of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



35 



Prior to 1899 the cost of the service was borne on the annual 

 estimates voted by Parliament, but since that year it has been 

 met out of an annual grant of £15,000 under the Local Taxation 

 Account (Scotland) Act, 1898. With the great increase of costs 

 consequent on the war, the annual grant is insufficient to meet the 

 expenditure involved in maintaining the fleet, and it is with the 

 utmost difficulty, and only by encroaching on a rapidly diminishing 

 reserve fund, that it is possible to carry on the service efficiently. 



The Board's cruisers were employed mostly on the stations best 

 suited to their seagoing capacity. The services of the drifter 

 "Maelstrom" were utilised until September 1921, when the new 

 boiler of the " Brenda " was completed and that vessel resumed duty 

 on the East Coast station. The " Maelstrom " gave useful service, 

 although her lack of speed and the want of an electric searchlight 

 detracted from her efficiency. 



In carrying out their duties the fishery cruisers, despite the 

 restrictions on their movements during the coal mining dispute, 

 steamed about 58,394 knots, and effected 75 detections of illegal 

 fishing. Numerous cases of such fishing reported by private 

 individuals were investigated by the officers of the cruisers, and 

 assistance was given on many occasions in fixing the loci of cases 

 observed and reported. 



The following table gives details of the work performed by the 

 respective cruisers during the year : — 











"Brenda" 





Particulars. 



"Noma." 



" Freya." 



"Minna." 



or " Mael- 



"Vigilant." 











strom." 



Number of days at sea - 



235 



200 



170 



199 



191 



Number of knots steamed 



18,745 



11,212 



9,950 



9,317 



9,170 



Detections of illegal 









trawling (including 













seine-net fishing) 



13 



19 



10 



28 



5 



Detections of illegal fish- 













ing other than trawling 













Boats detained for 













marking - 



5 



61 



57 



1 



113 



Boats cautioned for 













lighting - 



4 



14 





9 



112 



Foreign trawlers observed 



24 



21 







2 



Number of occasions seen 



41 



34 







2 



Number of craft assisted 



1 



3 







3 



In addition to the detections effected by the Board's cruisers, 

 coastguardsmen detected 18 cases, and fishermen and other private 

 individuals 76. 



Illegal fishing was most prevalent in the Moray Firth, where there 

 were 60 detections during the year. Next in order came the East 

 Coast area with 36, followed by the Firth of Clyde with 26, West 

 Coast with 24, Firth of Forth with 15 and the North Coast with 8. 



The coal dispute during the spring and summer months, in 

 addition to restricting the patrol work, led to increased trawling on 

 the inshore grounds by the reduced trawling fleet at work, while 



