xxxviii 



Fifth Annual Report of the 



Development 

 of Winter 

 Fishery. 



Cause thereof. 



Particulars of 

 Fishing. 



Quality and 

 prices of 

 Herrings. 



The more extensive prosecution of the great line fishing during 

 the past few years has led to the development of the winter her- 

 ring fishery. Herrings are excellent bait for great lines, and in 

 using nets to obtain herrings for bait, more were caught than required 

 for this purpose. The surplus quantity taken generally met with 

 a ready sale, either for being consumed fresh or for kippering, and 

 a good many of the fishermen in consequence devoted increased 

 attention to the winter herring fishing. During the months oft 

 January and February, upwards of 2000 crans were landed, which 

 were sold at from 10s. to 20s. per cran. A number of boats resHtned, 

 this fishing in December, and met with gratifying success-, more 1 

 herrings having been landed during that month than had ever 

 previously been the case. The fish were of a large size, and of;' 

 good quality, and realized from 20s. to 44s. per cran. They were; 

 catmht close to the land between Boddam and Port Erroll. 



Fraserburgh District. 



Boundary of 

 District. 



Fleet of Boats. 



Number at 

 each Station. 



Particulars of 

 Fishing. 



Great loss of 

 Nets owing to 

 weight of 

 Fish Meshed. 



Quality of 

 Herrings. 



Season's 

 Catch now 

 disposed of. 



From Rattray Head, inclusive, to Troup Hc&d, exclusive. 



District Fishery Office — Fraserburgh. 



In Fraserburgh district a fleet of 655 boats was engaged in tlie ! 

 herring fishing of 1886, of which 626 were at Fraserburgh, and 

 29 at Pittulie, being a decrease of 2o3 boats from; the number in 

 1885. Of these 419 were engaged curers, and 236 disposed of 

 their fish by auction. The average, catch per boat was 207 crans,. 

 as compared with 176 crans in l r 3,85. The highest total catch of 

 any one boat during the season v^as 725 crans. Three boats lauded 

 altogether upwards of 1800 Gratis. The fishing opened in the 

 middle of July, being the sam^ time as in 1885, and proved highly 

 successful till 4th Septemb er, when it virtually closed. The best 

 fishing grounds extended fr :0 m 5 to 55 miles N.N.E. of Fraserburgh, 

 and the inshore waters proved more productive than for many 

 years past. Only fivr, riights were lost by adverse weather 

 during the whole seas.cn. The largest takes were landed on the' 

 weeks ending 24th July, 7th August, 14th August, and 28th 

 August, which yielded an average of 34£, 60}, 39J, and 40f crans 

 per boat respectiv e ly. Throughout August great loss of netting 

 was sustained, c ,\ving to the weight of fish captured ; so dense,, 

 indeed, were t\v a s h 0 als during that month, that individual takes of 

 from 100 to Y crans were very frequently landed. By the middle 

 of the season -many crews of the engaged boats had completed their 

 complement 0 f herrings, which was 200 crans. Some of these* 

 crews re-e ,/igaged themselves to deliver their future takes at from 

 12s. to 1 ^g. p er cran, while others disposed of them by auction. Up 

 to the r Jllc | 0 f August the herrings were superior in quality to the 

 catch 0 f 1885, particularly the maties, which were chiefly medium- 

 sized m f u ii fish. From that time till the end of the season, the 

 snc ,als were largely mixed with inferior spent fish. The season's 

 p n ,tch was disposed of thus :— 226,927 J barrels were cured; 2592' 

 parrels were cured ungutted or in bulk; 5752J crans were kippered; 

 sind 626J were preserved in tins, or cured as red herrings. The 

 total loss in nets and other fishing material during the season 



