of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xiii 



meet expenses, but some of the vessels which took part in the fishing 

 on the West Coast of Scotland in December reaped rich harvests. 



The steam vessels which devoted their attention to line-fishing were 

 generally only moderately successful, although some made very good 

 earnings. Stormy weather on the Atlantic grounds and the presence 

 of dog-fish were reported as responsible for the non-success. 



As has been the case for a few years, some 22 Aberdeen trawlers 

 were fitted out for lining in the spring, but failure again attended 

 their efforts. 



Towards the close of the year, a modern steam drifter belonging to 

 one of the south Moray Firth ports was fitted out with trawling 

 apparatus. The first trips of the vessel did not yield particularly good 

 results, but there has not yet been sufficient experience to show whether 

 or not the experiment will prove successful. The venture is another 

 indication of the desire, born of necessity, to employ the steam vessels 

 as continuously as possible, and its progress will be watched with 

 interest. 



III. Beam and Otter Trawl Vessels. 



In this section of the returns a decrease in the number of steam 

 vessels falls to be recorded for the first time since 1904, the total 

 being 3 less than in 1911—304 as compared with 307. 



There has, however, been a greater change in the fleet than those 

 figures indicate, and the tonnage and value both show increases over 

 the figures for 1911. This was due to the replacement of vessels lost 

 or sold, by larger vessels, and as the new vessels are fitted with modern 

 appliances the fishing power of the fleet was probably greater in 1912 

 than in the previous year, despite the nominal decrease in the number 

 of vessels. 



IV. Motor Fishing Boats. 



The view expressed in recent Reports that the marine motor engine 

 had a distinct future before it in the fishing industry is amply borne 

 out by the returns for 1912. A comparison of the appropriate table 

 (App. A, No. 1, p. 8) with the corresponding return for 1911 shows 

 that there has been an increase of 123 boats fitted with motor engines, 

 the respective totals being 356 and 233. 



The following table shows at a glance the progress which the fleet 

 has made since the motor engine was first introduced into the industry 



in 1902 :— 













1st Class. 



2nd Class. 



3rd Class. 





Year. 



30 feet keel 



18 to 30 feet 



under 18 



Total. 





and upwards. 



keel. 



feet keel. 





1902 



2 







2 



1903 



3 







3 



1904 



3 







3 



1905 



4 







4 



1906 



5 







5 



1907 



6 



1 





7 



1908 



11 



7 





18 



1909 



38 



30 



7 



75 



1910 



57 



90 



9 



156 



1911 



79 



144 



10 



233 



1912 



96 



244 



16 



356 



