xii 



Thirtieth Annual Report 



II. Steam Fishing Vessels other than Trawlers. 



In continuation of the return furnished in preceding .years, the 

 subjoined Table gives particulars of the rise of the Scottish steam 

 fishing fleet since the year 1900. The progress made is striking, 

 and while the rate of increase has not been uniform — varying chiefly 

 according to the comparative success or failure of the herring fishing — 

 it has in the aggregate been remarkable, a fleet of 70 in 1900 being 

 transformed into one of 794 in 1911. The table is as follows: — 



Year. 



1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1903 

 1904 

 1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1910 

 1911 



Vessels. 



70 

 97 

 100 

 156 

 204 

 209 

 274 

 50S 

 626 

 665 

 725 

 794 



<D CD 



a} 2 



59 

 39 



3 

 56 

 31 



2 

 31 

 85 

 23 



6 



ib 



1,865 

 2,684 

 2,900 

 4,025 

 5,161 

 5,177 

 6,538 

 11,828 

 15,610 

 16,864 

 18,757 

 21,146 



Ph o 



44 

 8 

 39 

 28 



26 

 81 



32 

 8 



13 



£ 



145,490 

 200,910 

 205,620 

 355,915 

 453,095 

 452,080 

 608,060 

 1,245,268 

 1,535,550 

 1,635,602 

 1,762,686 

 1,903,298 



o 



76 



38 

 2 

 73 

 27 



35 

 105 

 23 

 6i 



Fishing Geak. 



£ 



17,648 

 26,316 

 28,990 

 45,089 

 59,596 

 64,327 

 96,588 

 182,426 

 232,216 

 248,455 

 272,982 

 303,201 



§ o 

 o C 



Si HH 



140 



49 

 10 



56 

 32 



8 

 50 

 89 

 27 



7 



11 



Men and Boys 

 Employed.* 



588 

 814 

 829 

 1,296 

 1.639 

 1,747 

 2,347 

 3,993 

 4,924 

 5,428 

 5,748 

 6,064 



Including non-resident men. N.B. —The vessels returned include several mussel dredgers. 



Even a cursory examination of the figures in the table cannot fail 

 to reveal the remarkable development in the fleet which has occurred. 

 In 1900 the sail fishing boats in use were valued at over £828,000, 

 the steam vessels (other than trawlers) at only £145,000; in 

 1911 the value of sail boats had fallen to £559,000, while that of 

 steam vessels had risen to over £1,900,000. And the value of the 

 fishing gear has increased in an even greater ratio, this, of course, 

 being due to the greater number of nets and the greater length of 

 lines carried by the steamers, together with their greatly improved 

 equipment in respect of labour-saving appliances, &c. In some 

 districts, however, there continues to be a tendency to the smaller 

 type of w^ooden steam vessels, which are supposed to absorb a smaller 

 proportion of the earnings in working expenses and so to give a better 

 net return to the owners. 



In continuation to the return furnished in previous reports, the 

 following shows the earnings of steam drifters belonging to the 

 principal districts at the chief herring fishings prosecuted by them : — 



[Table. 



