394 



Appendices to Fifth Annual Beport 



26. Ronas Voe. 



27. Hamna Voe, Northmaven ; trout or salmon caught here some years ago, 



14 lb. weight. 



28. Urafirth V oe, Northmaven, near Hillswick. Oysters found. 



29. Hammers Voe. 



30. Gunnister Voe. 



31. Mangester Voe. 



32. Roe Sound (Delting). Here oysters have been found. 



33. Burravoe, in Busta Voe. Here also oysters are found. 



34. Olnafirth Voe. 



35. Gonfirth Voe. 



36. Aiths Voe and East Burrafirth Voe. 



37. Vementry, Clousta Voe, and Unifirth Voe. 



38. West Burrafirth Voe. 



39. Vaila Sound. 



40. Gruting Voe. 



41. Bixter Voe. Here oysters are found. 



42. Weisdale Voe. 



43. Stromness Voe. 



44. Whiteness Voe. 



45. Burra Isles. Here oysters are found. 



46. Trondra and Scalloway. 



In his letter to me enclosing the above list, Mr Anderson writes as 

 follows : — 



I hope one possessed of capital may see the way to prosecute the oyster culture 

 here ; it might become of immense importance to our country. 



Of the localities mentioned by Mr Anderson, I have personally visited 

 Dales Voe, Aith Voe, Laxo Voe, Catfirth Voe, Wadbister Voe, Bixter 

 Voe, Busta Voe, Balta Sound, Stromness Voe, and some others, and I 

 quite agree with him in thinking them well fitted for oyster cultivation. 



I have received a good many communications in answer to the printed 

 queries on the subject of oysters and mussels in Shetland. One gentle- 

 man writes : — 



I consider it most essential that the oyster-culturist should have a legal 

 right to the beds, and also that he should be enabled to claim protection. 

 Almost every voe in Shetland would be suitable for oyster culture, especially 

 Basta Voe, Garths Voe, and Arna Voe. 



Another states that — 



The number of oysters has greatly decreased. I remember, as a boy, the 

 women used to bring them to the houses and sold them for Is. the 100. That 

 would be in the early part of 1870. The Voe of Bixter has been completely 

 dredged up. One of the neighbouring tenants made ,£500 one winter by 

 dredging and exporting. 



One of the principal proprietors in Shetland writes : — 



The Burra Islands, near Scalloway, is the only place where a few oysters are 

 now got. Oysters formerly were abundant in Basta Voe, North Yell, and sold 

 at Is. the barrel. But they were dredged up to the very last one. 



The fishery officer at Lerwick states that there are no oyster beds or 

 mussel scalps at present in Shetland which are regularly worked and 

 yield a profit to their owners: — 



Oysters have decreased, but the supply of mussels is about the same. Oysters 

 were at one time got in considerable numbers near Burra Isle, but have been 

 dredged out. It would be essential to have the protection of the law in some 

 form. 



