of the Fistiery Board for Scotland, 



22 



and exceptionally £2800 ; whereas the range in 1918 was from £2500 to 

 £4000, which, however, was the best year on record. 



No fishing boats were built in the district, but two splendidly equipped 

 motor boats of about 43 feet of keel were added to the Stonehaven 

 fleet, at a cost of about £1000 each. These boats have 26-30 H.P. 

 Kelvin engines. So satisfactory have motor yawls proved, that the time 

 is probably not far distant when the hne fishing at Stonehaven will be 

 prosecuted entirely by motor boats. 



The crab fishing was vigorously and successfully prosecuted, chiefly at 

 the out-stations ; and the pecimiary results were almost identical with 

 those of the previous year. 



The local net manufacturers had a busy season, although the great 

 increase in the price of herring nets restricted sales considerably, since 

 fishermen were limiting their orders as much as possible, and only buying 

 what they considered absolutely necessary for their outfit. 



There were no serious casualties nor loss of life during the year. 



R. DUTHIE, 



Assistant Inspector. 



Fishery Office, 

 Aberdeen, 28th January 1920. 



Aberdeen District. 



Two events, of outstanding importance in connection with the fisheries, 

 occurred during the year 1919 — ^the release of fishermen and fishing vessels 

 from Admiralty ser\dce ; and a strike of trawl fishermen over a question of 

 wages, to which the owners replied by laying up all steam vessels. 



This lock-out lasted for about ten weeks, or from the beginning of 

 September till the middle of November, and its effects were felt by all who 

 were directly or indirectly interested in the industry. Local fish merchants 

 and curers had to get their suppUes of fish from other ports — Fleetwood, 

 Hull, Grrimsby, G-ranton, etc., having been drawn upon, as well as Moray 

 Firth stations. This method of getting supphes was costly and gener- 

 ally unsatisfactory ; it led to the temporary closing down of some of the 

 haddock- curing establishments, and to a great limitation of the activity 

 of others. Judged by the average monthly landings from June to 

 December, the strike probably cost the local trawhng fleet about £400,000 

 in gross earnings. 



The return of fishermen and vessels to their normal occupations re- 

 sulted in a great increase in the landings of fish, the figures for 1919 being 

 1,241,824 cwts., valued at £2,088,867, as compared with 318,765 cwts., 

 of the value of £1,077,102, in 1918. The average price per cwt., 

 however, shows a marked reduction, the rate being 33s 8d. in 1919 

 against 67s. 7d. for the previous year. With the greatly increased cost of 

 fishing material and fuel, and the increase in all working expenses, the 

 margin of profit left to owners of fishing vessels is likely to be much smaller 

 than it was under war conditions. 



The increased cost of fuel is apparently tending to a general extension 

 of the time occupied over each trip, especially trips to the more distant 

 fishing grounds. 



The reopening of fishing grounds that had been closed or inaccessible 

 during the war revealed a general increase in the supply of fish on those 

 grounds. This was very noticeable in the catches of long-voyage Uners, 



