of the Fishery Board for Scotland. xiii 



In so far as the trawling industry was concerned, the year was one 

 of alternations between prosperity and the reverse. In the early 

 months of the year, when the fleet was still comparatively small, 

 excellent catches and good prices were the rule, and voyages proved 

 highly remunerative. As the number of vessels at work increased, 

 however, and more and more grounds which had been closed or in- 

 accessible during the war were reopened to fishing operations, the 

 supply began to exceed the demand with increasing freque;ncy, with 

 the result that the proceeds of many trips, highly successful as regards 

 the quantity of fish taken, frequently fell short of the actual expenses, 

 which rose steadily as the year advanced. With the outbreak of a 

 strike among trawl-fishermen at Hull and North Shields this state of 

 affairs was temporarily ameliorated, but soon the linrest among the 

 trawler men spread to Aberdeen. The dispute came to a head at the 

 beginning of September, and, the owners and men failing to come to 

 terms, the vessels were laid up as they reached port. The deadlock 

 at Aberdeen naturally reacted greatly to the advantage of the Granton 

 and Dundee fleets, which continued to work as usual, but they were pre- 

 vented from reaping the full benefit of the situation'owing to the out- 

 break at this juncture of the railway strike, although distribution was 

 maintained to some extent by an improvised service of motor lorries. 



The deadlock at Aberdeen lasted for about ten weeks, or from the 

 beginning of September until the middle of November, and a settle- 

 ment had barely been reached there when a similar dispute arose at 

 Granton, which was still unsettled at the close of the year. 



The effects of these disputes were severely felt by all connected 

 with the industry. In order to maintain their trade connections, 

 local merchants and curers were compelled to obtain their supplies 

 from other sources — mainly the English trawling ports— a process 

 which was both costly and unsatisfactory, and it is calculated that but 

 for these disputes the year's total earnings from trawhng would have 

 been augmented to the extent of some £560,000. 



A graphic representation of the trend of prices reahsed at Aberdeen 

 for white fish during the years 1913, 1918, and 1919 is given on the 

 opposite page. 



The landings by steam liners were nearly trebled, many drifters 

 having owing to the uncertainty of the outlook in herring fishing 

 elected to follow this branch of the industry, and the contribution from 

 this source amoimted to 158,615 cwts., valued at £340,140, as compared 

 with 56,813 cwts. and £140,064 in the preceding year. 



Small hners accounted for 489,167 cwts., valued at £882,106, as 

 compared with 491,368 cwts. and £1,314,752 in 1918. This method 

 of fishing bids fair to become the monopoly of the medium-sized motor- 

 boat within a few years' time, and during the year under review a 

 further advance was made, the motor boats' share of the landings 

 amounting to 348,635 cwts., or 71 per cent., as compared with 64 per 

 cent, in the preceding year. It will be observed that although 

 the great bulk of the landings by this method consisted of the 

 cheaper varieties of fish, such as haddocks and codHngs, the average 

 price realised for fish taken by small-lines (36s. Id.) is slightly higher 

 than the general average for all white fish (35s. 6d.), this being accounted 

 for by the fact that small-fine fish are invariably landed in prime con- 

 dition. 



