of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



197 



Crab fishing is the principal industry carried on at the stations lying 

 to the south of Stonehaven, and the season's catch was not so good as in 

 1913j showing a decrease in the number of crabs landed of 53,289. Crabs 

 were very scarce in spring, and even during the summer months the catch 

 did not come up to expectations. The fishermen consign all their crabs 

 to market themselves, chiefly to London and Manchester. The number 

 of lobsters caught shows an increase of 1158, which is accounted for by the 

 use of a special creel, with one entrance, the fishermen having discovered 

 that the lobsters escaped out of the ordinary crab creel, which contains 

 entrances at both ends. The practice of using special creels will be 

 generally adopted in future. 



There were no herrings branded during the year, and in all only 80 

 barrels were cured gutted. It is feared that Stonehaven is doomed as a 

 herring centre unless some effort is made to introduce steam fishing 

 vessels. 



Fortunately, there has been no loss of fife, and the loss of fishing gear 

 sustained has been very trilling. None of the boats went south to the 

 Enghsh fishing. 



The local net factory gave promise of a record output, but since 

 August the dislocation of the herring fishing industry has almost paralysed 

 its trade, and it is now only giving partial employment to the principal 

 workers. 



The deepening of the basin and the construction of the new break- 

 water at Stonehaven was proceeded with throughout the year. 



No classes of any kind for fishermen were conducted at any of the 

 creeks. 



The fishing barometers at Skateraw and Stonehaven are well looked 

 after and in good order. 



Jas. Donaldson, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Aberdeen, \?>th January 1915. 



Aberdeen District. 



But for the intervention of war, the year 1914 would, in all prob- 

 abihty, have ranked as one of the most prosperous in the annals of the 

 fishing industry. As it was, however, the stringent regulations laid 

 down by the Admiralty from time to time, restricting fishing operations 

 on certain areas, and the requisition of a large number of the best class 

 of trawlers for naval purposes, seriously handicapped the whole industry. 

 Still, even as matters have turned out, the general results are by no means 

 so disappointing as might have been expected. The total catch and 

 value of fish landed, including foreign vessels, show decreases of only 

 433,486 cwts. and £144,386, when contrasted with the figures for 1913, 

 the record year for the district. 



With regard to the means of capture, the number of fishermen, boats, 

 and extent of fishing material belonging to saihng vessels, all show decreases. 

 There are now only 4 first-class sailing boats registered in the district, 

 and fishing by means of sailing boats is almost entirely confined to old 

 men. Steam liners and drifters remain practically the same as last year, 

 but steam trawlers have increased in number by 15 during the year. 

 All over the returns show an increase of 10 vessels and 4443 tons. This 

 large increase of tonnage is due to the fact that all steam fishing vessels 

 registered prior to 1907 have been remeasured in accordance with revised 



