of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



38 



Lyhster District. 



The return to peace conditions did not lead to any increased activity 

 m the prosecution of the fisheries from the creeks of Lybster district. 

 The fishermen engaged as usual in small-line and hand-line fishing, and 

 during the months of August and September in drift-net fishing. These 

 operations were all conducted in the inshore waters off the coast of the 

 district, and only small motor and sail boats were employed. High prices 

 for fish when the war was in progress resulted in increased earnings for the 

 fishermen employed, l^ut in the year 1919 the markets were well suppUed 

 with fresh herrings and kippers, and with other fish from the trawUng 

 ports, and there was a big drop in prices, with a corresponding fall in the 

 fishermen's earnings. 



Line fishing received little attention during the six months from April 

 till September, and was most actively prosecuted in the first and last 

 quarter of the year. The catches of the line boats were composed almost 

 entirely of codling and haddock. The average prices received by the 

 fishermen were : — codHng, 34s. 9d. per cwt., and haddock, 29s. 3Jd. per 

 cwt., as against 50s. 5d. and 53s. lOJd. respectively in the year 1918. 



From the middle of August till 13th September 15 small sail boats 

 were employed more or less regularly at inshore herring fishing, but met 

 with little success. On 6th August one of the crews secured a shot of 18 

 crans, which was landed at Wick and disposed of at 60s. per cran. With 

 that exception the results were extremely poor, the total quantity landed 

 in Lybster district amounting to only 160 crans, valued at £282. 



The total quantity of fish landed in Lybster district in the year 1919 

 amounted to 3047 cwts., valued at £4350, or 179 cwts., and £3049 less than 

 in 1918. 



During the summer months crabs and lobsters to the value of £142 

 were landed at Latheron wheel and Lybster. Only a few creels were U3ed by 

 the fishermen of these creeks, and for the number used the results were 

 con^^idered fairly satisfactory. 



In the year 1919 one fish-curer carried on curing operations at Lybster, 

 and obtained the bulk of his supphes by rail from Wick. Owing to the 

 Hght landings of herrings at Lybster only a small business was done, the 

 total output being 7560 boxes of kippers and 70 barrels of herrings cured 

 gutted. 



Owing to a difficulty in obtaining barrel-making material only 400 

 herring barrels were constructed at Lybster during the year 1919. 



A number of the fishermen were employed at the summer herring 

 fishing as hired men on boats belonging to Wick, and secured in most cases 

 fairly satisfactory earnings. 



Alexander Wood, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 



Wick, April 1920. 



Wick District. 



The herring fisheries of Wick district, practically suspended during the 

 whole period of the Great War, were recommenced, and carried on success- 

 fully in the year 1919, and herrings, for the first time since the year 1914, 

 occupied their accustomed and principal place in the district returns of 

 fish landed. The total quantity of net and hne fish landed within the 

 district in the year 1919 amounted to 460,457 cwts., valued at £274,340, 

 and herrings accounted for 92-7 per cent, of the quantity, and 79*1 per 

 cent, of the value. Although progress towards the re -establishment of 



