222 



Appendices to Thirty-third Annual Report 



which sold at an average price of 14s. 4d. per cran. Many of the sailers 

 were only able to make one trip to sea for the week, while some of them 

 had to throw their herrings overboard owing to their fish having deterior- 

 ated. One crew having a shot of 120 crans — unfortunately their first 

 and only good shot for the season — had to dispose of them in this way. 

 On 18th June over 400 crans had to be dumped. Thus it will be observed, 

 that while many drifters each earned over £200 for the week, their average 

 earnings being £150, and while the average earnings of motor boats was 

 £110 for the week, the average earnings of sail boats was only £24. 



Up to the present the district fishermen have made no movement to 

 have motor engines for auxiliary propulsion installed into their herring- 

 fishing boats, although the above figures plainly demonstrate the advan- 

 tage of the motor boat over the sail boat. 



The quality of the herrings landed during the early part of the season 

 was not equal to that during the early part of 1913. Still fishermen 

 received fairly good prices, and for May herrings the average price was 

 18s. 2d. per cran. 



As the season advanced, however, the quality rapidly improved until 

 the 25th of July, when it became excellent, and herrings were in keen 

 demand at that date at from 43s. to 45s. per cran. At the beginning of 

 the following week herrings were still selling at those high prices, but 

 towards the end of the week, when the " war cloud " suddenly assumed 

 a more threatening appearance, curers became alarmed and prices rapidly 

 fell until Saturday, 1st August, when prices for excellent quality touched 

 as low as 12s. per cran, while certain curers refrained from curing at any 

 price. 



With the calling out of the Reserve the fishing practically closed. 



On Tuesday, 4th August, there were seven arrivals at Stronsay, with 

 an average catch of 28 crans of excellent quality, which realised from 

 12s. to 14s. per" cran, but after that date no more herrings were landed at 

 the port. Fishermen returned to their home ports, and curers closed 

 down their stations as quickly as possible. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the fishing was brought to a close at a 

 season of the year when the best results are generally obtained, the total 

 catch landed exceeded that of the previous year by 2987 crans. On the 

 other hand the value was £61,963 less. 



The increase in the catch was mainly due to the fact that a larger 

 fleet of boats operated from the district than during the preceding year, 

 while the outbreak of the war was responsible to a great extent for the 

 shrinkage in the value. The average price for the season was 26s. 3d., 

 as compared with 40s. lOd. per cran in 1913. 



It is, however, quite impossible to say to what extent the war affected 

 the season's results. At the time the war broke out dense shoals of herrings 

 of excellent quality were on the fishing grounds, and there was every 

 probability that, had the fishing not been interrupted, the fishermen 

 would have had a more prosperous season than during the previous year. 



In 1913 the average earnings of the district boats was £500, while last 

 year it did not exceed £210. Owing to the stranger fishermen being 

 continually moving about and landing their takes at the different ports, 

 and also to the fishing coming to such an abrupt finish, it is impossible 

 to give the earnings of the stranger fishermen. 



Fortunately most of the district fishermen who prosecute the herring 

 fishing have crofts and do not entirely depend on the fishing for their 

 livelihood. Many of those who were thrown temporarily idle when the 

 crisis came, soon found employment on farms and ako with the Admiralty 

 while 45 fishermen were R.N.R. men and were called up to serve their 

 country. Others prosecuted the lobster fishing. 



