xiv 



Twenty-ninth Annual Report 



figures exceed those of the preceding year by 1,286,470 cwts. and 

 £211,280 respectively, and have only once previously been surpassed 

 — in 1907 — when the record catch of 9,018,153 cwts., valued at 

 £3,149,127, was landed. The increase in quantity was attributable 

 mainly to herrings, while the increase in value was in large measure 

 due to the enhanced prices realised for trawled fish. Towards the 

 gross catch herrings and other pelagic fish contributed 66 per cent., 

 trawled fish 24 per cent., and demersal fish taken by net and line 10 

 per cent., as compared with 62, 27, and 11 per cent, respectively in 

 1909 ; while, as regards value, the corresponding percentages were 

 52, 36, and 12. The average price obtained was 7s. Id. per cwt., as 

 compared with 7s. 9d. per cwt. in 1909 and 5s. lOd. in 1908, the 

 falling off being referable to the lower prices realised for herrings. 

 The total value of shell-fish landed amounted to £69,760, as against 

 £72,392 in the preceding year, the only species not involved in ihe 

 decrease being clams and lobsters. The gross total value of all kinds 

 of fish landed was £3,170,147. These figures represent an advance 

 upon the preceding year's returns of over 7 per cent., and, taken in 

 conjunction with the fact that the latter exceeded those of 1908 by 

 15 per cent., are strong evidence of the prosperity of the Scottish 

 fishing industry. 



II. Pelagic Fish Taken by Nets. 



(a) HERRINGS. 



The total catch of herrings in 1910 was, in point both of quantity 

 (5,687,226 cwts.) and of value (£1,594,308), the third highest on 

 record. It fell short of the record catch of 1907 by 566,000 cwts., 

 and of the second highest catch (that of 1908) by only 3000 cwts., 

 while as regards value it was exceeded by the figures for 1907 and 

 1906, which were, respectively, £1,796,000 and £1,649,000. As 

 compared with the preceding year's figures, there was an increase in 

 quantity of 1,146,000 cwts., and in value of £24,600, the relatively 

 slight increase in value being explained by the fact that in 1909 

 prices maintained an exceptionally high level throughout the season. 

 The increase in quantity was almost wholly attributable to the early 

 summer fishing, the yield of which was nearly doubled, whereas that 

 of the winter fishing remained practically stationary, while that of the 

 great summer fishing fell off to the extent of 91,000 cwts., or over 3 

 per cent., from the comparatively small catch of the previous year. 

 Prices fluctuated considerably in the course of the season, being low 

 at the beginning, when the greater proportion of the fish landed were 

 immature, and high towards its close, when the fishing showed signs 

 of closing somewhat prematurely, but the average price per cwt. for 

 the entire catch (5s. 7d.) approximated to the normal level. Of the 

 total landings, the East Coast contributed 53 per cent., Orkney and 

 Shetland 35 per cent., and the West Coast the remainder, while in 

 respect of value the corresponding percentages were 51, 36, and 13. 

 Of individual contributors, Shetland district, with a catch of 1,600,000 

 cwts., easily took first place, the next in order being Peterhead and 

 Fraserburgh, each with about half of that quantity. Other prominent 

 contributors on the East Coast were Wick and Aberdeen, while, on 



iVo^e.— Pelagic fish are surface-feeding fish, such as herrings sprats, and mackerel. 



