222 



Appendices to Twenty -ninth Anmial Report 



With the decline of the fishing at the Xorth Isles and West-Side stations, 

 there has been a steady increase in the curing preparations and capturing 

 power at Lerwick, and the past season's operations were conducted on an un- 

 precedentedly large scale. A great part of the curing staff was on the 

 ground by the middle of May, and by the end of the month all the stations 

 were working at their full strength. Exceptionally fine weather was 

 experienced all through the season. The herrings came early to maturity, 

 and as the markets were very healthy, prices to fishermen were good, though 

 not so high as in 1909. The fishing was very successful in May, June, and 

 July at Lerwick and the other stations on the south-east of Shetland, but 

 from the first it was apparent that a much smaller proportion of the catch 

 than usual was got on the eastern grounds. This was more marked as the 

 season advanced, crews that fished on the old grounds 40 to 50 miles east 

 from Bressay often returning blank, while those that fished off Fair Isle 

 were generally successful. In August the herring shoals appeared to move 

 steadily southwards, and this was followed by a steady departure of the 

 fleet, until by the end of August practically the whole of the strangers, both 

 Scottish and English, had left Lerwick. There was an improvement in the 

 fishing in September, and a number of local crews continued working till 

 the middle of October, their earnings for the last few weeks being generally 

 better than during the height of the season. 



Owing to the fact that steam drifters shifted grounds frequently during 

 the season, it is not easy to estimate their earnings during the Shetland 

 season. Some earned only from £300 to =£400; but these, as a rule, fished 

 only for a few weeks. Many, on the other hand, are known to have earned 

 over £'1200; and several companies' boats averaged from =£1000 to £1100 

 for the Shetland season, although thej left several weeks earlier than usual. 

 W^ith the exception of the North Isles section, the earnings of local fisher- 

 men were better than they had been for several years, the average, so far 

 as can be learned, being between £300 and £400. A good many crews had 

 from £500 to £600, and exceptionally up to £730. 



Two Lerwick fishing vessels were again fitted out for curing at sea, but. as 

 formerly, they ran to Lerwick and sold their bigger catches fresh, and only 

 cured their smaller lots. Between them they landed almost 700 barrels, 

 and with the proceeds of the sales of fresh herrings the crews had a fair season. 

 Smaller crews are carried on these vessels than if the whole catches were 

 cured. 



The market for cured herrings opened well, and there was a very good 

 demand all the season at prices which, though not so good at the beginning, 

 where higher at the close of the season than they had been in 1909. As 

 a rule, curers sold and shipped their cured herrings promptly. During 

 the first half of the season they were doing a profitable enough business, but 

 in August, with the falling-off in the catch and the departure of a large part 

 of the fleet, prices of fresh herrings were generally higher than the cured 

 market warranted. This state of things induced curers to send away their 

 staff" of workers and remove their surplus stock to the English stations earlier 

 than usual. 



Two steamers were again regularly employed carrying roused herrings to 

 Hamburg, and occasionally additional vessels were chartered by the firm 

 engaged in this business. Curers sent large quantities of their cured 

 herrings by these steamers in preference to sending them by the mail boats 

 via Leith. The diversion of this trade from Leith induced a Leith shipping 

 firm to send two of their steamers to trade direct between Lerwick and 

 Hamburg, and curers had thus an admirable service to Hamburg during 

 the greater part of the season. 



Owing to the early commencement of the herring fishing, less attention is 

 now^ given to the great-line fishing than formerly. For a few weeks in 

 spring, however, crews that engaged in this fishing did well at Lerwick and 



