Ivi 



Thirty-third Annual Report 



It will be seen that the value of the fishery was much <2;reater in 

 1914 than in 1913, which was only to be expected in view of the in- 

 crease in the number of w^hales captured. Apart from oil, liow- 

 ever, there was a decline in price in all the commodities deiived 

 from these animals, while spermaceti, which, after whalebone, is the 

 most valuable of the various products, is entirely lackino, and it is 

 evident, therefore, that the increase in the financial yield was to a con- 

 siderable degree due to the rise which took place in the price of oil. 

 Wliale oil, owing to improvements which have been intj oduccd in the 

 methods of refining it, has appreciated considerably in value within 

 the last three years, and last year it stood at a higher price than at any 

 time since 1908, when statistics were first collected. Contrary, how- 

 ever, to what might have been expected, the rise in price was in no way 

 due to the demand for oil which was created by the war, as competing 

 oils were imported into this country after the outbreak of hostilities in 

 greater quantities than usual owing to so many of the continental 

 markets being cut off, so that, if anything, prices were easier than they 

 would have been in normal circumstances. Enemy countries were not 

 so fortunately situated, and Grermany, who bought heavily in Norway 

 for military purposes, was ultimately compelled to pay as much as 

 £30, 10s. per ton for oil of the first quality. 



The average value of each whale captured was £103, as compared 

 with £102 in the preceding year. 



PART II. 



SALMON FISHERIES. 



The average catch of salmon, so far as the weight of the fish carried 

 to market is a guide, and I'ef erring specially to the East Coast fisheries 

 where the most important districts are, sliows a slight upward tend- 

 ency, but it is undoubted!}^ the case that for the last sixteen or seven- 

 teen years the Salmon Fisheries have continued at a rather low level. 



Since 1895, which was the best year of which w^e have record, 

 there has not been what may be called a good all-round year. This 

 is clearly shown by the chart of curves subjoined. In 1905 the main 

 East Coast fishings show a rise, but in that year the lines representing 

 the other divisions of the country are depressed. The slight rise in 

 the average in the East and North Coasts, already referred to, is 

 represented by the two figures for the divisions, viz. : — 1015 and 664 

 tons, as compared with previous quinquennial averages, 887 and 608, 

 or 839 and 737 tons respectively. 



During the season 1914 the take of salmon throughout Scotland 

 shows a decrease of 41 tons, as compared with the catch of the previous 

 year, and it is 80 tons below the average of the last quinquennial 

 period. 



The whole coast line has been divided as usual into four sections, 

 and the returns supplied by railways and steamship companies show 

 that in 1914 the total weight of salmon carried was 1976 tons. 



We give a table showing the averages of the three quinquennial 

 periods 1894-1898, 1899-1903, 1904-1908, then the individual years 



