oj the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxi 



was the more gratifying in that it was accomplished with a much 

 smaller fleet. 



The average price per cwt. works out at 6s., as compared with 4s. 

 2d. in the previous year — an increase which is eloquent testimony to 

 the improved quality of the fish in 1912. The average prices realised 

 by steamers, motor boats, and sail boats were respectively 6s. Id., 5s., 

 and 5s. lid., as against 4s. 5d., 3s. 9d., and 3s. lld. in the preceding 

 year. 



Great Summer Herring Fishing. 



For statistical purposes, the great summer fishing covers the period 

 from 1st July to the close of the year, although on the East Coast and 

 in Shetland, of course, it is now simply the continuation of the early 

 fishing. For some years the shoals have evinced a tendency to disperse 

 at a much earlier date than they were wont to do, and during the last 

 two years the season has closed before the end of August in Shetland, 

 and early in September on the East Coast. Practically the only 

 operations carried on on the East side thereafter are those conducted 

 in the Inverness and Beauly Firths in November and December. On 

 the West Coast, however, it is carried on as the Lochs fishing until 

 the close of the year. 



The total catch amounted to 2,851,865 cwts, valued at £1,217,521, 

 as compared with 2,869,314 cwts. and £1,039,528 in 1911. The slight 

 falling off in quantity was due to the fact that herrings became scarce 

 even earlier than in 1911, while the large increase in value was due 

 to causes which have already been touched upon. Dealing separately 

 with the three sections of the coast, it is found that the East Coast, 

 with 1,556,274 cwts., falls short of the catch of 1911 by 77,245 cwts., 

 for which the failure of the fishing on the grounds from Aberdeen 

 southwards was responsible. Orkney and Shetland improved upon the 

 preceding year's catch of 898,874 cwts. by 26,485 cwts.. the entire 

 credit for which falls to Stronsay, as the catch in Shetland itself fell 

 from 630,500 cwts. to 576,000 cwts. On the West Coast the catch 

 amounted to 370,178 cwts., or 33,257 cwts. more than in 1911. Her- 

 rings were much more plentiful in the Minch during the autumn than 

 in the preceding year, so much so as to induce a number of East Coast 

 crews to abandon the East Coast fishing; in its favour ; and althouo;h 

 fish were scarce in most of the north-west lochs, Loch Bracadale 

 proved a notable exception, an exceedingly dense shoal being located 

 there in December. Many East Coast steamers, learning of the heavy 

 catches being obtained, hastened to participate therein, and, working 

 from Stornoway and Mallaig as headquarters, made some remarkable 

 earnings during the closing weeks of the year. 



The average price per cwt. on the East Coast and in Orkney and 

 Shetland was 8s. 6d., as against 7s. Sgd. in 1911, and on the West 

 Coast 8s. lld., as against 5s. 7d. in 1911. 



In the following table the quantity of herrings landed in each district 

 monthly in 1912 is shown, from which it will be seen that the most 

 productive month was July, and the least productive, April. 



