258 



Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 



As we have seen (p. 242), trawling or seining was made illegal in 

 1851, but the prohibition was ineffectually enforced, and was in abeyance 

 from 1854 to 1859 ; it was entirely suppressed in 1862. It would be 

 of considerable importance if statistics were available for a period of 

 years showing the number of seine- and drift-net boats pursuing the 

 fishery, and the quantity and value of the herrings caught by each 

 of these methods of fishing. That the number of seiners has very 

 greatly increased in proportion to the drifters is shown by two returns 

 specially prepared, one in connection with Mr. Esslemont's inquiry in 

 1893, and the other referring to last year; and they also indicate the 

 quantity and value of the herrings taken by each class of fishermen. 

 The return referring to Loch Fyne for 1893 is as follows : — 





Boats. 



Men. 



Herrings. 



Yalue. 



Drift net, 

 Seine net, 



135 

 160 



376 

 640 



Grans. 

 15,030 

 25,760 



£ 



15,317 

 25,200 



The statistics for the Inveraray district in 1899 show that while the 

 numbers of both drift- and seine-net boats have diminished since 1893, 

 the latter mode of fishing fully maintains its preponderance. The 

 figures are these : — 





Boats. 



Men. 



Herrings. 



Value. 



Drift net, 

 Seine net, 



105 

 138 



276 

 552 



Grans. 



7,847 

 23,541 



£ 



6,815 

 34,074 



It is thus evident that during the years since the earlier inquiries were 

 made, the use of the seine net has greatly extended relatively to the 

 use of the drift net ; while, as has been shown, the supply of herrings 

 has increased rather than diminished. The corresponding statistics for 

 the adjoining district of Campbeltown for the same years exhibit similar 

 features, the preponderance of seine-net fishing being as marked as in 

 Loch Fyne. The fishermen of each district fish both in Loch Fyne 

 and Kilbrennan Sound. 





Boats. 



Men. 



Herrings. 



Yalue. 



1893. 







Grans. 



£ 



Drift net, 



149 



447 



33,087 



24,067 



Seine net, 



132 



594 



37,763 



31,892 



1899. 











Drift net, 



95 



320 



4,357 



6,579 



Seine net, 



140 



630 



27,541 



33,672 



The preponderance of the seine-net fishing for herrings in the Firth 

 of Clyde, taken as a whole, is further shown in the following Table for 



