of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



233 



last year. This branch of the fisheries is prosecuted by only a few crews in 

 the district, and the bulk of the fish caught by them is disposed of for local 

 consumption. 



A very successful fishing, by means of fixed ground nets, was carried on 

 by a number of motor and sail skiffs, belonging to Loch Carron and 

 Applecross, from January to March. Hake and saithe were the principal 

 kinds landed, and were very plentiful on the grounds between the islands 

 of Kaasay and Scalpa and the mainland. Good prices were obtained, 

 and the earnings of the fishermen ranged from £100 to £230 per crew. 



The winter herring fishing was practically a failure, no shoals of fish 

 being present in any of the district lochs. The bulk of the catch was 

 landed at Kyle and Uig by steam drifters fishing on the Stornoway grounds, 

 and the season closed about the second week of March with a catch of 1810 

 crans valued at £1121, as compared with 3838 crans and £3457 for the 

 previous year. 



The summer herring fishing was commenced about the middle of June. 

 A fair fleet of motor and sail boats operated from Uig, in Loch Snizort, 

 but met with little success. Catches were light and the herrings were of 

 poor quality. All the herrings landed were cured, but only a small pro- 

 portion was sent to other districts for export, the greater .part of the cure 

 being disposed of for home consumption. The boats left at the end of 

 July, but the few local craft continued fishing right on to the end of the 

 year, and secured some fair takes during October and December. 



During November and December a very heavy fishing was obtained in 

 Loch Bracadale. The bulk of the fleet consisted of East Coast steam 

 drifters, which landed most of their catches at Mallaig and Stornoway. 

 A number of these vessels also landed catches at Kyle, where prices 

 ranged from 20s. to 70s. per cran. A few of the local skiffs also 

 operated in the loch, but owing to the stormy weather were unable 

 to make the passage to Mallaig or Kyle, and disposed of their takes to 

 buying steamers in the loch at from 15s. to 40s. per cran. The quality 

 of the herrings was fair, spent fish making their appearance towards the 

 close of the year. 



The mackerel fishing was prosecuted from Kyle and Portree during 

 September and October, the principal fishing grounds being round the 

 islands of Kaasay and Scalpa. The fishing was fairly successful, and the 

 returns show a considerable increase in quantity and value. The average 

 price per cran was 19s. 5d., as compared with 16s. 5d. last year. All the 

 catch was dispatched to the English markets in a fresh state. 



The motor boats belonging to the district were very successful during 

 the year, their earnings ranging from £200 to £640, with an average of 

 about £330, while sail boats of a similar size earned from £70 to £200, 

 with an average of about £100. 



The number of baskets branded during the year was 8253, an increase 

 of 3118 as compared with the previous year. 



There are no classes conducted in this district for the technical in- 

 struction of fishermen or others connected with the fishing industry. 



Fortunately no lives were lost in connection with the fisheries of the 

 district, and the damage to boats and gear was a little less than last year. 



The chief effect of the war on the fi.sheries of the district has been the 

 greatly increased landings of herrings by East Coast steam drifters at Kyle 

 during the latter part of the year, the number of these vessels which 

 operated on the West Coast being much larger than would otherwise have 

 been the case. At the outbreak of war the local craft were preparing to 

 start the mackerel fishing, and it was carried on successfully. Very little 

 curing has been carried on since the war began owing to the keen demand 

 for freshing purposes. Prices on the whole have been much higher foi' 

 8* 



