of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



20 



and their gear to the changed conditions. Good earnings were made 

 at line fishing during the war period, and practically all the fishermen as 

 they were demobilised took up this branch of the industry. The prose- 

 cution of the herring fishing would require a good deal of capital or credit 

 which, in most cases, was not available, and as line fishing could be taken 

 up almost at once with a minimum of expenditure and a ready return for 

 their labour, the fishermen took the first and easiest means of obtaining 

 a livelihood. 



The results of the year's operations compared with 1918 show a decrease 

 in the quantity landed of 18,572 cwts., but this is more than accounted for 

 by the poor landings of sprats, while, owing to the drop in prices, 

 the value is less by £103,032. White fish, however, show an increase of 

 14,936 cwts. 



The princial items of interest in the means of capture returns are the 

 increases of 21 motor boats and 3 trawlers and Ihe decreases of 2 steam- 

 drifters and 10 sailing boats of the first and second class, with the conse- 

 quent change in the quantity of gear used. A considerable improvement 

 was made on the speed of some of the motor yawls and skiffs by the 

 replacing of 8 and 13 H.P. engines with engines of 13 to 26 H.P., and this 

 movement is likely to continue. 



The summer herring fishing was prosecuted by 2 steam drifters and 10 

 large motor boats, principally from Peterhead ; but with poor prices and 

 high working expenses the results were disappointing. Thirteen crews 

 fitted out for the English herring fishings, but here again disappointment 

 was met with. The stormy weather experienced prevented regular fishing, 

 and with heavy loss of fishing gear the voyage was not a success. Steam 

 drifters grossed up to £1200, and motor boats from £400 to £1000 each. 



Each year represents part of two seasons of the sprat fishing which is 

 carried on in the Firth of Tay, landings being first made early in November 

 and continuing on to March and April. During 1919 a fleet of 25 boats 

 was employed, and there was an abundance of these small fish in the Tay 

 estuary, but operations were conducted in a very half-hearted manner 

 owing to the poor prices obtained, there being a plentiful supply of herrings 

 on the market from English and West Coast ports, which operated against 

 the successful sale of the sprat. About 120 crans were pickled and iced, 

 and dispatched to Norway via Newcastle, but the quality was considered 

 unsuitable, and no further consignments were sent. 



Line -caught fish accounted for almost half of the total landings in the 

 district, and had it not been for the stormy weather experienced during 

 the last quarter of the year, a record would have been established in the 

 landings by this method. A fleet of 90 motor boats were at work when 

 the year began, but as it advanced the number increased to 115 boats. 

 This fleet made a total of 15,235 landings, yielding 62,460 cwts., chiefly 

 haddocks and codlings, against a total catch of 3056 cwts. for 3406 landings 

 by a fleet of 80 sailing yawls which were irregularly employed. 



The steam trawling fleet belonging to Dundee was increased during the 

 year to 5 vessels, and their landings were augmented by occasional catches 

 from Granton and Aberdeen trawlers. Three trawlers belonging to 

 Montrose and a few Granton boats made occasional landings at Montrose, 

 which were all railed to Glasgow for sale. During the first part of the year 

 the principal fishing grounds were from 5 to 60 miles E. and E.N.E. from 

 the Bell Rock, but later on a good deal of the fish was caught off the Aber- 

 deenshire coast. There was a total of 709 landings made from one, two, and 

 three day trips, averaging 68-4 cwts., valued at £141.5 each, while the most 

 successful boat grossed £16,000, and the total catch shows an increase 

 of 17,319 cwts. compared with 1918. The average price of trawl fish was 

 41s. 4d. per cwt. against 51s. Id. per cwt. in 1918 ; while the average price 



