14 



Fortieth Annual Report 



began to be made at Stornoway, Mallaig, Kyle and Oban. Good 

 catches were also made at Lerwick and Scalloway by local boats, and 

 on some occasions the supply exceeded the demand. A fairly 

 successful fishing was obtained by the fleet working off Eyemouth 

 and on the North East of England. 



At the end of June the total fleet operating in Scottish waters 

 (excepting the Eirth of Clyde) numbered only 760 vessels, of which 

 160 were steam drifters, whereas a fleet of 1750 vessels, including 

 1100 steam drifters, was at work at the corresponding date in 1920. 

 At this time operations were being conducted from Peterhead, 

 Fraserburgh, Wick, Stronsay (Orkney), and Lerwick, and on a 

 smaller scale from Stornoway, Castlebay, Mallaig and Oban, and 

 Eyemouth. 



A good steady fishing was secured at Lerwick from the end of 

 May, and for the motor and sail boats, mostly belonging to the 

 Islands, which worked continuously in Shetland waters the season 

 proved most satisfactory. Prices at Lerwick were comparatively 

 good right up to the end of July, when they began to fall in sympathy 

 with the depreciation of the mark and a contraction of the German 

 demand, and when the majority of the steam drifters had begun 

 fishing the best of the season had passed. Unfortunately most of the 

 herrings were of inferior quality, lacking fat, and presenting a starved 

 or shrivelled appearance after being roused, but the August fish 

 were better developed. The gross earnings at Shetland ranged from 

 £1300 to £1800 for steam vessels, £1100 to £2200 for motor boats, 

 and £500 to £1170 for sail boats. 



At Orkney and on the East Coast results were much poorer, as in 

 no area could herrings be taken in remunerative quantities. The 

 quality at Orkney was fair, but prices averaged only 20s. per cran, 

 which to fishermen was unremunerative. The moderate curing staffs 

 provided at Stronsay, however, were hardly sufficient to deal with the 

 landings. On the East Coast the catch was very light throughout the 

 season, never equalling curers' requirements, while the quality was 

 exceptionally poor. The demand by curers, especially when it was 

 evident that there would be a shortage, was keen, but both curers 

 and fishermen suffered loss on the season's operations. The fishing 

 came to a premature close about the end of August. 



On the West Coast catches were disappointing except at Castle- 

 bay, but owing to the fairly extensive preparations which had been 

 made to deal with large supplies, and to the good demand which for 

 a time prevailed for early matjes at first in the German and later in 

 the American market, and for kippers in this country, high prices 

 were paid. The demand from America collapsed about the middle 

 of August owing, it was said, to the inferior quality of the herrings, 

 and the bulk of the cure thereafter was consigned to Germany. 



4. East Anglian Eishing. 



In spite of the doubtful prospects for the East Anglian autumn 

 fishing, active preparations for it were carried on at most of the East 

 Coast and Moray Eirth drifter ports during September, and by the 

 end of that month or beginning of October a large fleet of steam 

 drifters and motor boats and a number of Scottish curing firms and 

 their employees had arrived at Yarmouth and Lowestoft; the 



