60 



Appendices to Fortieth Annual Report 



APPENDIX II. 



EXTRACTS FROM ANNUAL REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF 

 SEA FISHERIES AND FISHERY OFFICERS. 



Inspector of Sea Fisheries. — In a review of the results of the 

 Scottish Fisheries for the year 1921 there is little other than disappoint- 

 ment and failure to record. The causes were labour troubles — particu- 

 larly the coal dispute — high working costs ashore and afloat, high 

 freights and unremunerative prices for fresh fish, with the continued 

 closure of some of the most important markets for cured fish and the 

 instability of exchanges. 



The winter herring fishing on the north and west coasts did well for 

 some time, but owing to the poor demand for fresh and kippered 

 herrings in the southern markets, herrings became almost unsaleable at 

 the landing ports, and the season came to an early close. A few 

 fortunate crews did well, but to the majority the results were most 

 disappointing. On the Haddington and Berwick coasts and in the Firth 

 of Forth a successful herring fishing was conducted throughout the 

 early months of the year, and the fishermen engaged had fairly 

 satisfactory earnings. 



The summer herring fishing was commenced under somewhat dis- 

 couraging conditions. For the first time since the conclusion of the 

 Great' War, the herring fishing and curing industry was put upon its 

 own resources, as the Government had intimated at the end of the year 

 1920 that financial assistance such as was given in 1919 and 1920 would 

 not be repeated, and the fact that large stocks of 1920 cured herrings had 

 not been marketed made the outlook all the more unpromising. Fisher- 

 men and curers were therefore reluctant to commence operations, but 

 the first of the season's cured herrings which were put upon the 

 Hamburg market from Lerwick and Castlebay found a ready sale at 

 satisfactory prices, and gave some stimulus to the industry. 



Except at the port of Lerwick, the results of the summer herring 

 fishing were most disappointing. Fish were generally scarce, and on 

 the whole range of the East Coast from Shetland southwards the fish 

 caught were of very poor quality, as if they had not been getting their 

 usual amount of feeding. m 



Fishermen who conducted operations at Lerwick had a profitable 

 season, and to many of the district crews it was one of the most 

 lucrative fishings they have experienced, but at the other North Sea 

 ports results were most disappointing to all concerned, as fishermen did 

 not secure a sufficient supply of fish to make fishing remunerative, and 

 curers* had perforce to buy at too high a figure to realise a profit, 

 while at the same time the unsatisfactory quality of the fish had an 

 adverse influence on the whole industry. 



Herrings were not suitable for the kippering trade, and when kippers 

 were put upon the market they did not realise remunerative prices, so 

 that firms engaged in this branch of the trade did not have a profitable 

 season. There was little demand for tinning, as herring tinners had still 

 large stocks of their previous year's goods on hand. 



A recent development at Castlebay and Oban is the prosecution of 

 the herring fishing for curing until well through August. A moderate 



