iv 



Thirty -eighth Annual Report 



This, the first complete year since 1913 passed under peace con- 

 ditions, was one of many vicissitudes in the fishing industry. At 

 its outset, hopes ran high in fishing circles that the year would be 

 one of prosperity. With the cessation of hostilities herring fishermen 

 looked to the restoration of stable conditions on the Continent and the 

 reopening of the principal markets for the produce of their great 

 and important industry. So far from this anticipation being realised, 

 however, political and economic conditions in Central Europe and 

 Germany remained such as to preclude any attempt at private trading, 

 and the industry was only saved from disaster by the Covernment 

 coming to its assistance. 



The white-fish fishing branches also passed through a troubled 

 period. Operations in the early part of the year amply confirmed 

 the anticipation that the close time enforced by war conditions would 

 result in the replenishment of the fishing grounds, and in view of the 

 awakened taste for fish as an article of diet which had 'developed 

 during the period of food scarcity, it was not unnaturally thought 

 that the increased landings would be readily absorbed. All went . 

 well for some months, but the landings soon increased beyond the 

 capacity of the depleted rolling stock and disorganised system of 

 transport and distribution to deal with, with the inevitable result that 

 while fish had occasionally to be disposed of at the ports of landing 

 for manure or returned to the sea, retail prices in the inland markets 

 remained at a level so high as to curtail the demand. Concurrently 

 running expenses of all kinds rapidly advanced, while labour unrest, 

 which was rife in this, as in other industries, led to strikes at both 

 Aberdeen and Granton, the two principal trawling centres in Scotland. 



The year which had opened with buoyancy thus closed in an 

 atmosphere of perplexity and misgiving, as the indications at the 

 close of the year gave little grounds for expecting any speedy improve- 

 ment in the situation. 



Partly owing to the fact that the industry was not fully re-estab- 

 lished in 1919, and partly out of' considerations of economy, the 

 publication of a number of appendices to this report is again suspended. 



Changes in Means of Capture. 



The number of fishing vessels employed in the Scottish fisheries 

 during the year was 6534, manned by crews which numbered 27,408. 

 These figures, especially as regards the number of fishermen, show 

 substantial increases as compared with those for the preceding year, 

 due to the return to fishing during the year of the men and larger 

 vessels that had been on Admiralty and other War Service during the 

 war. 



The figures given in Table A (p. 4) of the vessels, fishing gear, 

 and men for the year 1919, and also the corresponding figures given 

 above for the years from 1915 represent only the vessels, etc., 

 actually engaged in fishing, and for the year 1919 they exclude 50 steam 

 trawlea-s, 201 steam drifters or liners, 93 motor boats, and 1362 sail 

 boats, which in the case of the steam and motor vessels were mostly 

 on Service or reconditioning, and in the case of the sail boats were 

 unemployed. On the other hand, the statement of vessels engaged 

 in fishing for the year included 20 English steam trawlers and 96 



