206 



Appendices to Twenty-ninth Annual Report 



This was owing to the large quantity landed early in the season and sold at 

 very moderate prices. 



Though there has been a considerable quantity of sea-salted and overdays 

 fish landed throughout the season, the boats had no occasion to remain at sea 

 for two or three nights in succession, as has been the case in previous years. 

 The catches were to be obtained comparatively near the land, the principal 

 fishing grounds being from 30 to 60 miles north-east and south-east, as com- 

 pared with from 70 to 100 miles off in 1909. Fortunately, there were no 

 drowned herrings landed, and only when a catch was exceedingly light did 

 the fishermen resort to salting at sea. 



The season on the whole was a very satisfactory one to the fishermen. The 

 catches of the sail boats realised, on an average, .£367, of steam drifters 

 X1029, and of motor boats .£467. There were only three of the latter at work, 

 so an opinion of the catching power of motor boats could hardly be formed 

 from such a small number. 



The number of boats operating from the port varied considerably. Never 

 in the history of the herring fishing did crews shift ports so frequently. The 

 average number was put down at 350, whose average landings amounted to 

 657 crans. 



As already stated, as soon as curing commenced the Jewish and other 

 foreign buyers arrived and encouraged the curers in every way, and so for 

 them the season opened under very favourable conditions. The large 

 quantity landed in June brought down the prices of the cured article, and, 

 fearing a further drop with continued heavy catches, the majority of curers 

 sold out their stocks at prices which left little or no margin of profit. The 

 falling off in the catches at the beginning of July caused the fresh supplies to 

 gradually increase in price from 12s. to 15s. per cran to from 30s. to 35s., 

 and from this tim^e onward the curers found themselves in the position of 

 paying beyond the market value for the fresh supplies in the expectation of 

 the prices in the cured market rising'proportionately. Speculation also seems 

 to have entered into their operations very largely, and in many cases with 

 very unsatisfactory results. On the whole, thereitore, the year's transactions 

 have not been profitable for curers. 



Although the quantity branded was small in proportion to the quantity 

 landed, there was a great demand for the official stamp so soon as herrings 

 were eligible for it, but by this time the catch had greatly fallen off. It is 

 the belief of many, and even of the fishermen themselves, that the early com- 

 mencement of the herring fishing is detrimental to its ultimate prosperity. 



As has been the case for a good many years, line fishing in the district 

 continues to dwindle. In both quantity and value the results are little more 

 than half of those of the previous year, which was also a poor one. This 

 large decrease was partly due to the severe weather experienced in the latter 

 three months of the year, and to the steam liners discontinuing great-line 

 fishing at a much earlier date than usual owing to the early start of the 

 herring fishing. 



In respect of the English herring fishing, prospects appeared good in the 

 early part of the season, and a fleet of 123 steam drifters and three sail boats 

 proceeded to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Speaking generally, the average 

 earnings of the fishermen, in consequence of the high prices obtained, were 

 good. The average for steam drifters was about .£600. The sail boats did 

 not, however, earn sufficient to pay expenses. An unsatisfactory feature was 

 the very considerable loss of netting, caused by the prevalence of stormy 

 weather and the congestion of the fishing grounds. It is estimated that the 

 loss sustained by the local fleet amounted to £7000. 



The establishment of a net weaving factory over two years ago has proved 

 that there was ample field for it in the district, with the result that another 

 is about to be started on a larger scale. 



The output of barrels reached the large number of almost half-a-niillion, 



