72 Appendices to Fortieth Annual Report 



and wages to share fishermen, amounted to £38,654. It is estimated 

 that, if allowance be made in respect of upkeep of vessels and gear 

 and of a minimum wage to fishermen, the cost of production per cran 

 was 45s. 5d., whereas the average price received was only 17s. 6d. Most 

 of the district curers also carried on operations at the English stations, 

 but owing to the collapse of the German exchange, there was Kttle 

 demand for cured herrings. After the close of the season, however, 

 the demand improved, and while all the cure was not sold at the end 

 of the year, the losses of the curers will not be so great as was antici- 

 pated. 



Boatbuilding was limited to the construction of small motor and 

 sail boats, and two of the largest building yards in the district remained 

 closed throughout the year. Barrel-making was actively carried on 

 during the first three months of the year. Coopers were generally able 

 to find employment during the fishing seasons, but between the seasons, 

 and again at the end of the year, most of the shore workers were 

 unemployed. 



Banff. — The results of the year's operations can hardly be described 

 as satisfactory, owing chiefly to the comparative failure of the herring 

 fishing, on which a considerable number of the fishermen depend. 



Cod-net fishing was carried on from the middle of January to the 

 end of March by 12 motor and 5 small sailing boats belonging to 

 Gardenstown. The catch and value show considerable increases, but 

 the average price per cwt. was only 17s. 6d. as compared with 28s. lOd. 

 in 1920. Anchored-net fishing for flat fish was prosecuted from White- 

 hills by 30 motor boats for the same period, but the results were very 

 poor. 



Small-line fishing, which accounts for the bulk of the fish landed in 

 this district, is carried on from all the creeks except Banff during the 

 year. The number of boats at work varies, being least during the 

 summer and English herring fishings. The only landings by sail boats 

 are made during the summer months; but owing to the poor results 

 from herring fishing during the past year almost all the suitable motor 

 boats were fitted out with small lines, and notwithstanding heavy 

 expenses for paraffin and carriage on mussel bait, this fishing was the 

 only one which enabled fishermen to make anything approaching fair 

 wages. 



About half of the local fleet of steam drifters was engaged in herring 

 fishing on the north and west coasts during January and February, 

 when earnings ranged from £400 to £1450, being the most satisfactory 

 for any fishing engaged in by these vessels during the year. 



At the beginning of the summer herring fishing the coal dispute 

 held up the steam drifters, with the result that all the available motor 

 boats were employed, several being manned by steam drifter crews. 

 When the dispute ended, a few steam vessels started operations. On the 

 whole the fleet did little more than clear their expenses. The earnings 

 of steam drifters ranged from £250 to £650, and of motor boats from 

 £200 to £550. 



The principal fishing grounds during the early part of the season 

 were 35 to 60 miles N.E. from Macduff, but in August good takes were 

 got 2 to 4 miles off. The herrings from the offshore grounds were only 

 of fair quality, but the quality of the inshore fish was excellent. Prices 

 fluctuated considerably during the season, the range being from 7s. to 

 131s. per cran. The higher prices were given early in the season, when 

 there was a good demand for bait. 



During September the usual fleet, consisting of all the steam drifters 



