vi 



Thirty-sixth Annual Report 



On the South -East Coast fishing was prosecuted from Eyemouth 

 with somewhat greater success than in 1916. 



It is interesting to note that motor drifters landed a greater pro- 

 portion of the year's catch than steam drifters : this, however, was 

 wholly due to the small number of the latter class remaining at the 

 fishing. 



Disposal of Herring Catch. 



For the best part of a century the principal markets for the 

 produce of the Scottish herring. fishery have been in foreign countries, 

 and so effectually did the arrangements for the supervision of the 

 cure and export of pickled herrings and the enterprise and efficiency 

 of the trade adapt themselves to the conditions and requirements of 

 the markets on the Continent, that Scottish cured herrings acquired 

 a decided supremacy therein. This was the position at the outbreak 

 of the war, but the closing of the German market, the difficulties of 

 business in, or export to other areas, and the necessity for conserving 

 home supplies of food have effected a material alteration of the position. 



Towards the close of 1916 the authorities decided to prohibit the 

 export of fish to all destinations, and as it was intimated that the 

 issue of export licences for herrings would be limited, it was necessary 

 for the Board to consider how the situation so created could best be 

 met, and it appeared to them to be necessary in the first place to 

 direct their energies towards restricting pickling, and, on the other 

 hand, ensuring that the greatest possible proportion of the catch was 

 placed on the home markets either in a fresh state, smoked as kippers 

 — to secure them against the vicissitudes of transport and other 

 delays — or tinned. 



The distance from the landing ports to the centres of population, 

 transport difficulties due to shortage of stock and men and, on the 

 West Coast, the sea passage and the long stretches of single railway 

 line, presented serious difficulties to the realisation of the end in view, 

 but a much greater proportion of the catch was placed on the market 

 in the manner most suitable to the taste of the consumer than in 1916. 



The following table shows the disposal of the catch in 1917 as 

 compared with the previous year : — 



Freshed. Kippered. Blo £ te , rs Tinned. p Cu f r f ed , 



or Reds. Gutted. gutted 



Cwts. Cwts. Cvvts. Cwts. Barrels. Barrels. 

 1917 . 666,889 654,598 46,133 59,678 193,081 25,360 

 1916 . 442,292 547,795 22,459 79,212 343,582 30,612 



This statement shows that with a similar total catch the quantity 

 freshed and kippered increased 33 per cent., and the quantity cured 

 gutted decreased 43 per cent, as compared with 1916. 



The scarcity of other food supplies would in any event have given 

 rise to an increased demand for herrings, but bearing in mind the 

 tradition of the trade — which looked abroad for its markets — and 

 the difficulties alluded to above, the Board feel that the result is 

 eminently satisfactory, more especially as it was achieved without 

 any special organisation or special staff, and they desire to place on 

 record their appreciation of the manner in which the trade as a 



