of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



25 



expense and labour of baiting and, at times, difficulty in obtaining 

 bait are the chief drawbacks, and a number of fishermen, especially 

 in Peterhead District, therefore adopted " ripper " fishing, in which 

 a lure of burnished lead takes the place of bait. This outfit has the 

 additional advantage of involving less initial outlay, which has also 

 become an important consideration. The greater part of the small 

 and hand line catch was, however, as heretofore, landed by the 

 fishermen of districts such as Montrose, Banff and Shetland, where 

 lining is regularly prosecuted as the chief means of livelihood of a 

 large number of able-bodied fishermen. Haddocks and codlings are 

 the principal kinds of fish taken, and catches by motor boats con- 

 tinue to predominate. Including great line shots, which, as indi- 

 cated above, are not distinguished, the total catch by motor and sail 

 liners amounted to 480,096 cwts. valued at £604,337, in which, how- 

 ever, are included, 55,871 cwts., valued at £42,879, landed by foreign 

 fishing vessels, chiefly cod partly cured at sea brought to Aberdeen 

 by Earoese fishing smacks {vide Table B. — No. II., p. 116). It was 

 found that practically all the herring fishermen who had taken up 

 small and hand lining reverted to their usual occupation during the 

 summer fishing, in the hope, which unfortunately was not realised, 

 of securing more remunerative results. 



5. Cod Net Eishing. 



Fishing for cod by means of anchored nets is prosecuted during 

 the spawning season, or from the end of January to the beginning 

 of April, chiefly in the Moray Firth, but also in the lower reaches 

 of the Firth of Clyde and off the western coast of Boss-shire. A 

 similar method of fishing for codling is also employed in the Firth 

 of Forth and in Montrose District. In 1921 the Moray Firth season 

 closed earlier than usual, owing to scarcity of fish and loss of and 

 damage to nets. The nets are left unattended in the sea, and it 

 was alleged that much of the damage had been caused by foreign 

 trawlers at work in the Firth. Prices realised for cod ruled low, 

 and considering the heavy loss of gear results were very disappoint- 

 ing. The total catch for the season amounted to 40,151 cwts., 

 valued at £41,836, against 35,055 cwts. and £49,419 in 1920. In 

 the former year the maximum fleet engaged numbered 14 steam, 

 146 motor and 10 sail vessels, against 34 steam, 159 motor and 

 21 sail last year. The Western Boss fishing was a pronounced 

 failure, while results off the Ayrshire coast were only moderate, 

 chiefly on account of low prices. 



6. Danish Seine Net Fishing. 



This method of fishing, the introduction of which into Scottish 

 waters has already been described, was mainly confined to the 

 Moray Firth. English vessels which landed at Aberdeen had dis- 

 appointing results and soon abandoned the fishing, but Moray 

 Firth crews, probably on accouut of their knowledge of the grounds, 

 fared much better. In all 783 landings were made by steam vessels 

 and 114 by motor boats, totalling 15,200 cwts., valued at £38,084, 

 mostly plaice, haddocks and lemon soles. 



