70 



Appendices to Fortieth Annual Report 



There were 96 buyers at this port, or 2 buyers for every 3 vessels 

 employed. To keep their workers even partially employed curers 

 purchased herrings at prices much higher than current rates for cured 

 herrings warranted, in the hope that the demand would improve, 

 but unfortunately they lost on an average at least 8s. per barrel. 



The kipper markets were also in a very depressed condition. No 

 doubt poor quality was responsible for restricted sales, but high costs 

 of production and transport also militated against remunerative business. 

 Fifty per cent, of the kippering firms finished the season with con- 

 siderable loss. 



Freshing was not extensively engaged in. Early in the season a 

 cargo consisting of about 190 crans of herrings sprinkled and iced was 

 despatched to Altona for a German firm, but the venture was appar- 

 ently unprofitable as it was not repeated. 



Forty of the largest steam drifters belonging to the district were 

 fitted out for great-line fishing during the spring months, and some 

 continued operations throughout the summer. The season had almost 

 reached its height when the coal stoppage took place, but fortunately 

 local merchants had large stocks of coal on hand, and the time 

 lost to fishing was much less than at other ports. The vessels 

 used Peterhead merely as a bunkering port, however, as practically 

 all fish were landed at Aberdeen, where the demand was then very 

 keen. Operations were carried on mainly in the North Sea, but a few 

 crews also fished the grounds north of the Shetlands. Gross earnings 

 ranged from £750 for a period of 7 weeks to £4400 for a period of 

 22 weeks. Owing to the price of coal, working expenses were heavy, 

 amounting in one case to about £1800 for 25 weeks. 



As in previous years, the fleet of steam trawlers owned in the district 

 made Aberdeen their headquarters. Motor trawling was carried on 

 regularly by from 14 to 24 crews from March to September, when it was 

 discontinued in favour of seine net fishing. Catches were, as a rule, 

 light and irregular, but consisted almost exclusively of medium plaice, 

 for which good prices were obtained. The results for the year com- 

 pare -very unfavourably with those of the previous year, and some of 

 the more unfortunate crews barely cleared expenses. 



The opening of local waters to seine net fishing was taken advantage 

 of by about 30 crews, but with little success, as flat fish appeared 

 scarce on the inshore grounds, the average catch per arrival being 

 only 1*3 cwts. Later in the year a number of crews tried the Moray 

 Firth grounds with no better results. 



Any success in line fishing was attained chiefly early in the year. 

 By the middle of January fully 150 crews, the largest number for many 

 years, were employed, of which almost four-fifths operated with handlines, 

 because of the heavy cost of small-line bait. As codlings were then 

 plentiful from one to two miles off, operations were carried on vigorously 

 until the end of February, when the fish appeared to be more off-shore. 

 Landings thereafter were light until December when they improved 

 slightly, and the number of crews at work again increased. 



During the autumn 102 steam and 2 motor drifters from this 

 district took part in the East Anglian herring fishing, when the results 

 were the worst experienced since the advent of the steam drifter, and 

 it is doubtful if 20 crews grossed sufficient to clear expenses, while loss 

 of and damage to gear were heavy. Sixty curing firms also took part, 

 but did only a limited business. 



Employment at barrel making did not extend after May, by which 

 time curers considered their stocks sufficient. Boatbuilders were 

 occupied chiefly with repair work and only 4 small craft were built. 



