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Appendices to Thirty-first Annual Report 



Fraserburgh District. 



The year under review was a very prosperous one for drift-net 

 fishermen, and fish-curers, fish-workers, and fish-salesmen also shared 

 in the general prosperity. Twelve steam drifters were added to the 

 fleet, and the total value of this class of vessels and their fishing gear 

 shows a considerable increase. The number of sail and motor boats 

 remains the same as in the former year, but as the value of new sail 

 boats would not cover the depreciation in this class there is a decrease 

 in their total value. 



The herring fishing began on 21st May. East Coast fishermen had 

 agreed to a voluntary close time until the 10th of June, but as some of 

 the Northern ports commenced fishing long before that date it was 

 decided to break through the agreement, and a regular start was made 

 on the above date. At the commencement some of the sail boats were 

 handicapped for want of hired men, as, having arranged to begin on 

 10th June, a suflficient number of hired hands were not forward for the 

 earlier commencement. About 4000 barrels of the May catch were 

 cured for the Continent. Even at this early date there was a demand 

 for cured herrings, and these sold at 21s. per barrel. In the previous 

 year the price for the same kind of fish was lis. per barrel. From the 

 1st June to the 7th September the fishing continued in full swing. 

 There was no heavy day's or heavy week's fishing, but a general fishing 

 throughout the season. The largest quantity landed in one day was 

 9436 crans on 15th June, and the heaviest week's fishing was 23,344 

 crans during the week ending 3rd August. Very heavy shots were 

 exceptional, and only on four days did individual shots exceed 100 

 crans. On the other hand, shots of from 60 to 80 crans were more 

 common than usual. The highest shot for the season was 206 crans. 



The weather generally throughout the season was cool and breezy, 

 and this state of weather helped the sail boats in getting to and from 

 the fishing grounds. On several days the average catch of the sail 

 boats exceeded that of the steam drifters, a rather unusual occurrence, 

 taking into consideration the greater catching power of the latter. It 

 is generally agreed that the season was one of the best sail boats have ever 

 had. 



The quality of the fish showed a great improvement on the former 

 year; possibly the cool weather had a good deal to do with this, the 

 weather during 1911 being warm and foggy. 



The principal fishing grounds were from 40 to 60 miles N.N.E. from 

 Kinnaird Head, but quantities were brought from the Fair Isle waters 

 and as far as 80 to 90 miles in a N.E. direction. The highest shots 

 were caught 10 to 12 miles off the port. These were of exceptionally 

 good quality, but this shoal, although it must have been dense, was 

 only of small area, and the fishing lasted only two or three days. 



Prices rose steadily from the beginning to the end of the season. 

 The average price per cran for May was 12s. lOd., for June 20s. 2d., 

 for July 27s. 3d., for August 27s. 9d., and for September 29s. 8d. The 

 average per cran for the steam drifters' catch was 26s. lOd., for motor 

 boats 24s. 5d., and for sail boats 23s. 4d. ; while the average for the 

 whole catch was 24s. lid., as compared with 21s. in 191 1. The catch exceeds 

 that of the former year by 7379 crans in quantity and .£48,543 in value. 



The price of the cured article also rose steadily from the beginning 

 to the end of the season. There was no new method of cure, except 

 that some of the large curers now regularly use the salinometer to test 

 the strength of salt and the pickle in the process of cure. Fish-curers 

 had a prosperous year, especially at the English herring fishing. It is 

 generally understood that it was the most remunerative season they 



