55 



Apfendices to Thirty-eighth Amml Report 



Campbeltown District. 



The total landings in this district during the year under review were 

 70,643 cwts., valued at £53,225, as compared with 89,546 cwts. and £132,478 

 for the previous year. 



The number of boats on the Register at the end of the year was the same 

 as in 1918, but their tonnage showed an increase of 24 tons. Five old boats 

 were struck off the Register as being unseaworthy, and 4 motor boats 

 were added — 2 from Ireland, 1 from Greenock, and 1 from Aberdeen 

 — while a boat formerly carried aboard a merchant vessel was fitted with 

 a motor engine and rigged out for fishing. 



Owing to the very high prices demanded and the poor results of the 

 fishings, very little new gear was acquired. 



About the end of January the majority of the local fishermen com- 

 menced operations on the Ayrshire coast, landing their catches chiefly at 

 Stranraer. They remained on this coast until March, and had a very suc- 

 cessful season, landing at least 4327 crans, which realised £22,432. Their 

 earnings during this short season were more than a third of their earnings 

 for the year. Three pairs belonging to Campbeltown had earnings ranging 

 from £1200 to £2000. Seven pairs from Carradale had average earnings of 

 about £1000 per pair, while the average for the fleet engaged would be about 

 £750 per pair. The highest catch for this period was one of 1000 baskets, 

 netted by one of the local pairs. They required the assistance of another 

 pair to secure the fish. One of the boats had 500 baskets aboard ; this 

 shows the fine carrying capacity of the type of boats used in these 

 districts. 



Apart from this short season at the Ayrshire coast, the herring fishing 

 was very disappointing and unremunerative to the fishermen employed. 

 Until late in the year the quality of the herrings was inferior, and as the 

 home markets were receiving plentiful supplies from the East Coast, prices 

 during the summer months were very low. During the month of December 

 shoals of splendid herrings were located in the Sound and Machrie Bay, for 

 which there was a keen demand, but the stormy weather experienced 

 throughout the month seriously interrupted fishing operations and 

 debarred the fishermen from making a much -needed addition to their 

 scanty earnings. 



The average earnings of the motor herring fleet are estimated at about 

 £690 per boat. This includes the earnings at Stranraer, where big prices 

 were obtained for all fish landed. 



From July to September shoals of good mackerel were located in the 

 sound of Kilbrennan, 941 crans being netted. These sold at an average 

 price of 33s. Ud. per cran. 



The only fishcuring in the district was carried out at Campbeltown, 

 where 514 barrels of herrings were cured gutted and 301 crans were 

 kippered. The herrings cured were generally of poor quality, and were 

 all for home markets, and practically all the herrings kippered were 

 disposed of locally. 



Fully two-thirds of the herrings caught in the district were sold to 

 carrying steamers in the Sound, and taken by them direct to the railheads 

 for Glasgow market. Nine steamers were engaged in this work during 

 the year. 



During the spring 2 East Coast motor boats successfully prosecuted 

 the great Hne fishing from this port, their gross earnings being £1950 and 

 £750 respectively for the period they were employed. 



Line fishing was only carried out locally in a very desultory fashion by a 

 number of the smaller boats, and their landings showed a sUght increase as 

 compared with last year. 



