of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



211 



unfortunate hitches were experienced. It is understood that the loan 

 and grants received are pretty well expended. 



The lack of sufficient harbour accommodation is a great hindrance to 

 the development of the port. Were it more commodious a much 

 greater number of fishing vessels would frequent it than can possibly 

 do so meantime. 



Three men belonging to Thurso were drowned through the foundering 

 of a small boat when returning from the fishing grounds. 



No serious loss of or damage to boats or fishing material was 

 sustained during the year. With the excessive crush that frequently 

 occurred about Wick Harbour, slight damage to boats was sometimes 

 unavoidable. 



All the eleven fishery barometers on the Caithness coast are in good 

 order and well cared for. 



James Ritchie, 



Fishery Office, Fishery Opcer. 



Wick, Uh January 1913. 



Orkney District. 



The results of the district fisheries during the year under review were 

 very satisfactory, and show an improvement over the figures for 1911 — 

 which was a record year — to the extent of 114,938 cwts. in the quantity 

 and £80,069 in the value of fish landed. Herrings were wholly 

 responsible for this gratifying result, contributing 94 and 95 per cent, 

 respectively of the total catch and value. The returns of the other 

 branches of the industry exhibit a falling-off both in quantity and value 

 when compared with the figures for 1911. 



In the means of capture returns there is very little change. A slight 

 decrease is observable in the number and tonnage of boats, caused by 

 old third-class boats being laid aside or broken up as unseaworthy, 

 while the only change towards improvement was the fitting up of two 

 additional line boats with motor engines for auxiliary propulsion. Up 

 to the present the district fishermen have made no movement to have 

 motors installed into their herring-fishing boats, although in this 

 district, where the fishing grounds are only a moderate distance off, 

 motor boats would undoubtedly be of immxcnse service. 



Taking for granted that the proposed close time for herrings would 

 be adhered to on the East Coast, several curers took stations at 

 Stromness with the hope of reviving the fishing there. One curer 

 engaged a few crews of fishermen to fish for a fortnight. These 

 engaged fishermen made several trials, but as they met with poor 

 success, and it being evident that the proposed close time was not to be 

 observed, operations vv^ere suspended at Stromness, and the curer and 

 the fishermen proceeded to Stronsay in order to participate in the fishing 

 there. The total catch landed at Stromness amounted to only about 

 80 crans. 



The great summer herring fishing in Orkney waters is becoming of 

 greater importance every year, and the results of the past season have 

 beaten the 1911 record by 38,851 crans in the quantity and £84,892 in 

 value. This gratifying improvement was entirely due to the successful 

 operations of an increased number of Moray Firth steam drifters 

 operating in Orkney waters and landing their fish in the district. As 

 in former years, Stronsay was the chief centre at which the herrings 

 were landed. Of the total catch of 154,605 crans landed in the district, 

 123,982 crans, or 80 per cent., were landed at Stronsay, while the 

 remaining 20 per cent, was pretty equally divided among Kirkwall, 



