, 62 from Buckie, and 4 from ^ r ^ ti f ns 



Portgordon, being a decrease of 6 boats under the number which 0 ier> 



remained in the district in the previous year. The average catch 



per boat during the summer fishing, at each of these stations, was 



211§, 173 J, 161 §, and 110 crans respectively; and the general 



average was 167 cran3 per boat, as compared with 152 crans in 1885. 



The fishing commenced on 13th July, and was continued till Opening and 



28th August. A large portion of the herrings landed during the p^j^^ 



first week of the season was caught from 20 to 25 miles off shore, 



and they were generally large full fish. Thereafter the grounds Grounds 



frequented were inshore, lying from 2 to 8 miles from land; but the andpartfculars 



fish taken there were of rather inferior quality — about two-thirds 0 f Fishing. ' 



of them being small sized full herrings and the remainder maties 



