11 Appendices to Thirty-eighth Annual Beport 



of Buckie, where a small ^leet of boats landed their catches regularly, 

 most of the stations in the districts of Banff, Buckie, and Findhorn depended 

 almost entirely for their suppHes of herrings upon the boats returning 

 home for the week end. At the beginning of the season much discontent 

 prevailed among the fishermen because of the low prices received for their 

 fish. Ultimately the fishermen refused to go to sea until the curers pro- 

 mised to give at least 30s. per cran for a certain quantity of herrings landed 

 daily. The curers having assented to their proposal the fishing was re- 

 sumed. By that time the quality had improved and business moved more 

 satisfactorily afterwards. A fair business was done in kippering and fresh- 

 ing, but the number of barrels cured and branded was the highest for many 

 years. The total catch landed in these districts amounted to 41,190 crans, 

 valued at £52,485, giving an average price of 25s. 6d. per cran. 



At Wick a large fleet operated, and herring fishing proceeded without 

 interruption throughout the season. Although the fishermen there also felt 

 dissatisfied with the low prices reaHsed, they continued fishing and bene- 

 fited considerably when all the other East Coast fishermen had suspended 

 operations. ■ The catch was greatly augmented by the Fraserburgh boats 

 which frequented the port. Consequently the landings were in excess of 

 the facilities for dealing with them ashore, and this tended to keep prices 

 down. A scarcity of salt also handicapped the curers, and suppUes could 

 only be obtained by rail, and were often held up on the way. Through- 

 out the season the quality of the herrings was generally good, and the 

 average price was about 25s. 9d. per cran. A fair trade was done in 

 kippering, but the bulk of the catch was cured for export. Most of it was 

 branded and handed over to the Government. The scheme worked satis- 

 factorily, and the trade agreed that the fishing could not have been carried 

 on without the help of the G-overnment. 



In Orkney district, herring fishing was not prosecuted to any extent. 

 The Admiralty restrictions had not been sufficiently removed, and as many 

 of the mined areas around the islands had not been cleared, conditions 

 were considered too dangerous. 



There was practicaly no winter herring fishing in Shetland, but the 

 summer herring fishing commenced on a larger scale than has been the case 

 for some considerable time past, although the prospects were far from 

 bright. In the early part of the season more herrings were landed than 

 could be dealt with at times, and at Scalloway and Lerwick hundreds of 

 crans — mostly of immature herrings — had to be sold for manure or thrown 

 back into the sea. The quality improved in July, and prices became 

 steadier, although the minimum price was not always maintained. The 

 fishing terminated somewhat abruptly about the middle of September, 

 owing to a break in the weather, and to the fact that the quality of the 

 fish had greatly deteriorated. The total catch for the season showed an 

 increase of about 103,000 crans, and the cash value about £148,000. 

 As the continental markets were at first unavailable curers experienced 

 some difficulty in disposing of the early caught fish. The best selections 

 were mostly sent to America, but about 75,000 barrels representing the 

 bulk of the early cure were sold to continental buyers at the average 

 price of 40s. per barrel, f.o.b. Upwards of 56,000 barrels, representing 

 over a third of the year's cure, were branded and handed over to the 

 Government. Fishermen's earnings on the whole were good. Steam 

 drifters and motor boats grossed up to £2800, and sail boats up to £1300. 



On the West Coast very little great-line fishing was done except at 

 Mallaig and Oban, where good landings were made during the winter and 

 spring by East Coast crews. Fewer boats landed there, however, than 

 during the war, with the result that the total catch showed a decrease 

 compared with 1918, The earnings of individual crews were very good, 



