210 



Appendices to Thirty-third Annual Report 



and English coasts, the yeav 1914 proved a disastrous one owing to the 

 outbreak of war in the beginning of August, which practically suspended 

 operations on the East Coast. 



A considerable portion of the summer season was thus lost, which 

 reduced earnings by one half as compared with the previous season. 

 The loss of the English fishing season was, however, even more severely 

 felt, as may be realized from the fact that while in 1913 the sum of £94,400 

 w^as earned by the district fleet of 132 vessels, the proceeds of last season 

 from this source amounted to only £420 earned by one steam drifter. 



The returns of fish landed in the district, which, however, afiord no 

 criterion of the^general prosperity of the industry, show an increase in 

 quantity and value respectively of 13,583 cwts. and £2774 as compared 

 with 1913, a result which was largely due to the better results obtained 

 at the herring and sprat fishing at Inverness, which was a decided failure 

 during the previous year. 



The means of capture returns reveal a steady progress in the acquisi- 

 tion of mechanically-propelled craft, the number of steam drifters and 

 motor boats showing net increases of 10 and 3 respectively. Boat- 

 builders were unable during the early part of the year to cope with the 

 demand for steam vessels, and several second-hand steam drifters were 

 bought from English owners. Motor engines of 55 to 60 h.p. were in- 

 stalled in three of the large sailing boats, the number of the latter craft 

 showing a reduction of 12 compared with the previous year. The 

 increased attention devoted to line fishing after the outbreak of war was 

 responsible for a shght addition to the number of second and third-class 

 boats. 



Two-thirds of the district fleet of steam drifters were employed at the 

 winter herring fishing in the beginning of the year, operations being 

 prosecuted in the Minch and ofi the Sutherland and Caithness coasts. 

 Although a large quantity of fish was landed, the results were not par- 

 ticularly remunerative, the average earnings being estimated at £240 per 

 vessel. 1760 crans were landed in the district, of which over 1300 barrels 

 were cured for exportation. 



The summer herring fishing was prosecuted by a fleet of 132 steam 

 drifters, 8 moto]*, and 70 sailing boats, and, as usual, the catches were landed 

 at the large centres, chiefly Wick and Stronsay, landings in the district 

 being wholly confined to week-end arrivals. Fair results were obtained 

 in June, but a scarcity of fish was experienced during July. Hopes were 

 entertained that the leeway might be made up during August, but on the out- 

 break of war it was realized that these hopes w^ere doomed to disappoint- 

 ment, and that the herring industry had entered on an unprecedented 

 crisis. Curers at once suspended operations, and owing to the large number 

 of fishermen who as Naval Reserve men were called up crews were dis- 

 organized and fishing was practically given up, the earnings, as already 

 indicated, amounting to only half those of the previous season. A few 

 crews proceeded to the West Coast, but not until the last two months of 

 the year were results successful. At the close of the year East Coast boats 

 were prohibited by the Admiralty from continuing operations on the 

 West Coast. This fishing promised to be most remunerative, several 

 crews having earned from £400 to £800 at Mallaig. 



At the beginning of the crisis fears were entertained that distress might 

 result among those dependent on the industry owing to unemployment, 

 but it is satisfactory to report that at the close of the year very few were 

 unemployed. It is estimated that nearly a fourth of the resident fishermen 

 are serving with the Naval and Mihtary forces, 300 are employed at the 

 naval base at Cromarty, nearly 200 are employed on district craft char'tered 

 by the Admiralty, 600 were employed between herring fishing on the West 



