204 



Appendices to Tiventy-ninth Annual Report 



The kinds of fish showing an increase in the catch are — Cod, ling, herrings, 

 tusk, saithe, whitings, conger-eel, cat-fish, monks, hake, halibut, soles, brill, 

 megrims, and skate ; and those which show a decrease are haddocks, turbot, 

 plaice, dabs, and witches, for which no definite reason can be assigned, the 

 supplies being pretty much regulated by the weather conditions. 



A considerable business was done in sending fish fresh to market, par- 

 ticularly to English markets, and regular consignments are now being sent 

 to the Continent by Hamburg steamers. The quantity of herrings sent 

 sprinkled to the Continent was 2227 crans greater than in the preceding 

 year, and this branch of the industry is developing fast. An early start was 

 made at herring-curing, but the bulk of the catch was cured in June and 

 early in July. A large business was done in tinned herrings, almost all the 

 year round, and regular supplies of herrings were received from the West 

 Coast and Inverness during the winter and autumn months. A quantity of 

 haddocks and mackerel was also tinned, the latter coming from Shetland, 

 sprinkled, in boxes. The demand for branding was brisk, especially towards 

 the end of the season, when unbranded herrings became almost unsaleable. 

 The highest quotations for branded herrings were : — Large Full and Full, 

 34s.; Mat. Full, 28s ; Large Spent, 17s.; Spent, 16s.; and Matties, 24s. 6d. 

 per barrel. Most of the barrels cured were exported to Germany. The 

 cured-dried fish were all exported to Spanish and American markets via 

 London and Liverpool, and by the trading steamer to Hamburg. There was 

 a good demand for dried fish at the following prices: — Cod, £19 to £2B ; 

 ling, £23 to £26; saithe, £16 to £19; and haddocks, £17 to £19 per ton. 

 Five Faroese smacks landed cargoes of wet-cured fish, and three steamer 

 cargoes of dried fish were imported from Iceland, which sold at from £12 to 

 £14 10s. per ton, according to quality. Al)out 4000 barrels of cured fish- 

 roes were exported to France to be used as bait in the sardine fisheries, A 

 remarkable feature of the sardine fishing in Brittany is the enormous amount 

 3f bait which is used. 



There were 47 steam drifters engaged at the English herring fishing, which 

 was prosecuted with varying success. The best-fished vessel earned £1469 

 and the lowest £199, averaging £561 10s. Some crews were very unfor- 

 tunate in losing netting, and it is computed that fully 1000 nets, valued at 

 about £2000, were completely lost during the season. The district curers 

 had a very unprofitable season at Yarmouth and Lowestoft. 



Coopers were well employed during the year, and the number of barrels 

 made greatly exceeds any previous year's output. Owing to the poor English 

 fishing it is expected that a good many coopers will be idle for some time. 



The number of quarter-cran baskets branded was 205 less than in 1909, and 

 the brandings numbered 94, against 104. Of the number presented, 271 

 baskets, mostly English-made baskets, sent from Yarmouth to receive the 

 Scottish Crown brand, were refused the brand for certain defects in 

 construction. 



From the returns of fishing vessels built by the various shipbuilding 

 firms, 30 vessels were launched during the year, against 23 in the previous 

 year. The prospects are so far very promising for another year, as 13 orders 

 for fishing vessels have already been booked. 



The year's casualties were somewhat heavy. Five trawlers were totally 

 wrecked, several other vessels were ashore but were salved, and the loss of 

 fishing gear was very considerable. Four men lost their lives through 

 falling overboard. 



The work in connection with the building of the new docks at Torry for 

 fishing vessels is progressing very slowly, and the work so far has been 

 entirely confined to the piling and facing-up of the river bank. 



Fishery Office, 

 Aberdeen, \Uh January 1911. 



James Donaldson, 



Fishery Officer. 



