of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



44. 



The total value of shell-fish, namely, £7904, exceeds that of the previous 

 year by £2091, and is the highest recorded for some years. 



During the year 4 sailing boats of the first class were sold to other 

 districts, while one had a motor engine installed. There are now only 

 14 large sailing boats belonging to Orkney district, and in all probability 

 the number will be still further reduced in the near future. 



In addition to the large herring boat, 8 small boats employed at line 

 and lobster fishing were fitted with motor engines. One boat of this 

 class was sold out of the district, and 3 were purchased from other districts, 

 bringing the total number of motor boats up to 41, as compared with 30 

 in the year 1918. 



Four sail boats belonging to Burray were fitted out for the summer 

 herring fishing. These boats fished from Lerwick, and had a remunerative 

 season. Their gross earnings ranged from £520 to £910, averaging about 

 £700^ which was considered very satisfactory. One motor boat manned 

 partly by Orkney fishermen participated in the autunQn herring fishing 

 at Yarmouth, but the voyage proved unremunerative, owing to the high 

 working expenses and a considerable loss of gear. 



Being less busily engaged on Admiralty work than during the war, 

 boatbuilders were able to turn their attention to the building of fishing 

 craft, and during the year 16 small boats of from 10 feet to 16 feet of keel 

 "were built to the order of local fishermen. 



Barrel-making was confined to one cooperage at Stronsay, where four 

 coopers were employed during the greater part of the year. 



The loss of fishing gear was rather heavier than usual, the lobster 

 fishermen being particularly unfortunate in this respect. 



RoBT. H. Johnston, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Kirkwall, ^th January 1920* 



Shetland District 



Although the restrictions on fishing operations Were practically all 

 removed during the first year of peace, the outlook of all those interested 

 in the most important of the district fisheries was even more gloomy 

 than in the three immediately preceding war years. The trade realised 

 that dealings in cured herrings in the continental markets could not be 

 efiected by the ordinary methods, and as the summer season approached 

 there was a general air of depression abroad. Curers and fishermen came 

 to the conclusion that the situation was beyond solution by private 

 enterprise alone, and perplexity and inaction prevailed till the end of 

 May, when curers finally decided not to open their premises. A small 

 number of crews launched their boats in the hope of selling their catches 

 for kippering and freshing purposes, but more herrings were landed than 

 could be dealt with, and on more than one occasion, both at Lerwick 

 and Scalloway, hundreds of crans had to be sold for manure or returned 

 to the sea. This deepened the depression, and fishing operations were 

 suspended. On the announcement of the Government guarantee for 

 cured herrings, however, an immediate change took place. Curers 

 hastened to engage female workers and fishermen to fit out their boats. 

 All the resources available were brought into action, and from June to 

 September were taxed to the utmost, as daily supplies were usually 

 up to, and over, the working capacity of the trade. Spent herrings 

 appeared early on the grounds, and this, combined with a break in the 

 weather early in September, brought the season to an abrupt close. In 



