^20 



Appendices to Thirty-third Annual Report 



not a very remunerative year, and some were out of use for a good part of 

 the year. 



the dispatch of fresh herrings, put up in ice and salt, to Hamburg has 

 now become an estabhshed branch of the trade. Up to the 1st of August 

 one lirm dispatched two boats weekly, and for several weeks in July 

 another firm was also engaged in the same trade. Altogether 6330 crans 

 were exported by them. The quantity for the previous year was 7733 

 crans. 



A comparatively small quantity of herrings was crown branded during 

 the past season, owing, to a great extent, to the interruption of the fishing 

 ill August, and the small catches delivered during the greater part of July. 



On the whole, hne fishing was not prosecuted with great success during 

 the year. On many parts of the coast fish were not at all plentiful, and 

 the breezy weather experienced in the early and latter months of the year 

 hindered operations to a very great extent. 



At a number of creeks in the district crab and lobster fishing is made 

 a speciality of by the fishermen. To judge from the results obtained for 

 a number of years past, it does not appear as if there is much scope for 

 development, as the results do not vary much fi'om year to year. At 

 Keiss, where crab fishing is extensively prosecuted, motor boats are now 

 made use of to advantage. The catch of lobsters shows an increase over 

 that of the preceding year, while that of crabs has decHned. The total 

 value of shell fish, however, is about the same. 



Only one of the steam drifters belonging to the district proceeded to 

 Yarmouth. This vessel was about five weeks from home, and during that 

 time caught 428 crans, which reafised £363. When on the passage south, 

 the crew rescued the crew of a naval biplane, in the vicinity of the Bell 

 Rock, and afterwards towed the machine to Inchkeith, in the Firth of 

 Forth. 



Half a dozen curers from this district had small staffs of workers at 

 Yarmouth and Lowestoft for a few weeks, but they did not conduct a 

 large volume of business. 



From January to May barrel-making was conducted on an extensive 

 scale, the number of coopers employed exceeding that of any former year, 

 owing to the stocks having been depleted by the successful fishing at 

 Yarmouth in 1913, and to the demand for barrels at Wick and Stornoway 

 during the winter fishing. At the close of the year about 120 coopers, 

 chiefly the older men and apprentices, were employed on a restricted 

 output. In the spring 490 were employed, with as much work as they 

 could overtake. 



Three fishermen lost their fives during the year. One was knocked 

 overboard from a motor boat, while prosecuting the herring fishing, and 

 two were lost by the swamping of a small motor boat employed at Une 

 fishing. 



When last inspected, the fishery barometers, of which there are a dozen 

 in the district, were all in good serviceable condition. 



James Ritchie, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Wick, 6th JoMuary 1915. 



Orkney District, 



Considering the far-reaching effect of the great European War upon 

 the various branches of the fishing industry, and bearing in mind also 



