Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxxvii 



boats, but the most of them went to fish at other stations. The Boats em- 

 number which remained at home was 262, being a decrease of 38, ^^^.^j^ 

 as compared with 1884, but nearly all these were old and inferior 

 craft, and poorly equipped with netting. The gross quantity of increase in 

 herrings, however, which was taken and cured in the four ^^^^^^ cured. 

 Moray Firth districts, amounted to 53,577 barrels, being 18,857 more 

 than in the preceding year. The. average catches per boat in these 

 districts were — Buckie 152 crans, Findhorn 125 crans, Cromarty 

 149:^ crans, and Helmsdale 121 crans. This success is greater Successful 

 than had been achieved for many years, and was entirely owing to ^^^^ore^^ 

 large shoals of fish having returned to the in-shore grounds, 1 to 4 Grounds, 

 miles from land, which latterly they had almost deserted. But the 

 herrings taken were generally of rather a small size — a considerable 

 number of them indeed being maties, while only about one-third 

 of the gross catch consisted of large full fish. The fine first-class 

 boats of the district, which went to fish in other waters, were fully other Boats 

 equipped with gear of the best description, and generally had a successful, 

 successful season's fishing. The winter herring fishing in the Winter 

 Moray Firth districts yielded 12,629 crans, which is considerably Wishing, 

 above the average of former seasons. 



Lybster District. 



From Dunbeath, exclusive, to East Clyth, inclusive. Boundary of 



' ' ' District. 



District Fishery Office — Lybster. 



Lybster district had a fleet of 112 boats engaged in the summer Boats em- 

 fishing of 1885, being 7 less than in the previous year. The P^^y^^- 

 average catch was 1 38 crans per boat, being the highest average Average Catch, 

 ever recorded in the district. In 1884 the average was only reforded^ir 

 37J crans. Owing to the succession of unproductive fishings District, 

 in this district for more than twenty years, little money had 

 been expended in providing new boats, and a large propor- 

 tion of those in use had become old and unfit for going far 

 out to sea, and they were only equipped with inferior netting. 

 Fortunately, last season, the herring shoals came close in-shore, shoais came 

 and nearly the whole catch was got within 3 miles from land, ^^^^^e in-shore. 

 The fishing began on the 18th of July, and was continued till the Progress of 

 22nd of August. Individual takes of from 50 to 90 crans were some- Wishing, 

 times landed. The largest aggregate catch which any boat made 

 during the season was 280 crans, and the smallest 30 crans. The 

 quality of the season's catch was about equal to that of recent years, 

 one-chird of it consisting of full herrings, and the other two-thirds 

 maties and spent fish. The gross quantity cured was 19,099 barrels Large increase 

 as against 5347 in 1884, being an increase of 13,752 barrels, in Barrels 

 During the winter herring fishing the weather was very unpro- ^l^^gj. 

 pitious, and the gross catch only amounted to 814 crans, as against Fishing. 

 1189 crans in 1884. 



