of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



221 



that, owing to the strategical situation of the Orkneys, fishing operations 

 in certain parts of the district had to be completely suspended from the 

 commencement of the war, it was inevitable that the fisheries should 

 suffer severely. 



Compared with the figures for 1913 the financial results show a decrease 

 of £65,518. 



All the different branches of the industry were more or less affected, 

 either directlv or indirectly, but the people who were the ha.rdest hit were 

 those whose liveUhood depended on the herring fishery and the curing 

 industry. 



Thanks to the successful seasons most of the curers experienced at 

 Lowestoft and Yarmouth in the previous two years, the curing trade was 

 in a wonderfully healthy condition when the crisis arose. Had it been 

 otherwise the initial strain, caused by the tying up of the proceeds of 

 sales of herrings on the Continent, and also of large quantities on this 

 side, would have been more than most of the curers could have supported. 



As matters have turned out, there is every reason to believe that, 

 although the loss sustained by all was considerable, and although the 

 resources of many have been strained almost to breaking-point, the trade 

 as a whole will easily survive the temporary set-back. 



The summer herring-fishing, which is by far the most important branch 

 of the fisheries in this district, and is becoming of greater importance 

 every year, opened during the week ending 23rd May, and was continued 

 with satisfactory results till the beginning of August, when the war brought 

 operations to an abrupt finish. 



The fleet operating was composed chiefly of stranger boats, and varied 

 in number from 30 at the opening of the season to close upon 300 at the 

 finish ; the average number of boats at work during the eleven weeks' 

 fishing was 180, as compared with 145 in 1913. 



The ports from which operations were conducted were Stronsay, 

 Kirkwall, Holm, and Burray, but, as in former years, Stronsay was the 

 chief centre at which herrings were landed, and of the total catch of 

 93,833 crans landed in the district, 84,587, or 90 per cent., were landed at 

 Stronsay, while the remaining 10 per cent, was pretty equally divided 

 among Kirkwall, Holm, and Burray. In 1913 the proportion of the catch 

 landed at Stronsay was 85 per cent., and in 1912, 80 per cent. From these 

 figures it is apparent that the tendency towards centralisation is increasing 

 every year, and the prospect of any great development of the less im- 

 portant herring-fishing creeks in the district is remote. 



Although the quantity of herrings landed at Stronsay may be considered 

 fairly good for the short season, the figures would have been greatly 

 exceeded were it not for the unsatisfactory state of the channel during 

 the early part of the season. 



Owing to the congestion at Stronsay a fair proportion of the sailing 

 craft continue to operate from Holm, Burray, and Kirkwall, but the 

 number of these is diminishing year by year, while on the other hand 

 the number of steamers is rapidly on the increase. Not many years ago, 

 sail boats landed practically all the herrings in the district, while during 

 the year under review 85 per cent, of the catch was landed by steamers, 

 2 per cent, by motor boats, and 13 per cent, by sail boats. These figures 

 tell their own tale ; they clearly demonstrate the fact that a sail boat 

 will soon be a thing of the past. 



The fleet of sail boats suffered greatly during the past season owing to 

 calm and foggy weather. For instance, during the week ending 20th 

 June, 130 drifters landed 16,411 crans of herrings, which sold at an average 

 price of 23s. 2d. percran ; four motor boats landed 363 crans, at an average 

 price of 24s. 3d. ; while 60 sail boats were only able to land 2023 crans. 



