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Appendices to Thirty-first Annual Report 



Banff District. 



Taken as a whole, the year now under review was a very successful 

 one for fishermen, and also remunerative for curers and all others 

 connected with the fishing industry. In the beginning of the year 

 prospects were not over-bright, as the winter herring fishing in Ireland 

 was so unsuccessful that those who engaged in it failed in most cases to 

 make enough to cover their expenses. The summer herring fishing 

 changed the aspect of things, for if the landings did not bulk largely, 

 prices throughout were sufficiently good to more than counterbalance 

 any shortcoming in quantity. For the unusually high prices various 

 causes were assigned, chief among them, perhaps, being a clear market 

 and keen demand on the Continent, where advanced prices for almost 

 all kinds of food enhanced the value of herrings. Following the 

 remunerative home fishing came a short but exceptionally good English 

 fishing, from which most of the fishermen returned highly pleased with 

 their success, although a few crews were not over-fortunate. Line 

 fishing was very successful, for although the total landings were some- 

 what less, the value was greater than in 1911. The year closed with 

 everything connected with fishing in a very prosperous and promising 

 condition. Fishermen had made good money, and curers had been 

 fairly successful, as had also all fish-workers. Stocks of barrels were 

 well used up, employment for coopers during the winter being thus 

 created, and boat-builders at the end of a busy year had still sufficient 

 orders booked to keep them going for a considerable time. Freight 

 rates remained practically unchanged. 



There is a decrease in the number of vessels belonging to the district, 

 a,ccounted for by the number of sail boats sold to other districts, and old 

 boats becoming useless. Seven steamers were added to the fleet, and 

 a further increase is expected next year. A few enterprising crews 

 belonging to Whitehills have had motors put into their haddock boats 

 (26 to 29 feet keel). These are of the Kelvin " type, with a speed of 

 about six miles per hour. So far they have proved satisfactory, and 

 there is every prospect that more men will adopt this means of pro- 

 pulsion for their small boats. , 



No attempt was made at winter herring fishing, but a few crans 

 were brought in by boats returning from the West Coast. 



The summer herring fishing began on 6th May, and practically ended 

 about the middle of August. In May and June there was little success, 

 the landings being little more than half those of the preceding year. 

 The greater part of the season's catch was made between the beginning 

 of July and the 17th of August. Throughout the season the herrings 

 were generally of good size and quality, particularly those coming from 

 the Orkney grounds. Prices ruled exceptionally high, the average for 

 the season being 23s, 3d. per cran, against 17s. 4d. in 1911. Most of 

 the early herrings were kippered, and curers did well with them, as 

 also with those cured later on for exportation. Fresh and kippered 

 herrings go to Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, and those 

 cured chiefly to Stettin and Danzig. Line fishing shows a decrease in 

 quantity of about 1400 cwts. (which was chiefly in haddocks), and an 

 increase in value of about £800. The shortcoming was due to frequent 

 interruptions by stormy weather in the latter part of the year, and a 

 scarcity of fish, particularly on the inshore grounds. The haddocks 

 were mostly large and medium-sized fish of excellent quality, the pro- 

 portion of large being greater than last year. Fully one-third of 

 the haddocks were smoked, and the rest sent off fresh, in both cases 

 chiefly to Glasgow. About the usual number of boats prosecuted cod- 



