viii Thirty -first Annual Report 



Line and Net Fishing. 



X cd/I . 



No. of Vessels. 



Catch 



Value. 



Steam. 



Sail and 

 Motor. 









Cwts. 



£ 



1900 



52 



5404 



757,000 



371,000 



1901 



75 



5367 



696,000 



341,000 



1902 



68 



5154 



608,700 



318,300 



1903 



91 



4884 



602,600 



315,900 



1904 



129 



4462 



753,700 



361,200 



1905 



164 



4593 



735,654 



348,610 



1906 



191 



4425 



688,057 



349,521 



1907 



244 



4083 



635,601 



349,041 



1908 



337 



3767 



824,684 



379,079 



1909 



411 



3634 



810,519 



352,552 



1910 



346 



3563 



866,567 



388,363 



1911 



346 



8478 



952,208 



426,719 



1912 



350 



3420 



939,107 



434,187 



Line and net fishing have been more successful, both in quantity 

 and value, than for some years. This appears to be due to the 

 introduction of motor propulsion to the smaller inshore line fishing, 

 and to the introduction of the method of fishing cod with nets 

 into the Moray Firth. 



Persons Employed. 



The number of persons employed in the fisheries of Scotland and the 

 various industries subsidiary thereto in the year 1912 was 90,040. 

 Of these, 38,759 manned the fishing fleet, 16,254 were gutters and 

 packers of herrings, 14,560 were engaged in the carrying trade, and the 

 remainder were engaged in other operations connected with the fishing 

 industry. 



Improvement of Fishery Harbours. 



From time to time the Board has pressed the question of the growing 

 need of increased harbour accommodation, owing to the change from 

 sailing boats to steamers of the vessels engaged in the herring fishing. 

 Harbours which were adequate to the circumstances existing 

 at the time of their erection are becoming year by year less capable 

 of meeting the growing demand both in docking space and depth 

 of water. Fishermen are thus forced to have their fishing boats at 

 sometimes considerable distances from their homes when laid up for the 

 winter months. The necessary attention and repairs required can only 

 be carried out at great expense in travelling and otherwise, to say 

 nothing of enhanced dock charges. Several other inconveniences and 

 economic dangers following upon the phenomenal rapidity of change 

 from sailing power to steam have impressed upon the Board the 

 absolute necessity of making the harbours reasonably adequate to 



