Fishery Board for Scotland. 



XXXIX 



In the Moray Firth districts, which embrace Buckie, Findhorn, East Coast 

 Cromarty, and Helmsdale, the aggregate number of boats employed j^X? 

 in the herring fishery last year was 312, being 98 less than in 1882. °— 

 The average catch for each boat was 68 crans, showing an increase fj^om 

 on 1882 of 17-J crans. The average for each of these districts Cromarty, and 

 was 120, 58, 39, and 55 crans respectively. A considerable pro- D?stricts le 

 portion of the catch was got 50 to 70 miles at Sea, but the most Average 

 successful fishing was made inshore. In the week ending 4th Fishing per 

 August good takes were got on the rich beds off Tarbetness, Q^ n ' ore and 

 and the average for that week was 26 crans per boat. In the inshore 

 same week Buckie Bay yielded the high average of 50 crans Fishing, 

 per boat, and in the week ending 25th August fishing was got in Port- BuciSnd 

 gordon Bay, which produced an average of 26 crans. Not a few of Portgordon 

 the boats which fish herrings from the upper reaches of the Moray Bays * 

 Firth are old and inferior, and do not venture much to sea during Old and 

 the stormy weather, which generally prevails to a greater or less inferior Boats - 

 extent every season about the latter part of August. 



In Lybster district 138 boats were employed in 1883, or 19 fewer Lybster 

 than in 1882. The fishing began about the middle of July, and District ' 

 lasted till the first week of September. The average catch for 

 the season was 111 crans per boat, being the highest in this Best Fishing 

 district for the last thirty years, and presents a remarkable contrast yeara. lrty 

 to the fishing of 1882, which was almost an entire failure. The 

 herrings were caught chiefly on ground lying from 200 yards to 3 Fishing chiefly 

 miles from the land ; and the most successful weeks were those inshore - 

 ending 18th and 25th August, each of which yielded an average of 

 28 crans per boat. 



Wick district had 518 boats engaged in 1883, being 82 less than Wick District, 

 in the previous year. The season was begun by a few boats in 

 June, but little success was got till the second week of July, when 

 the number of boats increased. Thereafter the fishing proved very 

 abundant. In July, weekly averages of 30 to 60 Crans per boat Fishing very 

 were caught, which were the largest Wick had ever known in that successful - 

 month. This success was continued and increased in August, when 

 large shoals of herrings were found both near the land and far out at 

 sea. During the last ten days of that month the fishing was most 

 productive within 4 miles of the shore. Takes of 80 to 118 crans Heavy takes 

 were landed, and the average for the two weeks ended 25th inshore - 

 August was 98 crans per boat. The season closed about 1st Sep- 

 tember, and yielded the largest returns which the district had ever Largest returns 

 experienced. The average catch of the year amounted to 232 crans ever known, 

 per boat, being exactly double that of 1882. 



Orkney district had a fleet of 205 boats in 1883, showing Orkney 

 an increase of eight boats on the number in 1882. The general Dlstnct 

 fishing commenced in the beginning of July, with a fair amount of |S^ f £l 

 success. The last week of that month gave an average catch of 45 July, 

 crans per boat, by which time several boats had fished their com- 

 plement of 200 crans, while a few had landed upwards of 300 crans. 

 Owing chiefly to unsuitable weather little was afterwards done till 

 the week ended 25th August, when an immense shoal of herrings 



