53 



Appendices to Thirty- eighth Annual Report 



doing elsewhere, and, provided the demand for fresh herrings and kippers 

 continues, there is no doubt that the fisheries of the district will develop 

 still further in the future. 



George Downie, 



Fishery Officer, 



Fishery Office, 

 Kyle, 16^^ January 1920, 



Fort-William District. 



Compared with the figures for the preceding year, the quantity and 

 value of fish landed in Fort-William district for the year 1919 show de- 

 creases of 98,586 cwts. and £40,881. This large decrease in the value of 

 the fisheries may be partly accounted for by the lowering of the maximum 

 control price. The value of shell-fish shows an increase of £1501. 



In the Means of Capture Returns a reduction of 20 boats (chiefly of the 

 third class) has to be recorded. A number of old boats have been struck 

 ofi the register as being unfit for further service. It may be remarked 

 that a number of the younger class of crofter fishermen who have been on 

 service during the war have not returned to their former occupation, and 

 several boats that had been lying ashore since the outbreak of war "and 

 had become unseaworthy were consequently not replaced. The motor 

 fleet shows a reduction of one boat. 



The winter herring fishing commenced about the first week of January, 

 and was prosecuted at Mallaig and Oban with fairly good results. The 

 fleet operated from Cape Wrath to Stoer Head and from Ushinish Point 

 to Coll Bank and Skerryvore. The Oban boats worked chiefly on the 

 latter grounds and the Mallaig boats on the former. The quality was 

 good up to the middle of February, when spent fish appeared. The fishing 

 during the last week of January and first week of February was exceptionally 

 heavy, so much so that the railway lines became congested with the heavy 

 . traffic, and there was some delay in forwarding the catches from the ports 

 of landing. 



The fishing closed about the end of March. Mallaig accounted for 

 92,349 crans, valued at £181,024, and Oban for 11,916 crans, valued at 

 £48,975. The results for the combined ports show a decrease of 34,756 

 crans and £263,310 compared with the figures for the preceding year. 

 The decrease in quantity was due to the fact that the shoals were more 

 scattered, while the reduction in value may be accounted for by the fact 

 that the control of prices was not in force at the corresponding season in the 

 preceding year, and prices therefore soared as high as £14, 10s. per cran. 

 The fishing was prosecuted by a fleet of 40 steam drifters and 70 motor 

 boats, and the majority of these made substantial earnings. 



The gross earnings of the most successful steam drifter may be put 

 down at £4000, and those of the most successful motor boat at £3800, 

 while earnings of from £1000 to £2000 were the rule. With the exception 

 of 404 barrels cured and 2262 crans kippered the whole of the catch was 

 despatched in a fresh state, a considerable quantity being afterwards 

 kippered at Eyemouth, Dunbar, Shields, Hull, Yarmouth, and Lowestoft. 



After an interval of about three weeks the early summer fishing 

 was commenced by a few boats at Mallaig and Oban, and by the 

 first week of May a fleet of 90 steam drifters, 90 motor boats, 

 and 6 sailers was at work. The fleet at this^ season worked chiefly 

 from Skerryvore to Skye, while a few of the Oban boats worked 

 as far as Inishtrahull. The fishing was partial, and while a few 

 boats made moderate earnings ranging, up to £900, the bulk of the 



