29 



Appendices to Thirty-eighth Annvxil Report 



sumption of fish — fresh, smoked, or preserved. Better transport facilities 

 must be provided so that a plentiful and regular supply of fish will reach 

 the large consuming centres in good condition. Facilities should also 

 be pro\aded for supplying fi^h to the remote areas in the country, the means 

 of distribution to which are very limited. The preserving of fish by tinning 

 should receive every encouragement — the markets for tinned fish in this 

 comitry have hitherto been neglected — and endeavours should be made to 

 find new markets for cured fish. 



Omng to economic and political difficulties the pre-war markets for 

 pickled herrings in Central Europe are still to a large extent closed to 

 private traders, and mitil these difficulties are overcome the cured herring 

 trade will continue in an unstable condition. At present there appears to 

 be little prospect of this branch of the industry being established on a pre- 

 war footing in the near future. 



William Keir, 



Fishery Officer, 



Fishery Office, 

 Fraserburgh, 13^^ January 1920, 



Banff District, 



One of the outstanding features in connection with the fisheries of the 

 district during the year under review was that, although the quantity of 

 all fish landed was greater by 38,011 cwts. than in 1918, the value was 

 £49,880 less. 



Herrings, cod, and haddocks are chiefly responsible for the increase. 

 The causes of the great decrease in value were (1) the control of fish prices 

 during the winter and spring months, and (2) the plentiful supply of cheap 

 herrings during the summer months, which afltected the demand for white 

 fish, and caused prices to faU. 



There was a decrease of 5 in the number of steam drifters, and 29 in 

 the number of sail boats. On the other hand, 21 motor boats were added to 

 the district fleet. 



The decrease in the number of sail boats was due to the conversion 

 of some into motor boats, and to the breaking up of others which had 

 become unseaworthy during their owners' absence on service. Five 

 drifters were sold out of the district. 



Cod-net fishing commenced towards the end of January and continued 

 to the beginning of April. The number of boats which participated in 

 this fishing was fewer than usual, being 24, compared with 47 during the 

 previous year, and 67 in 1917. 



Notwithstanding the fact that there were fewer boats at work, the 

 total catch of net-caught cod for the season exceeded that of the previous 

 year by 1235 cwts., but, owing to prices being controlled, the value was 

 £2442 less. 



Small -line fishing, however, is by far the most important branch of the 

 district fisheries, and fishermen, realising the value of motor boats in this 

 connection, are equipping aU sail boats which are suitable for the purpose 

 with motor engines, and are adding new motor boats to the fleet. The 

 quantity of line-caught fish landed was 5422 cwts. more, but the total 

 value considerably less than in 1918. 



The summer herring fishing which commenced during the week ending 

 17th May, and continued until the end of August, was attended with fair 

 success. About a dozen motor boats operated regularly from Macduff, 

 but in addition to these, crews returning home for the week-end from 

 Fraserburgh supplemented the landings. 



