88 



Appendices to Fortieth Annual Report 



Unfortunately stoTmy weather set in, and the fleet had to remain 

 in pert for a number of days, and when fishing was resumed it was 

 found that the herrings had left the Upper Loch, and only a few shoals 

 were located between Tarbert and Laggan. The total catch for 

 December was 14,193 crans valued at £13,917. 



For herrings cured during November and December there was at 

 first a keen demand for local consumption at from 48s. to 60s. per 

 barrel, but this demand fell off at the close of the year, and the herrings 

 were being offered at 40s. per barrel. 



Mackerel again found their way into the Loch during the summer, 

 but not in such dense shoals as in the previous year, and the catch 

 shows a falling off. 



Small-line fishing appears to be dying out, as there seem to be few 

 fish, other than herring, in Loch Fyne. 



A decrease in the catch of lobsters resulted indirectly from the coai 

 stoppage, which rendered the transport of lobsters so uncertain that most 

 of the fishermen in Luing gave up fishing and got employment in the 

 slate quarries, and when the dispute was over a good many of them did 

 not resume fishing. 



Rothesay. — The results of the fisheries for the past year were most 

 disappointing, being even worse than those of the very poor season 

 of 1920. 



Herrings appeared to be on the grounds, but the fishermen, for some 

 unknown reason, were unable to take them. Only during the weeks 

 ended 20th November and 17th December last year were heavy fishings 

 landed, and even then, although quality was good, the earnings of the 

 boats were very poor owing to the congestion in the markets. For the 

 whole year the average gross earnings for motor and sail boats 

 respectively were £93 and £38, and the average working expenses £90 

 and £14. As a result of the failure many regular fishermen had to seek 

 other means of livelilood, and at Rothesay, for instance, a number with 

 their boats were employed carrying sand and gravel for road repair 

 work. 



The quality of the herrings from Loch Fyne was invariably good, 

 but from the Kyles of Bute and Kilbrannan Sound was usually poorer. 

 Of the total landings four-fifths was taken by carrier steamers for sale 

 in Glasgow Market, and the remainder was disposed of locally. 



It is usual for the fishermen, when herring fishing is unpromising, to 

 prosecute great-line fishing for a time, but this was not done to any 

 extent during 1921, and the landings of white fish were light. During 

 September the Lochs Long and Goil fishermen experienced considerable 

 difficulty in finding a market for saithe. 



Partially employed fishermen in this district are principally pleasure 

 boat-hirers and members of crews of pleasure yachts during the holiday 

 season. 



Greenock. — The season was disappointing, and but for the herring 

 fishing would have been a comparative failure. The larger class of 

 motor boats as usual devoted their whole time to herring fishing, leaving 

 the line, cod-net and flounder-net fishings to the smaller and less efficient 

 sailing craft, and as these are decreasing in numbers a falling off in the 

 landings of white fish is not surprising. 



The District catch was considerably augmented by landings at 

 Glasgow by two Aberdeen steam liners, which had been working off 

 the West Coast, and found it not worth while to proceed home with the 

 poor catches secured. 



