xl 



Second Annual Report of the 



East Coast 



Herring 



Fishery. 



Immense 

 Shoal at 

 Stronsay. 

 Very heavy 

 Fishing. 



Many Nets lost. 



Highest aver- 

 age Catch on 

 record. 



New Curing 

 Stations. 



was discovered at Stronsay close inshore. On the 22nd and 23rd 

 of that month the boats got the great average of 50 and 38 crans, 

 respectively. One boat landed a take of 130 crans, and by this 

 time another boat had fished altogether no fewer than 760 crans, 

 while several others had caught upwards of 500 crans. Unfor- 

 tunately many nets were sunk and lost by the great weight of fish 

 which they had taken. The season closed during the week ending 

 1st September with an average catch of 181 crans per boat, being 

 the highest ever recorded in Orkney district, and more than double 

 that of 1882. In consequence of the remarkable success of the 

 fishing in this district last year, arrangements have been made 

 for the erection of additional curing premises ; and it is anticipated 

 that this year there will be a considerable increase in the fleet 

 engaged in the industry. 



Shetland 

 District. 



Erection of 



additional 



Premises. 



ncrease of 

 Boats and 

 Fishcurers. 



Number of 



Persons 



employed. 



Good order 

 maintained. 



Division of 

 District. 



Lerwick 

 Section. 



Increase of 

 Decked Boats. 



Successful 

 Fishing on 

 West Side. 



Average of 

 best week. 



Unst Section. 



Successful 

 Fishing in 

 June. 



Unsettled 

 Weather a: 

 Dog-fish. 



In Shetland district the extraordinary success of the herring 

 fishing of 1882 caused preparations on a greatly extended scale to 

 be made for 1883, and in Lerwick especially and neighbourhood, 

 and at Balta Sound in Unst, a considerable amount of capital was 

 expended in erecting additional curing stations. In 1882 the 

 number of boats engaged in the fishing was 372, whereas in 1883 

 no less than 792 were employed. This large fleet included boats 

 from the Firth of Forth, Aberdeenshire, Moray Firth, Caithness, 

 Ross-shire, Argyllshire, England, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. 

 The number of curers in 1882 was 21; in 1883 it rose to 67; and it 

 was estimated that the number of fishermen and persons employed in 

 curing last year was 5389. It is satisfactory to observe that, not- 

 withstanding, good order was maintained throughout the season. 

 This was very much due to an increase in the constabulary force, 

 and occasional visits of H.M.S. 'Firm.' For its more efficient 

 supervision, and for better meeting the demands for branding, Shet- 

 land district was divided into two sections — Lerwick and Unst. 



In Lerwick section 466 boats were employed in 1883, and in Unst 

 section 326— making together, as stated above, 792 boats, of which 

 710 were decked, and 82 were small boats. As compared with 

 1882 this shows an increase of 444 decked boats, a decrease of 24 

 small boats, and an increase in the total number of boats of no less 

 than 420. The fishing was begun in Lerwick section in June, 

 during which month it was prosecuted on the west side of Shetland 

 with 305 boats, and for that month it yielded an average of 60 

 crans per boat, being double the produce of the corresponding period 

 in 1882. Thereafter, it was continued with more or less interrup- 

 tions caused by unfavourable weather, until about the middle of 

 September, when it closed. The best week of the season was the 

 one ending 25th August, which gave an average catch of 47 crans 

 per boat. 



In Unst section a few inferior herrings were caught in May, but 

 the regular fishing did not begin till June. At the end of that 

 month the boats were very successful, and some of them got takes of 

 80 and 90 crans. From the beginning of July till about the 

 middle of September, when it closed, the fishing was irregularly 

 prosecuted owing to unsettled weather and shoals of dog-fish 

 appearing on the coast. The boats averaged during that time from 

 15 to 30 crans a week. 



