liv 



Fourth Annual Re'port of the 



Hccavy Takes. 



Prices very 

 low, and 

 Fishermen 

 gave up 

 Herring 

 Fishing and 

 prosecute Line 

 Fishing. 



Most produc- 

 tive Districts. 



Austruther 

 District excep- 

 tionally abun- 

 dant. 



West Coast 

 Fishing. 



Ballantrae. 



Prices very 

 low. 



while the Moray Firth, and all the waters northwards to the 

 Pentland Firth, contained herrings in far greater abundance than 

 had been found in any former winter, and very heavy takes were 

 frequently landed. At the close of 1885 prices fell as low as from 

 Is. to 5s. a cran, and sometimes considerable quantities of fish had 

 either to be made into manure, or thrown back into the sea. The 

 fishermen were so much discouraged by their inability to sell their 

 takes at remunerative prices, that many of them gave up the 

 herring fishing, and prosecuted line fishing instead. The districts 

 upon the East Coast, where the winter herring fishing was most 

 extensively carried on, were Leith, Anstruther, Buckie, Findhorn, 

 Cromarty, Helmsdale, Lybster, and Wick. The catch in all these 

 districts was above the average of recent winters. At Anstruther 

 the quantity of herrings landed showed the greatest increase, and 

 amounted to no less than 40,636 crans, being 29,016 crans above 

 the average of the preceding ten years. In the upper reaches of 

 the Firth of Forth herrings were plentiful in the months of January 

 and February, but in the end of November and December scarcely 

 any could be got. Upon the West Coast the most important 

 winter fishing was in Ballantrae, Greenock, Inveraray, and Camp- 

 beltown districts. It was, however, prosecuted to a greater extent 

 at Ballantrae than at all these other places put together. The 

 catch in that district amounted to upwards of 27,000 crans. The 

 prices received for these herrings were generally exceptionally low, 

 although the quality of the fish was fairly good. 



COD, LING, AND HAKE FISHERY. 



Fishing 

 abundant. 

 Returns of 

 1885 as against 

 1884. 



Quantity cured 

 in Vessels 

 decreasing. 



Principal 

 Stations. 



Rich Fishing 

 Grounds. 



The cod, ling, and hake fishing was abundant in 1885. The 

 quantity of fish cured amounted to 125,352 J cwts. dried, and 7100 

 barrels pickled, being an increase on the former year of 846 cwts. 

 dried, and 1192J barrels pickled. Of the quantity cured dried, 

 14,469 cwts. were cured on board of vessels, showing a large 

 decrease as against that of 1884, and not being one-half of the 

 average of the preceding tv7enty years. This brauch of the fishing 

 industry is gradually falling off — fewer vessels being now fitted 

 out for its prosecution than was formerly the case, and only seven 

 having gone to Faroe and Iceland last year. At both of these 

 places the enterprise was attended with a fair amount of success. 

 When facilities for sending off the fish quickly were available, 

 large quantities were forwarded in a fresh state to the various 

 home markets. The season produced more than an average 

 catch, and had it not been that very low prices prevailed, the 

 results would have been highly satisfactory to those engaged in the 

 work. The most important stations for this fishing are Shetland, 

 Orkney, and Stornoway. Shetland station produced nearly one- 

 half of the total quantity cured at all the other stations in Scotland. 

 The grounds lying contiguous to these thr.^e districts abound with 

 cod and ling, and it is unfortunate that this fishing is not more 

 extensively carried on. 



