5 Appendices to Tliirty-cighth Animal Eqport 



APPENDIX II. 



ANNUAL REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF SEA FISHERIES 

 AND FISHERY OFFICERS. 



General Inspector. 



The condition of the fishing industry, like that of many other industries, 

 continued rather unsettled in the year 1919. Large as was the money 

 value of the various kinds of fish landed in Scotland during the year, it 

 might have been much larger but for the strikes among trawl fishermen 

 in Aberdeen and Grant on. In the former place the strike lasted for ten 

 weeks, while in the latter the vessels were laid up for seven weeks, and 

 not only had this state of matters a detrimental efiect upon the industry, 

 but the community as a whole suffered in consequence. It is computed 

 that a sum of £600,000 was lost to the industry, while the general public 

 suffered from the loss of a large supply of fish which would have otherwise 

 been landed. During the strikes the buyers were also adversely affected, 

 and in order to keep in touch with their customers they obtained consign- 

 ments of fish from the south even at a loss to themselves. 



The figures with regard to the total quantity and value of fish landed, 

 especially the former, show large increases when compared with those 

 of the year 1918. This furnishes clear evidence of the rapidity with which 

 the fishing industry is recovering from the effects of the war. The total 

 landings for the year sliow an increase of 80 per cent, over those of the year 

 1918. Although the total value also shows an increaae the comparative 

 value of the fish shows a falling off of 44 per cent. It was not to be ex- 

 pected that the prices realised during the last year of the war could have 

 continued. Yet, on the whole, they were such as to give satisfactory 

 results to fishermen engaged in all the branches of the industry. 



There is no doubt that remarkable success has accompanied the efforts 

 made to put the nation on a peace basis again. The re absorption of 

 men into industry has gone on Steadily since the armistice. The fishing 

 industry bears out this statement, the number of fishermen employed 

 having increased since 1918 from 15^416 to 27,408. It augurs well for the 

 future that these men should, after experiencing the hardships of war, 

 return again to the hazardous calling in which they were before engaged. 

 There has thus been no lack of hands to man the boats. It may be, 

 however, that many men have been attracted to fishing since demobihsa- 

 tion who pre\^ously had no experience. In fact there have been com- 

 plaints that men have been shipped and afterwards found to be inex- 

 perienced, and some system of apprenticeship may have to be introduced. 



The same increase is noticeable in the fishing fleet. So rapidly are the 

 vessels and boats resuming operations that it is expected that the fleet, 

 before the end of 1920, will be up to pre-war strength. Altogether there 

 were 6534 boats actually engaged in fishing in 1919 compared with 4614 

 the previous year, being an increase of 1920. 



For many years, when the boom in steam drifters was at its height, 

 fishermen failed to recognise the true value of the motor engine in fishing 

 boats. The opportunity for development in this direction, however, came 

 when the steam fishing vessefe were taken over by the Government for 

 national work, and the building of steam drifters practically ceased. The 

 war may be said then to be directly responsible for the remarkable increase 



