Ivi 



Second Annual Report of the 



Fishing Boats 

 and Vessels. 



First-class 

 decked Boats 

 in demand. 

 Size of Boats. 



orders from fishermen. Large sized decked boats are in great 

 demand. Those built in 1883 measured from 44 to 56 feet of keel, 

 but some recent orders have been given for boats of even a 

 larger size. 



BEAM TRAWLING. 



Beam Trawl- Beam trawling was prosecuted last year with a considerable 

 ing. amount of energy, and with very fair success, especially by steam 



steam Trawlers trawlers. These vessels, which are gradually superseding sailing 



gradually- 

 superseding 

 Sailing 

 Trawlers. 



Varieties of 

 Fish caught. 



Where landed. 



Haddocks 

 plentiful not- 

 withstanding 

 Beam-Trawl- 

 ing. 



Royal Com- 

 mission. 



Information 



collected for it. officers. 



subject 



trawlers, range from off the coast of Northumberland to the coast of 

 Caithness, and when the weather is at all moderate they go from 

 20 to 50 miles to sea. At other times they fish nearer land. The 

 trawl fishermen are getting better acquainted with the grounds 

 where the best takes are to be got, and they are able to work their 

 nets more efficiently than formerly. The trawlers supplied 

 the markets with large quantities of excellent cod, ling, 

 haddock, whiting, halibut, turbot, skate, sole, plaice, and various 

 other kinds of useful fish. The catches were landed chiefly at 

 Berwick, Eyemouth, Newbaven, Granton, Montrose, Aberdeen, and 

 Wick, on the east coast ; and, usually, at Stranraer and Ayr, on the 

 west coast ; and, as a rule, they realised good prices. 



Notwithstanding the increase which has recently taken place in 

 beam-trawl fishing, the success of the line fishermen last year in 

 the haddock fishing in the districts of Eyemouth, Leith, Anstruther, 

 and on the usual fishing grounds along the Caithness coast, was 

 greater than for many years past. 



There were landed in the Eyemouth district alone no 

 less than 95,332 cwts. of haddocks, the value of which was 

 estimated to be £58,004. With reference to the questions which 

 have arisen between trawl fishermen and line fishermen, as a 

 Royal Commission is now inquiring into the whole matter of beam- 

 trawling, we deem it better to confine ourselves simply to stating 

 the facts given above; but we think it right to report that we 

 collected for that Commission, at its request, through our fishery 

 a considerable amount of information bearing upon this 



METEOROLOGY. 



Meteorology. The Board's fishery officers, as in previous years, furnished 

 Fishery returns of the fishing and weather during the season of 1883, in so 

 Officers aiding far as their regular duties permitted them, for the information of 

 Society? 10S1Cal the Scottish Meteorological Society in its investigations into the rela- 

 tions of the herring fishery to meteorology. As formerly, the 

 Society lent a number of deep-sea thermometers for observing the 

 sea temperature, which were intrusted to competent fishermen in 

 the fishery districts, who were instructed as to the manner of record- 

 ing observations day by day ; and the results, along with a daily 

 register of the weather made on the fishing grounds, were sent to 

 the Society at the close of the season. 



