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Appendices to Thirtieth Annual Report 



spring and is of a laborious nature, compensated by only a poor return. 

 The whelks were bought by merchants and sent to the London market. 

 The capture of crabs and lobsters was confined to a small area, and it is 

 never of much importance in this district. The mussels gathered were used 

 for bait. 



The only casualty occurred through the foundering of a yawl in the 

 Cromarty Firth, when a young fisherman lost his life. The other occupants 

 of the boat were picked up by the crew of a Moray Firth sail boat, assisted 

 by the Fishery cruiser " Freya." 



All the fishery barometers were in good condition when last inspected, 

 and continue to give satisfaction. 



Fishery Office, Alex. E. M'Kenzie, 



Cromarty, 5th January 1912. Fishery Officer, 



Helmsdale District. 



The principal feature in connection with the fisheries in Helmsdale district 

 for the year 1911 was the success which attended the line fishing. At each 

 of the creeks of the district the returns of fish landed, exclusive of shell-fish, 

 show, when compared with those of the previous year, a considerable increase 

 in the quantity and also in the value. These increases amount, in the 

 aggregate, to 12,736 cwts. and .£3730 respectively. 



During the year 1911 a further decrease of 5 occurred in the number of 

 first-class sailing boats. Of these, 1 was sold to another district, and 4, 

 being unseaworthy, were broken up. There are now belonging to the 

 district only 19 boats of that type. One boat of 50 feet of keel, and fitted 

 with a u Dan " motor, was purchased from Plymouth by a company in 

 Helmsdale and added to the register. The success of the line-fishing, and 

 especially of the hand-line fishing prosecuted in the spring by the fishermen 

 of Helmsdale, was responsible for an addition of 16 to the number of boats 

 18 feet of keel and under. These were chiefly new boats purchased by the 

 fishermen at a cost of from £20 to £26 each. No other changes worthy of 

 mention have taken place in the " Means of Capture " returns. 



Only 120 crans of herrings were landed, and no herrings were cured in 

 the district during the year 1911. 



In May, 9 steam drifters and 12 sailing boats left the district to engage in 

 the summer herring fishing. They were employed chiefly from Wick and 

 Stronsay, and, on the whole, they met with a fair degree of success. The 

 average gross earnings of the steam drifters amounted to .£816, and of the 

 sailing boats to .£227. 



None of the sailing boats, but all the steam drifters belonging to the 

 district, took part in the English herring fishing. The results for them were 

 only moderate, their average gross earnings working out at £448. Unfor- 

 tunately, through their nets having sunk from weight of fish, some of the 

 crews lost a large quantity of fishing gear. 



Throughout the year 1911 haddocks and codlings were abundant off the 

 coasts of the district, and whether employed at small-line or hand- line fishing 

 the earnings of the fishermen were usually very satisfactory. At the 

 haddock fishing the best results were obtained in the last two months of the 

 year. 



The hand-line (ripper) fishing was prosecuted only from Helmsdale and 

 Dunbeath, but only a small percentage of the catch was landed at the latter 

 creek. The hand-line fishing is popular with the fishermen, because it can 

 be carried on at very little expense. No bait is required, and there is no 

 disagreeable work with lines in the home, as is the case when they are 

 employed at the haddock fishing. To give some idea of the extent of this 



