Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xli 



The gross fishing in 1883 of the 792 boats in Shetland district East Coast 

 gave an average catch of 242 crans to each, being the highest J^ rhls 

 average of all the east coast districts. It produced 256,487 barrels lsl !21 

 of cured herrings, or nearly double the number yielded by the Shetland 

 successful season of 1882, and more than four times that of 1834, pJJ^uceaf 

 which was the largest ever before known in Shetland. In all pro- Season, 

 bability this success may be still further increased, new fishing Unparalleled 

 ground having been discovered north of Unst, where herrings have NewFisi • 

 been caught of superior size and quality. In view of this it is Ground? mg 

 understood that sites for curing premises have been taken at con- 

 tiguous places in North Yell. Arrangements have been made New Curing 

 for the erection of additional stations in various other parts of the stations, 

 district. As illustrative of the beneficial effects which the recent Effect of suc- 

 development of the herring fishery in Shetland has had upon the cessful Fishing, 

 native population, it may be stated that in 1877 they only pos- 

 sessed 3 decked boats, while in 1883 that number had increased to 

 240, and is still becoming larger. 



Summary of East Coast Herring Fishery. 



The returns of the herring fishery on the east coast for 1883 Summary of 

 exhibit an increase in six districts over those of 1882, amounting to Herrin° ast 

 228,487 barrels cured, and a decrease in eleven districts of 158,8071 Fishery, 

 barrels, resulting in a net increase of 69,679J barrels in 1883. The increase of 

 increase was altogether made up in the districts of Shetland and fn'i88| Earrels 

 Orkney, in the districts on the north coast of the Moray Firth, and 

 in Buckie district. In all the other east coast districts there was 

 a greater or less falling off. It may be here remarked that the 

 most striking feature recently connected with the herring fishery 

 cf Scotland is its rapid development and great increase in the Development 

 Shetland Islands. Regarding this fishery the inspector of the g^i^nd 7 iu 

 former Board reported in 1874 that it 'has become of so small 

 'mark as scarcely to call for notice.' In that year the fishing 

 throughout the whole of these islands yielded only a total of 1100 

 barrels. In 1881 the catch amounted to 59,586 barrels, in 1882 Barrels Cured 

 to 134,187, while in 1883 it reached 256,487 barrels. This catch ^^y 882 

 of last year was equal to nearly a fourth of all the herrings 

 taken on the east coast. The number of boats has increased in a Herring Fleet, 

 corresponding degree. In 1874 the whole herring fleet fishing in 

 the Shetland waters numbered 50 boats, in 1881 it rose to 276 boats, 

 in 1882 to 372; and in 1883 it reached the large total of 792 

 boats. 



The official returns of herrings cured on the whole of the east East Coast 

 coast for the last 50 years, on the average of each period of 10 ^hery of last 

 years, show a large and continuous increase. They are as follow:— y ears * 



Periods of ten years. Ye ^ f ^ ° f Yearl y avera ^ e 



J Barrels cured. Increase in 



1834 to 1843 inclusive. 409,957 periods of 



1844 „ 1853 „ ' 479,309 Ten Years. 



1854 „ 1863 „ 523,013 



„ 562,378 



4 „ 1883 „ 843,743 



Barrels cured in 1883, . 1,047,905| 



