196 Appendices to Twenty-ninth Annual Report 



this year the sprats barely put in an appearance at all in the Firth of Forth, 

 except for some small lots in the upper reaches, so that the earnings in this 

 section fell off by a little over £2000. 



The result of the line fisheries of the district, though little changed from 

 the previous year, show still a perceptible decline ; except that, in common, 

 apparently, with the increase in trawled haddocks, the line catch of that 

 variety was about twice as heavy. In the landings of shell fish, which are 

 about the highest in value of any fishery district in Scotland, the principal 

 varieties are crabs and clams ; and it is a curious circumstance that the 

 year's earnings in this section were £5051 — just £1 higher than in the 

 preceding year, A considerable quantity of partially cured codfish was 

 brought into Leith in course of the year from Iceland and Faroe by vessels 

 belonging to these islands, and supplies of the same kind were also brought 

 from Hull and Grimsby. During the winter, too, frequent consignments of 

 Swedish fresh herrings were delivered at Granton by the regular trading 

 steamers, and small supplies of Norwegian herrings came into the district 

 via Hull, the bulk of which was kippered and consumed locally. 



Large shipments of cured herrings, via Leith, to German and Russian 

 ports, were made by the weekly trading steamers continuously throughout 

 the year, but the export showed a decrease of 28,24:1 barrels as compared 

 with the former year's total. There was, however, an increase of 2012 

 barrels in fresh herrings. 



James Ingram, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Leith, 1 9th January 1911. 



Anstruther District. 



The returns of fish landed in this district for the year just closed show an 

 increase on those of the preceding year, which, however, so far as the local 

 fisheries were concerned, was one of the most unsuccessful years on record. 

 The increase in the catch is referable chiefly to herrings, the winter herring 

 fishing and also the summer herring fishing having been attended by better 

 results. 



Compared with the preceding year, the returns of the number and value 

 of vessels and gear show a slight increase. Two new steam drifters were 

 added to the district fleet, but owing to the increase in this class of vessel, 

 the number of sailing boats of the largest size is gradually falling off. On 

 the other hand, there is an increase in the number of sailing boats of from 

 30 to 45 feet of keel, these boats being considered more suitable for prose- 

 cuting the inshore winter herring fishing. In the course of the year two 

 motor engines were installed in district boats — a " Gardner " engine and a 

 "Grei," The former was fitted in one of the largest sailing boats about the 

 beginning of summer. The crew prosecuted the herring fishing at northern 

 stations and on the English coast, and the gross earnings amounted to over 

 .£900, which was almost double the average amount earned by the crews of 

 sailing boats during the same period. The "Grei" engine was installed in 

 a new second-class boat, which, although registered as a fishing boat, was 

 used mostly for demonstration purposes, and has now been sold to owners 

 abroad. At the close of the year arrangements were made for the installation 

 of motor engines in other sailing boats, and negotiations were completed for 

 the purchase of two steam drifters by district owners. 



The winter herring fishing during the last few years yielded very poor 

 returns, and although the catch for the past season shows an increase on 

 that of the preceding year, the results cannot be described otherwise than 



