176 



Appendices to Thirty-third Annual Report 



success, particularly in the Tay and Beauly. In the waters of the Forth 

 the fishing was carried on chiefly from Kincardine, Alloa, and Bo'ness. 

 On the old grounds of Newhaven none was secured. The total landings 

 were 27,294 cwts., valued at £8443, as compared with 8117 cwts. and 

 £1772 in value during the previous year. Prices exceeded all previous 

 records. On several occasions as high as 42s. per cran was obtained. 

 The average price was 21s. 7|d. per cran, as compared with 15s. 3Jd. in 

 1913. The fishermen employed had a most remunerative season, and 

 earnings of from £5 to £8 per man per week were not uncommon. The 

 increased demand was mainly due to a scarcity of herrings in the English 

 markets. Large quantities were also prepared for exportation to Norway 

 and Sweden. 



Herring Curing. 



To the curers the season was one of great disappointment and concern. 

 To commence with preparations were on a larger scale than usual ; the 

 stocks of empty barrels and salt and the number of workers, for whom 

 provision had to be made, were larger than in any previous season. To 

 add to this disappointment, the fishing commenced early in May, and 

 a large proportion of the unripe herrings could not be disposed of, and 

 lay in stock at the close of the year. A few of the most striking features 

 of the fishing were (1) its early commencement, (2) the exceptional de- 

 mand, (3) the combine among the continental buyers and importers, (4) 

 the strikes among the gutters and packers, and (5) the abrupt termina- 

 tion of the fishing. 



With regard to (1) a very much earlier commencement was made 

 than usual not only in Shetland and Orkney, but also on the East 

 Coast. This early fishing may be of benefit to the fishermen so long 

 as remunerative prices are obtained. Curing is, however, a speculative 

 industry — fortunes have been made and lost in it — but since this early 

 fishing has assumed such large proportions the risks have become very 

 much greater, since if the goods do not find a ready market — and storage 

 has to be resorted to, a serious loss on the season's transaction is inevitable. 

 Annually a great deal is written as to the detrimental effect upon the trade 

 of the catching and curing of immature fish, and Fishing Associations 

 have repeatedly passed resolutions to defer the commencement of the 

 fishing to a later date, but owing to the large amount of capital invested 

 in boats and gear, and the heavy working expenses, fishermen are not 

 disposed to agree to a close time. Unless, however, the trade as a whole 

 — curers, kipperers, and fishermen — are disposed to adopt a date which 

 will ensure fish of a fair degree of maturity being landed, the early season 

 will always remain a source of concern to the curer. (2) In consequence 

 of the great preparations already referred to, together with the increase 

 in the number of curers, the great demand, and latterly the high prices — 

 which the foreign markets did not warrant — were largely due to local 

 competition. (3) The combine among the continental buyers and im- 

 porters was due to the losses which they had sustained on the early goods 

 in previous seasons, consequently the demand in June was not so satis- 

 factory as during the corresponding month in 1913. Curers, however, 

 were so dissatisfied with the attitude of the buyers that they dispatched 

 several cargoes and agents of their own to effect sales. (4) Up till the 

 season of 1914 strikes among the gutters and packers were of rare occur- 

 rence. The demand was chiefly for an extra £1 of arles. Notwith- 

 standing that curers had legal agreements with their workers, they were 

 helpless, owing to the perishable nature of the goods, and as practically 

 the whole of the labour connected with herring curing in the Shetland 

 and Orkney Islands had to be imported from the mainland, there was no 



