Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xlv 



buying steamers were on the fishing ground off Ballantrae during West Coast 

 the season ; and it was stated that 3580 telegrams in connection p^ riug 

 with the industry passed through the Girvan post-office last year. 1 ^1 

 The summer and autumn fishing of Ballantrae district is not of g^jjjf 

 much importance, and the native fishermen during its continuance, Telegraph 

 as a rule, follow their calling at Kilbrannan Sound and on the Messages, 

 coast of Argyle. Large quantities of mackerel were got in the Mackerel 

 district last autumn, but this fishery has not been prosecuted there Fishm s- 

 with much energy. 



Summary of West Coast Herring Fishery. 



The herring fishery on the west coast of Scotland produced in Summary of 

 1883 more than the average of recent years. The gross number of FTshery° ast 

 barrels cured was 221,506f, but this is less by 83,240£ barrels than — 

 the cure of the remarkably abundant year of 1882. 



The returns from the different parts of the west coast exhibit 

 the fluctuations that are constantly taking place in this fishery. Of Fluctuations 

 the nine districts, four show a considerable increase on the ln Flshm s- 

 previous year, and five a greater or less decrease, the falling 

 off in two of the latter, Loch Carron and Skye, and Inveraray, being 

 very large. Stornoway, Ballantrae, Fort- William, and Loch Broom 

 districts yielded better returns than in 1882. The most productive Productiveness 

 stations were Kilbrannan Sound and Loch Fyne. These famous goimd and. nau 

 fishing centres, especially the latter, yielded almost daily during Loch Fyne. 

 the season large supplies of those richly flavoured herrings which 

 are so much prized in the home markets. 



As was the case some years ago, the herring shoals in 1883 Presence of 

 never went much above Otter Ferry towards upper Loch Fyne. ^p k 0 e s r e e d cause 

 It was alleged that the cause of this was the presence of quantities of failure in 

 of mackerel in the latter place, it being supposed, as has been L ° Ch 

 stated in connection with Loch Hourn, that herrings never lie in 

 waters where mackerel abound. 



The official returns of all the herrings cured on the west coast 

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

 exhibit a continuous and large increase. The following table shows 

 the particulars : — 



Periods of ten years. Y ^ f™^ of Nearly average 



J .Barrels cured. Increase in 



1834 to 1843 inclusive 66,466 l e ™* s of Ten 



1844 „ 1853 „ 79,529 ' 



1854 „ 1863 „ 104,347 



1864 „ 1873 „ 172,089 



1874 „ 1883 „ 183,672 



Barrels cured in 1883, . 221,506|. 

 Notwithstanding that the number of barrels cured on the west increase per 

 coast in 1883 was 27'3 per cent, less than in 1882, it will be seen T^TWy- 

 from these returns that if that number is compared with the five and Fifty 

 average of the last 10 years it exhibits an increase of 17 per cent. ; Years - 

 if it is compared with the average of the last 25 years it shows an 

 increase of 2 5 '4 per cent. ; and of 50 years 457 per cent. 



