204 



Appendices to Thirty-first Annual Report 



1912 shows only a slight decrease compared with the previous year. 



The cod-net fishing was fairly successful. The returns, although con- 

 siderably short of the record season of 1910, show an increase of 14,524 

 cwts. in quantity and £5629 in value compared with the season of 1911, 

 which, however, was a failure. Operations were prosecuted on the 

 grounds from four to eight miles off the coast from Tarbat Ness to 

 Elehnsdale during the spring months by 15 steam drifters, 2 motor and 

 64 sailing boats, the catches being landed at Lossiemouth, Burghead, 

 and Hopeman. During February the demand was rather slack, and 

 prices frequently fell as low as 8d. to lOd. per fish, but for the remainder 

 of the season the demand was generally good, prices ranging from Is. to 

 3s. 6d. per head. Two firms conducted curing operations and 

 despatched 110 tons in a wet salted condition to other districts to be 

 dried. One hundred tons (live-weight) were forwarded by rail to 

 Aberdeen to be cured there, while the remainder of the catch was 

 despatched in a fresh state to the Southern markets, principally London 

 and Glasgow. 



From 40 to 60 of the district crews prosecuted small-line fishing 

 throughout the year with fairly good results, although the returns 

 show a slight decrease compared with the previous year. Good takes 

 of haddocks were generally obtained during the first half of the year, 

 but thereafter this fish, which contributed 70 per cent, of the fish 

 caught by lines, appeared to be scarcer. The quantity of flounders 

 and plaice landed was practically the same as during the previous year. 

 The output of mussels at Findhorn was only about half that of the 

 previous year. 



The boat-building trade was slack. At Inverness four steam drifters 

 were launched, three for Nairn crews and one for Inverness ; while at 

 Lossiemouth seven second-class sail boats were built for local fishermen 

 for haddock fishing, one sail boat of 40-feet keel for Barra, and a motor 

 boat of 30-feet keel for Mallaig. Coopers were steadily employed, and 

 with the brisk demand for stock during the English fishing all the 

 available empty barrels in the district were disposed of at remunerative 

 prices. 



The only motor boat belonging to Lossiemouth was burnt in Sep- 

 tember while proceeding from Loch Slapin to Mallaig with a valuable 

 catch of herrings. A first-class sail boat belonging to Hopeman 

 foundered off the island of Uig, while another first-class sail boat 

 belonging to Lossiemouth was run down by a steamer off Grimsby and 

 one of the crew was unfortunately drowned. The loss of gear was 

 comparatively slight during the summer herring fishing, but was heavy 

 at the English stations, the average being estimated at £50 per boat. 



The fishery barometers at Nairn and Burghead are in good order and 

 carefully tended. 



Fishery Office, William Sinclair, 



LossTHMOUTH, Uh January 1913. Fishery Officer. 



Cromarty District. 



The quantity of fish landed in this district and the monetary returns 

 thereof do not give a true indication of the prosperity of the 

 fishermen. Indeed, the greater part of their earnings is now derived 

 from herring fishing at different fishing centres, and in this respect 1912 

 was a profitable year. The landings at the home ports were confined 

 almost exclusively to the produce of small-line fishing, and the income 



