26 



Fortieth Annual Report 



7. Flounder Seine Net Fishing. 



The total quantity of fish taken by the ordinary flounder seine 

 net was 28,712 cwts., valued at £56,918, against about 15,000 cwts., 

 valued at £40,000 in 1920. Practically all was landed by motor 

 boats, and considerably more than half in Montrose District. An 

 additional inshore area in the vicinity of Peterhead was opened to 

 this method of fishing during the year, but did not yield the results 

 expected. The coastal waters specially opened to flounder seine net 

 fishing now extend on the East Coast from Eattray Head in Aber- 

 deenshire to Babbet Ness in Fifeshire, and off the south shore of 

 the Firth of Forth from Gullane Xess to Cramond Island, and in 

 the Firth of Clyde within the line from the Mull of Cantyre to 

 Corsewall Point. 



8. Sprats, Sparlings and Mackerel. 



Sprat fishing is confined to Inverness Firth, where it is carried 

 on in conjunction with drift net fishing for small herrings, and to 

 the Firths of Tay and Forth. The season extends from about 

 October to March, so that the landings for a calendar year represent 

 the second part of one season and the first part of the next. In 

 1921 the total catch was 44,633 cwts., valued at £5446, or 2s. 5d. 

 per cwt. Owing to the plentiful supply of larger fish the demand 

 for sprats for home consumption, which was considerable during the 

 war, has almost disappeared, and a large proportion of the year's 

 catch was disposed of for manure, although over one-fourth was 

 cured for export. 



Sparlings, which are taken in estuaries, are landed in such small 

 quantities as to be of little importance commercially. 



The demand for mackerel, as for sprats, has greatly fallen off 

 since the war, and the majority of those landed are taken incidentally 

 in the course of drift-net fishincr for herrings. For the total catch 

 of 53,805 cwts. the average price was 8s. 6d. per cwt. The quantity 

 utilised for curing was less, than 10,000 cwts. 



9. Crustaceans and Shell Fish. 



As in the preceding year creel fishing for lobsters and crabs 

 received considerable attention, and the landings of both again show 

 increases. Lobsters are taken for the most part in the crofting areas, 

 chiefly around the Minch and in Orkney, and catches during the past 

 year were as a rule very satisfactory. The exceptionally warm 

 weather experienced, however, frequently caused a heavy mortality 

 in consignments, which tended to discourage operations when con- 

 ditions were most suitable for fishing ; while as winter approached 

 fishermen began to consider the risk to gear greater than was 

 warranted by the prices realised, and fishing was restricted. Crabs 

 are taken chiefly on the East Coast from Montrose District south- 

 wards, where also a considerable number of lobsters are taken by 

 small boats. 



The total value of oysters taken was only £1541. With the 

 exception of small quantities from West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, all 

 were from the Loch Kyan beds. 



