of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xli 



BOAT-BUILDING. 



Judged by the returns, the boat-building industry would appear to 

 have been in a somewhat languishing condition in 1912, the total 

 number of vessels constructed having fallen from 230 to 208, while, 

 what is more significant still, the decrease occurred wholly in steam 

 drifters and liners. Probably, however, the depression was more 

 apparent than real, as it is understood that a number of these vessels 

 were ordered, or actually under construction, at the close of the year, 

 and the excellent financial results of the year's herring fishing opera- 

 tions will doubtless give a fillip to new construction in 1913. 



The number of steam fishing vessels, other than trawlers, which 

 left the slips in 1912 was 34, valued at £100,500, or an average of 

 £2956 each, as against 67, valued at £185,390, or an average of £2767 

 each, in the preceding year. As is usually the case, the majority were 

 built to the order of fishermen in Moray Firth districts, although 6 

 were intended for Yarmouth and Lowestoft. 



New sailing boats numbered 140, or 9 more than last year, of which 

 69 were of the small third-class type (under 18 feet of keel), 

 47 were second-class boats of from 18 to 30 feet of keel, 

 22 were first-class boats over 30 but not more than 45 feet 

 in length of keel, and only 2 were of the regulation type of 

 first-class drifter of over 45 feet keel. A large number of the 

 vessels between 18 and 45 feet keel were intended for the reception 

 of auxiliary motor engines. The total value of the sailing boats was 

 £13,963, as against £7393 in 1911, the comparatively large increase 

 being due to the augmented number of medium-sized boats suitable 

 for motor power which were constructed. 



The number of steam trawlers launched during the year was 33, 

 which cost £199,830, these figures differing little from last year's, which 

 were respectively 32 and £191,900. The great majority of these 

 vessels were built at Aberdeen, and included several craft for English 

 owners, as well as one for a port so far distant as Buenos Ayres. 



One sailing trawler was also built during the year at a cost of £54. 



BARREL-MAKING. 



There was a big increase in the number of barrels manufactured in 

 1912, the output being 1,751,874 whole barrels and 862,199 half- 

 barrels, as compared with 1,689,065 whole and 682,265 half-barrels in 

 1911. Coopers had perhaps the busiest and most lucrative season in 

 their experience, as, owing to the phenomenally heavy landings in East 

 Anglia, the stocks in hand after the early close of the Scottish fishing 

 were speedily exhausted, and thereafter, until the close of the English 

 fishing, it was only by dint of constant work at high pressure that they 

 were able to cope w^ith the demand from the English centres. On 

 more than one occasion all available supplies of stavewood were tem- 

 porarily exhausted, and the keenness of the competition among curers 

 for the barrels, without which their businesses would perforce have 

 come to a standstill, may be gauged from the fact that towards the 

 end of the season the price per barrel, which normally is 3s. 6d., had 

 risen to 7s. 



