184 



A]jpendices to Ihventy -ninth Annual Hepori 



Except at Glasgow, no landings were made by trawlers or steam 

 liners at any of the ports in the district. Several cargoes of fresh her- 

 rings were brought in from Downings Bay and the North-West High- 

 land lochs, and in this respect the Glasgow market was fairly well 

 supplied during the whole season. Cured West Coast loch herrings 

 were in demand at from 30s. to 40s. per barrel. 



Compared with the return of the previous year, the value of the 

 fisheries in Ballantrae district shows a slight falling-off. Although 

 in the early part of the year good catches of herrings were obtained 

 with the seine net, the summer herring fishing was prosecuted with 

 varying success up to the month of October. The fishing grounds lay 

 along the Ayrshire coast and off the island of Arran. During the 

 year there was practically no attempt made to fish the Ballantrae 

 Bank either with the drift or trammel nets. Towards the end of the 

 year several crews proceeded to try their luck in Loch Broom, but the 

 fishing proved unsuccessful, and the earnings were poor. 



Steam line fishing was prosecuted by three East Coast vessels from 

 Stranraer during the spring of the year. One of these vessels earned 

 £500, but the earnings of the other two amounted to less than half of 

 that sum, and were considered unsatisfactory. In 1908 as many as 18 

 East Coast steam liners prosecuted the fishing from Stranraer, and it 

 is to the unremunerative results of their operations in that year that 

 the falling-off in the number of such vessels which have since operated 

 from the port is attributable. 



Although mackerel were abundant and fair catches were secured, 

 there was a difficulty in disposing of them at remunerative prices. 



As a result of the depressed condition of the fisheries in the Clyde 

 districts during the past five years, the boat-building industry was 

 practically at a standstill. 



The trawling branch of the industry is making slow but steady pro- 

 gress. During the year there were landed in Scotland by this method 

 of fishing 2,105,068 cwts., valued at .£1,104,694, being an increase of 

 59,015 cwts. in quantity and £139,173 in value. The average price 

 per cwt. was 10s. 6d., as compared with 9s. 4Jd. in 1909. The increase 

 in value is due to a better demand causing an advance in prices. For 

 several years back a portion of the trawling fleet at Aberdeen was 

 generally laid up for four or five weeks in summer owing to the poor 

 demand and unremunerative prices caused by occasional gluts in the 

 market, but during the year under review the supply never exceeded 

 the demand, and prices were well maintained. The long-voyage vessels 

 working in home waters made remarkably good earnings, the most 

 successful liaving earned close upon £7000 for the year. Vessels 

 operating on the nearer grounds were less successful, as their catches 

 consisted largely of young haddocks of a small size. Although in the 

 landings of haddock at Aberdeen there is a decrease of 139,940 cwts. 

 and £15,890 in value, the returns of Leith district show an increase 

 of 39,000 cwts. and upwards of £16,000 as compared with the pre- 

 ceding year's figures. As was the case with the Aberdeen vessels 

 which operated on the near grounds, a large proportion of the catch of 

 haddock consisted of small-sized fish, which brought comparatively 

 low prices. On certain grounds in the north-western direction, 

 where the supply of prime haddocks has seldom failed, there was a 

 marked absence of fish. 



In the landings of round fish practically all kinds show an increase 

 with the exception of haddock, in which kind there was a decrease of 

 100,947 cwts. in quantity, although the value increased by £37,000. 



In trawled cod there was an increase of 100,310 cwts. in quantity and 

 £67,395 in value as compared with the returns of 1909. 



