of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxm 



fish throughout, although, including the English trawlers engaged, 

 some 100 vessels were employed in all. Voyages usually occupied 

 from 6 to 10 days, the herrings being found farther and farther south, 

 until at the end of October they were being taken on the edge of the 

 Dogger Bank. The total quantity landed amounted to 15,450 cwts., 

 which realised £5017, or 6s. 6d. per cwt. The success achieved 

 varied greatly with individual vessels. The earnings of such as gave 

 their whole attention to herring trawling ranged from £374 to £860 

 in a period of from five to seven weeks, while others earned from £90 to 

 £280 for from two to three voyages. Those vessels, on the other hand, 

 which elected to run their catches to Altona found an excellent 

 market, realising from £270 to £408 for shuts which, if landed at 

 Aberdeen, would have fetched from £95 to £180 only. One Aber- 

 deen vessel (with a German master) is reported to have earned £800 

 in 24 days, the product of three voyages. 



The fish taken in the Ncrth Sea were much inferior to those taken 

 on the western grounds. Consisting at first of Full Matties and 

 latterly of Spents, they were graded in three selections, viz : — (1) 980 

 to 1200 fish per cran; (2) 1750 to 2100; (3) 2450 to 2890: as the 

 fishing progressed the herrings caught became smaller, and large 

 quantities of immature herrings of from 4 to 7 inches in length were 

 thrown back into the sea. 



As in the case of the herrings taken in the Atlantic, the bulk of the 

 North Sea fish were converted into kippers and reds. Herrings 

 captured by means of the ooter trawl are not suitable for the usual 

 mode of curing, as, owing to the rapid dragging through the water 

 which they undergo before being hauled in, they to some extent 

 resemble " drowned herrings," while they are usually from 3 to 5 days 

 old by the time they reach port. Hence, when cured gutted, they show 

 bad discolouration at the bone, and when broken up emit a sour smell. 



It may be that herring trawling is destined to undergo a rapid 

 development in the near future, but its effect on the industry will be 

 closely watched. It is true that a number of vessels, unfortunate 

 enough to miss the shoal, found this method of fishing un remunerative, 

 but others secured catches of from 100 to 200 crans with regularity, 

 and enjoyed a most lucrative season. 



Winter Herring Fishing. 



The winter herring fishing, which covers the first three months of 

 the year, has been on the decline for some years, and during the year 

 a further falling off took place, the total quantity landed amounting 

 to 246,852 cwts., as compared with 268,350 cwts. in 1910. The 

 value of the catch was £61,628, or £] 9,976 less than in the preceding 

 year, from which it is obvious that, so far from the restricted landings 

 having enhanced prices, the reverse was the case,- Hitherto the Firth of 

 Forth, Wick, and Stornoway have been recognised as the chief centres 

 of this fishing, but if the decline which has been manifested in the two 

 last-named districts continues at the same rate, accepted ideas on this 

 point will have to be readjusted. The Stornoway catch amounted to 

 65,320 cwts., as compared with 88,174 cwts. in 1910, and the extent 

 to which this fishing has deteriorated may be gauged from the fact 

 that, so recently as in 1907, the catch was upwards of 219,000 cwts. 

 At Wick the season was an absolute failure, the catch of 3717 cwts. 



