xlii 



Thirty-first Annual Bejwrt 



The heavy demand in the latter part of 1912 will react favourably 

 upon the coopering trade in 1913, as, owing to the complete clearance 

 of stocks, constant work during the winter and spring months is 

 assured. 



BASKET BRANDING. 



Of quarter-cran baskets for the sale and purchase of fresh herrings, 

 7033 more were branded in 1912 than in 1911, the respective outputs 

 being 50,087 and 43,054. Aberdeen and Leith are the principal 

 centres of the basket-making industry, although the major part of the 

 increased output was referable to the factory at]Uig, in Skye, where 

 the industry is now firmly established, and is rapidly growing, as a 

 comparison of the figures for 1912 and 1911 (6102 and 1696 respec- 

 tively) clearly indicates. 



MARINE SUPERINTENDENCE. 



During the year the superintendence of the Scottish sea fisheries 

 was carried out by the five cruisers belonging to the Board, and by 

 H.M.S. " Ringdove." The latter vessel was principally employed in the 

 Moray Firth, where the presence of a naval vessel is desirable, in order 

 to deal with foreign steam trawlers in waters outside the territorial 

 limits, but during the great summer herring fishery she was detailed 

 for special duty in the Shetland waters, where fishing vessels of many 

 nationalities congregate. The vessels belonging to the Board were 

 throughout the year engaged on general fishery duty all round the 

 Scottish coast, including the outlying islands, their principal duty 

 having been to endeavour to prevent illegal trawling and to detect 

 offenders. The " Norna " was chiefly employed patrolling the coasts 

 of Shetland, Orkney, and the North of Scotland ; the "Freya" in the 

 Moray Firth and on the Aberdeenshire coast ; the " Brenda " from 

 Girdleness to Berwick-on-Tweed, with special attention at certain 

 seasons of the year to the Firth of Forth ; the " Minna " on the West 

 coast, from the Butt of Lewis to the Mull of Galloway ; while the 

 " Vigilant " was again principally engaged superintending the herring 

 fisherj^ within the Clyde area. From time to time, however, the cruisers 

 relieved each other on the various stations as circumstances required. 

 During the past year also, as usual, ?everal calls were made on the 

 larger vessels for special duty. In addition to the usual fishery super- 

 intendence, various other duties are performed by the cruisers, among 

 which may be mentioned assistance by towage to numerous fishing 

 craft requiring help, conveyance to port of shipwrecked crews, convey- 

 ance to hospital of injured seamen from foreign vessels, and sundry 

 salvage assistance rendered to fishing and trading craft which were 

 stranded or sunk. The coal strike in the spring of the year caused 

 some inconvenience ; but the cruisers were able to remain on duty most 

 of the time, and the large bunker capacity of the " Norna " proved in- 

 valuable. The hulls, boilers, and machinery of the vessels were main- 

 tained in good order and condition. The accompanying table gives 

 the details of the routine duties performed by the respective vessels. 

 It will be noticed that the " Freya " again takes the most prominent 

 place in the number of detections made of steam trawlers engaged in 

 illegal fishing. 



