xxii 



Thirty-third Annual Report 



tinction is nowadays a purely arbitrary one, as there is now no break 

 between it and the early summer J&shing. Last year, however, this 

 fishing, at least on the east side, closed to all intents and purposes at 

 the end of July, owing to the disorganised condition into which the 

 industry was plunged by the outbreak of war with Germany. The 

 fishing thus ran practically only one month of its course, while to make 

 matters worse the landings during that time were very light, owing to 

 the calm and foggy weather which prevailed. It is true that, after a 

 measure of confidence had been restored, operations were resumed by 

 a number of vessels which were able to make up crews from the 

 residue of men left after the mobilisation of the Royal Naval Reserve, 

 but they were necessarily restricted to supplying the limited home 

 market, as in the absence of a market on the Continent for cured 

 herrings, curers had ceased to purchase, and had closed down their 

 stations. 



The effect of the conditions described above is seen in the reduced 

 landings for 1914, which amounted to only 1,281,876 cwts., valued at 

 £511,847, as compared with 2,377,657 cwts., and £1,302,710 in the 

 preceding year. All three sections of the coast share in the decrease, 

 but on the West Coast, the falling off was not due to the conditions 

 set up by the war, but to tlie failure of the fishery in the Clyde. Owing 

 to its remoteness from the scene of hostilities, it was not necessary, in 

 this area, to place any restriction upon fishing operations, which were 

 consequently carried on without intermission, but the total landings 

 nevertheless amounted to only 27,000 cwts., as against 130,000 cwts. 

 in the preceding year. On the remainder of the West Coast, the 

 catch, indeed, shows the substantial increase of 54,000 cwts., or 28 per 

 cent., upon the returns for 1914, which is accounted for by the fact 

 that, owing to the breakdown of the English fishing, a larger number 

 of East Coast vessels than usual participated in the lochs ifishing 

 during the closing months of the year. These vessels obtained a very 

 heavy fishing during November and December in Loch Bracadale, 

 where, it may be recalled, a very dense shoal was located during the 

 same period in 1912. 



The average price per cwt. obtained for the great summer catch 

 was 7s. llfd., as against lis. in the preceding year. 



The quantity of herrings landed in each district monthly in 1914, 

 together with the totals for 1913, is shown in the following table, from 

 which a good idea of the vicissitudes of the herring fishery during 

 the two years may be gained : — 



[Table. 



