of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xlvii 



CASUALTIES. 



Particulars of the number of Scottish fishertnen who lost their lives, 

 and of the pecuniary loss sustained through casualties to boats and 

 gear, in 1912, will be found in Appendix F, No. III. 



Thirty -one fatalities occurred in the course of the year, this number 

 representing a most gratifying decrease of 11 from the preceding 

 year's total. About half of the deaths were the result of boats foun- 

 dering at sea, and the majority of the remainder occurred through the 

 men falling or being washed overboard in heavy weather. During the 

 last ten years 466 fishermen have lost their lives through accidents at 

 sea — a melancholy death-roll which brings home vividly the hazardous 

 nature of their calling. 



No less than 61 vessels were totally wrecked, as compared with 57 

 in 1911, and 27 in 1910, but, notwithstanding this increase, the 

 pecuniary loss from this cause was fortunately considerably less than in 

 the preceding year, the amounts being respectively £36,629 and 

 £45,558. The total loss from all causes amounted to £133,363, or 

 £7456 less than in 1911, but these figures do not include the losses 

 sustained by the Scottish fleet at the English and Irish fishings, which, 

 as usual, were heavy. 



WHALING. 



The decline in the whale-fishery which was commented upon in the 

 Report for 1911 continued during the year under review, the number 

 of whales captured being only 440, as compared with 503 in 1911. 

 This represents a decrease of 13 per cent., while if the comparison is 

 made with the catch of 1909, the decline amounts to 40 per cent. 



The following table gives particulars of the catch in Scottish waters 

 in 1912:— 



Species. 



Male. 



Female. 



Total 



Total 







1912. 



1911. 



Finner (Balce7ioptera miisculiis) 



137 



155 



292 



344 



Sei {B. Borealis) 



61 



47 



108 



130 



Blue (B. Sibbaldii) - 



9 



3 



12 



5 



Northcaper {Balcena Biscay ensis) 



4 



7 



11 





Humpback (Megaptera) 









4 



Sperm {Physeter macrocephalus) - 



8 



1 



9 



18 



Bottlenose {^Hyjperoodon) - 



2 



6 



8 



2 



Total - - . - 



221 



219 



440 



503 



Finner and sei whales again constituted the bulk of the 

 catch, and it was in these species that the greater part of the 

 decline occurred. The other species enumerated are erratic in 

 their visits to Scottish waters, and the fluctuations within the 

 limited numbers taken yearly are violent. Thus of the valu- 

 able Northcaper 11 were taken, as against none in 1911 ; while of 

 sperm whales, of which 18 (an altogether exceptional number) were 

 taken in 1911, only 9 were captured during the year under review, 



