of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



219 



August. What first interfered with the trade was the mobilising of the 

 Royal Naval Reserve on the 3rd of August. At that time there were 

 well-nigh four hundred boats in Wick harbour, few of which had not 

 members of that force as part of their crew. 



This was the first blow struck at the industry. After that came the 

 difficulty of effecting insurance against war risks. It appeared then as if 

 the fishing was to be completely stopped, and had it not been that one or 

 two crews kept going and located a shoal of fish about 20 to 27 miles E. 

 by N. of Wick, thereby inducing others to fit out again, it would liavc been 

 concluded. For two or three weeks in August a very successful fishing 

 was made by a small fleet upon grounds at a convenient distance from 

 Wick. Indeed this port was the only one where operations were then 

 being conducted. 



The indications were that had the whole fleet been engaged it would 

 have been the most remunerative period of the season. Throughout the 

 season fish of good quality were generally obtained. Prices varying from 

 6s to 44s. 6d. per cran were realised, while the average price was 23s. lOd. 

 compared with 38s. 6d. in the previous year. 



Although operations were very nmch curtailed in August, the summer 

 catch was 113,799 crans, valued at £135,614, compared ¥/ith 108,624 crans 

 valued at £209,202 for the corresponding period of the previous year. 



W^hen war broke out curers had 50,680 barrels of cured herrings on 

 hand. The outlook then was very gloomy, as they were cut off from the 

 German markets and those of Russia in the Baltic. Curers and herring 

 merchants had also herrings in both countries for which payment could 

 not be obtained. Buyers of cured herrings arranged with curers to cancel 

 purchases of which delivery had not been taken. 



Shipments have since been made to Archangel, Malmo, Bergen, and 

 New York, so that stocks have now been reduced to about 14,000 barrels. 

 Curers were left with considerable stocks of empty barrels and salt, and as 

 the herring fishing on the English coast was not prosecuted to any great 

 extent those surplus stocks could not be utilised. 



By the interruption of the fishing a good many people were deprived 

 of their ordinary employment. Fishermen, coopers, gutters and packers, 

 labourers and carters were all seriously affected. Most of the male 

 section of the employees have, however, been successful in securing tem- 

 porary employment. A considerable number of the fishermen were 

 mobilised in the Royal Naval Reserve, others were employed on steam 

 drifters serving as tenders at the naval base of Scapa, and on board of 

 motor boats used for patrol work. 



A number of fishermen also found employment in coaling war ships. 

 Of coopers, carters, and labourers, a goodly number took up military 

 service, while others also found remunerative employment in connection 

 with the coaling of war vessels at Scapa. The female employees have 

 certainly fared worst, as the services of very few were required at the 

 English ports. 



In the summer season steam drifters had earnings of from £380 to 

 £1100, with an average of £700. Motor craft had from £380 to £785, and 

 averaged £480, and sailers had from £40 to £300, averaging £180. 



The means of capture of the district were improved to an appreciable 

 extent by the addition of nine second hand steam drifters to the Wick 

 fleet, and by ten of the large sailing boats being equipped with motor 

 engines. With the additional number of steam drifters a substantial 

 increase of netting occurred. There was practically no increase in the 

 number of small motor boats, which are used for lin.e and lobster and crab 

 fishing. At several of the creeks these craft have been doing fairly well, 

 but at Wick, where they were first introduced into the district, they had 



