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Appendices to Thirtieth Annual Report 



APPENDIX L. 



REPORTS BY THE INSPECTORS OF SEA FISHERIES AND 

 DISTRICT FISHERY OFFICERS. 



I. — Inspectors of Sea Fisheries. 



General Inspector of Sea Fisheries. 



Although the results of the various fisheries for the year under review 

 were, from a monetary point of view, fairly satisfactory, the quantity 

 landed fell far short of the previous year's returns. The shortage, which 

 is chiefly attributable to herrings, amounts to 650,742 cwts., involving a 

 decrease in value of .£88,974. In the landings of white fish there is a 

 substantial increase, while the shell fisheries show a slight falling off. It 

 is gratifying to observe that, although the earnings of fishermen employed 

 on the Scottish coast fell considerably short of those of 1910, their opera- 

 tions in East Anglia, where a record catch was secured and highly re- 

 munerative prices obtained, more than made up for any deficiency at home. 

 The same remarks apply to curers, and, judging from the volume of work 

 which the heavy fishing at Yarmouth entailed, the fish-workers — 

 particularly the gutters and packers — can have had no cause for complaint. 

 The deficiency in the catch in Scotland, however, acted rather adversely 

 on the earnings of those of the hired hands who did not obtain employ- 

 ment on board vessels which proceeded to England. Otherwise, the year 

 just closed has been a fairly successful one. 



In the means of capture, the most noticeable feature was the large 

 addition to the fleet of steam drifters and the interest taken by the fisher- 

 men in the development of motor power for auxiliary propulsion. 



The total number of boats engaged in the fishing industry on the coast 

 of Scotland was 9543, valued at <£4,601,876, compared with 9724, 

 valued at £4,409,027, in 1910. The East Coast accounted for 5032 

 boats, Orkney and Shetland for 1293, and the West Coast for 3218. Of 

 fishermen, resident and non-resident, there were 38,900, as compared with 

 38,941 in 1910. 



In the sailing fleet there was a decrease of 352 boats, while in the 

 number of vessels propelled by steam there was an increase of 93. The 

 districts largely responsible for the increase were Banff, Buckie, and Find- 

 horn. It was at these stations that the introductory step in the building 

 of these vessels was taken. Since then the progress made is not only a 

 matter of congratulation to the fishermen themselves, but is of national 

 importance as affecting the food supply of the country. Over and over 

 again it has been estimated that the catching power of one steam vessel is 

 equal to that of three sail boats. As showing the great strides made in 

 the building of steam drifters, it may be stated that ten years ago there 

 were only 97, valued at =£200,910, whereas last year the number was 794, 

 valued at £1,903,298. The opinion is often expressed in various quarters 

 that it would have been better had the fishermen adhered to the sailing 

 craft instead of investing in steam vessels, as with the initial cost, working 



