174 



Appendices to Thirty-third Annual Report 



than usual was done locally and throughout the country by curers in 

 catering for the home markets, and in this way some thousands of packages 

 from an eighth of a barrel to a whole one were disposed of. A field for 

 such a business is undoubtedly at hand, but curers prefer to dispose of 

 their goods wholesale. To a great extent this local or country business 

 is strangled by the retailer, who persists in demanding much too high a 

 price. At the close of the year the stocks of cured herrings on hand stood 

 at 79,000 barrels, as compared with 17,000 in 1913. 



Trawling. 



From the commencement of the year up to the beginning of August, 

 trawling was prosecuted with a great measure of success. Fish was 

 plentiful, and prices above the average. But for the restrictions, which 

 made fishing in the North Sea for a time almost impossible, except to 

 those willing to undergo all risks, the year just closed would have been the 

 most prosperous on record. Owing, however, to the large number of 

 vessels which were commandeered as mine-sweepers, the landings fell 

 considerably short of the previous year. Fish as a commodity is annually 

 becoming more widely known, and famine prices were often quoted. 

 On several occasions the demand far exceeded the supply, with the result 

 that prime quality of fish brought from 50 to 100 per cent., and the pooier 

 kinds from 100 to 300 per cent, more than in 1913. Plaice and other 

 kinds of flat fish appear to be decreasing year by year in the North Sea. 

 On the other hand, hake, hug, and saithe, were more abundant than in 

 1913. From July onwards immense shoals of young haddock made their 

 appearance in the North Sea and off the coast. The first landings up 

 to the end of Jul}'' were often unsaleable, only a small portion going into 

 consumption, but latterly, owing to the high prices of other kinds, a 

 brisk demand sprang up for them. 



The dried fish trade of Aberdeen has become almost wholly dependent 

 for supplies on Iceland fish from German trawlers. Up to the outbreak 

 of the war, some 512 landings were made by these vesselS; which realised 

 £163,363, as compared with 572 landings, valued at £170,760 in 1913. 



It is gratifying to note that in the direction of Faroe new grounds 

 have been discovered, from which some very fine hauls of large haddock 

 were secured. 



Steam- Line Fishing . 



Steam-hne fishing did not meet with the same success as in previous 

 years. The most successful catches are usually obtained in autumn. 

 In the catches of hahbut from the Atlantic grounds there was a con- 

 siderable decrease, for which even the high prices did not compensate. A 

 number of the vessels now engaged in this fishing were formerly trawlers 

 of the older class. From practically all the districts on the coast small- 

 fine fishing was prosecuted with greater activity than has been the case 

 for many years back, owing to the fishermen, who formerly prosecuted the 

 herring fishing in East Ang^lian waters, having to remain at home, on 

 account of the restrictions placed upon the fishing grounds in that locahty 

 in consequence of the war. In several of the districts, particularly Eye- 

 mouth, Montrose, and Shetland, the fish appeared to be more abundant 

 than for several seasons back. The haddock fishing in Shetland, particu- 

 larly in the direction of Scalloway and Burra Isle, was one of the most 

 successful on record. There were several motor-boats employed, and 

 these had the advantage over the sailers, frequently making a couple of 

 trips per day to the fishing grounds, and landing catches of from 12 to 

 20 cwts. per trip. In previous seasons the fishermen usually entered into 



