iv 



Thirty-sixth Annual Report 



Changes in Means of Capture. 



The figures for the year 1917 as to the number and value of the 

 boats, etc., engaged in the Scottish fisheries during the year, given 

 above and in Appendix A, do not include the vessels engaged in the 

 service of the country, or unemployed on account of the Admiralty 

 restrictions of the fishing area or the lack of crews to man them. 



In regard to the steam fishing fleet there is little to record. A 

 number of steam trawlers were built, but they were very little 

 engaged in fishing, being taken over for national work as soon as 

 possible, while the building of steam drifters practically ceased. 



The installation of motor engines into sailing boats has, however, 

 been proceeding apace with undoubted advantage to all concerned. 

 The number of boats actually employed at the fishing is shown in 

 Appendix A, but if boats engaged otherwise than at fishing or 

 unemployed during the year are taken into account, the Scottish 

 motor fishing fleet at the end of 1917 numbered 1262, an increase 

 of 278 over the total for the previous year. As in 1916 the out- 

 standing feature of the year in this connection was the increase in 

 the number of boats of the largest size propelled by motor engines. 

 Substantial as is the increase reported, it would undoubtedly have 

 been much greater but for the difficulties experienced by the makers 

 in supplying and installing engines, a large number of orders given 

 during the year being still unfulfilled. 



The following figures indicate the totals for the years 1916 and 

 1917:— 





Year 1916. 



Year 1917. 



Increase. 



East Coast . 



594 



811 



217 



Orkney and Shetland . 



45 



54 



9 



West Coast . 



345 



397 



52 



Totals . 



984 



1262 



278 



The increase in 1917 occurred principally in the following 

 districts: — Anstruther 23, Aberdeen 20, Peterhead 22, Fraserburgh 

 35, Banff 24, Buckie 26. 



On the opposite page we give a diagram showing in graphic form 

 the increase in the steam and motor fishing fleets of Scotland during 

 the last thirteen years : the figures for 1915, 1916, and 1917 represent 

 the numbers of vessels on the register, not the numbers actually 

 engaged in fishing, during the respective years. 



DIFFERENT FISHERIES. 



1. HERRING FISHERY. 



The quantity of herrings landed in Scotland during the year 1917 

 was 1,972,346 cwts., valued at £1,563,824; compared with 1916 

 there was a decrease of 5 per cent, in quantity, but an increase of 

 16 per cent, in value. 



