224 



Appendices to Thirtieth Annual Report 



Atlantic grounds to the west of the Island of Barra, but without success 

 Towards the end of June most of the stranger crews had left for Shetland 

 and the East Coast ports, the early season being considered over. 



The autumn herring fishing, which commenced towards the end of July, 

 proved a partial failure both to fishermen and fish-curers. The total catch 

 was meagre in comparison with the successful autumn season of the preced- 

 ing year. On an average 33 steam drifters and 75 sail drifters were 

 employed. Throughout the season light and variable winds were experienced, 

 and the sail boats, which constituted the major part of the fleet, were greatly 

 retarded from regular fishing. Results on the whole were disappointing, and 

 shots of any consequence were exceptional. Nor did the quality come up to 

 expectations, the majority of the catches being of mixed quality. The 

 fishing grounds were in the vicinity of Canna, Coll Bank, and inshore off 

 the Island of Muldoanich. 



Notwithstanding the lengthy period over which the herring fishing was 

 prosecuted by local crews, their average gross earnings for the whole of the 

 early and late seasons combined amounted to only ,£131 per boat, compared 

 with =£170 per boat in 1910. The maximum individual gross earnings 

 were .£305 and the minimum £52. A good many boats had from £140 to 

 £170, but few exceeded £200. When taking into consideration the length 

 of time these boats were engaged fishing, the net results of the season's work 

 will show meagre remuneration. East Coast steam drifters' average earnings 

 were .£362. These steamers, however, did not confine all their operations 

 to Castlebay, several shots being occasionally landed outside the limit of 

 this district. A number of East Coast sail boats that made Barra their 

 headquarters during the whole of the summer and autumn fishings earned 

 on an average £192, against £210 for the corresponding period of the 

 preceding year. 



The lobster fishing, which constitutes an important branch of the fisheries, 

 shows a deficiency in value of £1559, or 26 per cent. This decrease is 

 partly attributable to the scarcity of fish on the customary fishing grounds, 

 and partly to the continued boisterous weather experienced during the 

 principal part of the season. The gathering of unclassified shell-fish, the 

 greater part of which consists of cockles, was actively engaged in during the 

 early part of the year. Towards the end, however, gathering was consider- 

 ably curtailed owing to the sale returns being considered unremunerative for 

 the labour involved. The total quantity and value of unclassified shell-fish 

 compares favourably with the preceding year. 



In closing this report it would be an omission not to state that the year 

 under review was a most unremunerative one to native fishermen. The 

 meagre herring fishing, in conjunction with the marked increase of loss of 

 and damage to boats and fishing gear, combined to make the year just ended 

 the poorest for the past decade. 



A. B. Stephen, 

 Fishery Office, Fishery Officer. 



Castlebay, 5th January 1912. 



Loch Broom District. 



A further decrease in the total landings of fish in this district falls to be 

 recorded for the year under review. This decrease is more than accounted 

 for by the failure of the autumn herring fishing in Loch Broom. For the 

 third year in succession herrings and shell-fish show a falling off. The 

 former have declined by 4453 cwts. in quantity and £2978 in value, and the 

 latter by £289 in value. This decrease is, however, slightly counter- 

 balanced by an improvement in line and cod and saithe net fishing, which 



