of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



431 



APPENDIX J. 



THE HERRING FISHING IN EALLANTRAE DISTRICT. 

 By Peter Wilson, Fishery Officer, Girvan. 



Antiquity of the Fishing. — The village of Ballantrae, at the mouth of the 

 Stinchar, or 1 the town by the shore,' as its Celtic name implies, like 

 many others of our ancient burghs, may owe its origin to the river. It 

 is essentially, and probably ever has been, a community of fishermen. 

 The natural shelter of the creek or the river bar for their cobbles against 

 storms, and the rich fishing sea coast, was all that was needed by the 

 early prospecting settlers to attract them to the spot to prosecute their 

 infant trade. The ' spawney ' fishing at Ballantrae has a history of at 

 least two hundred years. In a description of Carrick by Mr William 

 Abercrombie, minister of Maybole, written about 1686, appended to the 

 History of the Kennedies, it is stated, that ' at the mouth of this water of 

 ' Stinchar stands the town of Ballantrae on the north side, on a pleasant 

 ' foreland, which some years ago has been much resorted to by reason of 

 ' a herring fishing about Christmas time.' In a description of Carrick, 

 taken from a Collection of the several Shires, by Sir James Balfour, Lyon- 

 king-at-arms, written about the same time, and published as an appendix 

 to the History of the Kennedies, it is mentioned, that ' at the mouth of the 

 ' river is the castle of Stinchar, with a small village called Ballantrae, 

 ' where there is a great take of salmon, and in the month of February a 

 ' great take of herring, cod, and skate.' 



Fishing Banks in the face of the Gulf Stream. — The banks of Ballan- 

 trae, in the entrance to the Firth of Clyde, lie in the face of the Gulf 

 Stream. A series of concurrent tides meet on them, and probably have 

 caused their formation. The sea temperature in winter and spring is 

 higher than the land ; the sea bottom covered with rough sand, gravel, 

 and stones, is favourable for receiving the herring spawn, and a plentiful 

 crop of sea-fir and other seaweed affords cover for the hatching eggs. 

 The banks are about midway between the shore and the island of Ailsa 

 Craig, and extend along the coast for about three miles, and are covered 

 with a depth of water of from 7 to 13 fathoms. 



Fluctuations in the Fishing. — The fishing has had its fluctuations, as 

 there are years of scarcity and plenty in the sea as on' the land, besides 

 weather and other conditions which interfere with its prosecution. It is 

 stated by Abercrombie, when he wrote of Ballantrae as being greatly 

 resorted to by reason of a herring fishing at Christmas, ' but that has 

 ' ceased some thirty years past.' 



Recent Progress of the Fishing. — The winter herring fishing, though 

 carried on for so many generations, may be said to have recommenced 

 after the relaxation, in 1868, of the Sea Fisheries Act of 1865, which 

 fixed a close time for herrings on the West Coast from 1st January to 31st 

 May. From 1868, when fishing for herrings was freely permitted by 

 seine or circle net, it was steadily progressive, and reached its greatest 

 dimensions in 1883-1884. From 1870 to 1875 the total catch of 

 herrings in the Ballantrae district was 19,458 crans. The following table 

 3 I 



