xliv 



Second Annual Report of the 



West Coast 



Herring 



Fishery. 



Seine-Trawl 

 and Drift Nets. 

 Most success- 

 ful Fishing. 

 Barrels Cured. 



Steamers 

 employed. 



Great Takes. 



terruption till the middle of December. 261 boats were engaged 

 in it, most of which were seine-net trawlers, and after the middle of 

 the season drift-net fishing was all but given up. The year was a 

 most successful one, and, with the exception of 1882, yielded a 

 better return than had ever before been known in the district. 

 49,055 barrels were cured, and although this number was a large 

 decrease on the preceding year, the fishing was believed to have 

 been more remunerative, owing to the herrings being of superior 

 quality and realising high prices. 12 steamers were constantly em- 

 ployed in carrying the fish away direct from the boats, and on 

 some occasions that number was increased to 20. In July, August, 

 and September scarcely a day passed without some great take being 

 got by two of these seine-net trawlers, varying from 30 to 200 

 crans. Of these takes, one was understood to have been sold for 

 £557, and another for £575. 



Campbeltown 

 District. 



Fishing 

 Second-best on 

 Record. 



Seine-Trawl 

 Net. 



Steamers took 

 Herrings away. 



Earnings of 

 Boats. 



The fishing in Campbeltown district in 1883 was also, with the ex- 

 ception of that of the previous year, the best it had ever experienced. 

 It yielded 53.241 barrels of cured herrings, showing only a decrease 

 of 4152 barrels on 1882. During the season, which was begun in 

 April and continued till December, 431 boats were employed. 

 Most of them used the seine-trawl net, and their success was much 

 greater than those which had ordinary drift nets. Nearly the whole 

 of the herrings were regularly taken away, without being landed, 

 by 6 or 8 swift steamers for the home markets. There was always 

 an excellent demand for them, and prices were obtained, vary- 

 ing from 40s. to 60s. a cran. It was estimated that the majority 

 of the boats which used the seine-trawl net earned about £1000 

 each in the season. 



Rothesay 

 District. 



The district of Rothesay in 1883 shows a great falling off in the 

 fishing when compared with the former year, the number of barrels 

 cured being only 3297 against 11,806 in 1882. A number of 

 the boats, however, had gone to fish in other places. 



Greenock 

 District. 



The returns from Greenock district show a decrease of 1635 

 in the number of barrels cured last year against that of 1882. The 

 herring shoals never seemed to enter the Clyde, and the best 

 equipped boats went to prosecute the industry elsewhere. 



Ballantrae 

 District. 



The most important feature in Ballantrae district is its winter 

 herring fishery, which is generally carried on during the months of 

 January, February, and March. It is prosecuted in three different 

 ways — by drift nets, seine-trawl nets, and trammel nets. In 1883 

 400 boats were engaged in it, and they had a successful season, 

 which yielded about 24,575 crans. There was always an excellent 

 demand for the herrings in the English markets, and prices as 

 high as from £3 to £5 per cran were usually obtained. A con- 

 siderable portion of the catch was kippered. Last year's winter 

 Winter Fishing fishing was estimated as worth the large sum of £80,000. The 

 worth £80,000. h eav j es t catch was made in the week ended 3rd March, when 

 16,060 crans were landed. Of these, 500 trucks containing 17,000 

 packages were despatched by railway from Girvan alone. Three 



Modes of 

 Fishing. 



High prices 

 of Herring. 



