of the Fishery Board for Scotland. . 



223 



Whalsay, and at Dunrossness, where a few skiffs worked great-lines all 

 through the summer, very satisfactory results were reported. For the 

 whole district the landings of great-line fish were about 50 per cent, better 

 than in 1909. On the other hand, no local vessels prosecuted the cod 

 fishing at Faroe and Iceland, and only one cargo of salted fish was 

 imported from Faroe during the year. 



In contrast with the fine summer, the weather in the autumn and winter 

 was so stormy that the line fishermen were unable to prosecute the haddock 

 fishing with anything like regularity, and the year's catch for the district 

 shows a decrease of almost 25 per cent, as compared with 1909. Most of 

 the haddocks were landed at Scalloway a,nd Lerwick in about equal 

 proportions. Finding a difficulty in getting curers to enter into engagements 

 with them, the fishermen at some of the out-stations are now consigning 

 their own fish to market, and hitherto the returns have been generally 

 satisfactory. 



Three local drifters went to the English fishing, where their earnings 

 averaged about ^700. These three boats were employed from seven to 

 eight months in Shetland and on the English coast, and their year's earnings 

 averaged £1620. 



With the early close of the fishing here, large stocks of barrels were left 

 over, most of which were, however, shipped off to English ports. 



With the exception of a few weeks at the close of the herring fishing, 

 when some men were idle, coopers were fully employed at barrel-making 

 throughout the season. A new barrel factory — the second in the district — 

 will be opened in a few weeks, and will provide employment for a number of 

 men. 



Boat-builders were fairly busy, the output for the year consisting, with 

 one exception, of second and third-class boats. One new motor skiflf was 

 built, motor engines were installed in two second-hand boats, and two motor 

 skiffs were purchased from other districts. 



There was no loss of life among the local fishermen, but four English 

 fishermen were drowned during the herring fishing season. 



The damage to boats and loss of material was very small on the Shetland 

 coast, but the drifters that went to the English fishing reported a consider- 

 able loss of netting there. 



The fishery barometers in the district are in good order and well attended to. 



The produce of the fisheries for the year, excluding shell-fish, amounted to 

 308,864 ewts., valued at £92,361, or 80,905 cwts. and £14,331 less than in 

 1909. The shortage is accounted for by the winter herring fishing, which 

 was the lifjhtest recorded since 1901. The summer herring fishing caich was 

 also considerably short of that of the preceding year. None of the local 

 boats were at the English or Irish fishings. Eight went to Shetland and 

 the East Coast, their success, however, being only moderate. One thousand 

 seven hundred hired men, who were engaged in steam and sailing vessels, 

 earned an average of £15. Two thousand five hundred women workers 

 brought to the island from £8 to £10 each. One thousand five hundred of 

 these, who went to England in October, returned with poor results. 



First-class boats are still on the down grade. Two were transferred to 

 other ports, and four were removed from the register as being useless. These 



Fishery Office, 

 Lerwick, Ifh January 1911. 



R. DUTTTIE, 



Fishery Oficer. 



III. — West Coast. 



Stornoivay District. 



