of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



37 



East Coast. 



As in the preceding year, the great summer herring fishing on the East 

 Coast and Shetland was much restricted by Naval requirements, Fraser- 

 burgh and Peterhead being the two centres at which the bulk of the herrings 

 was landed. Since the outbreak of the war no herrings have been landed 

 in Orkney, and the catch at Shetland for the summer season amounted 

 to only 10,453 crans, or no more than a good day's catch in normal times. 

 In the closing month of the year good results were obtained at herring 

 fishing in the Inverness Firth. In all the other less important East Coast 

 districts where fishing was confined to inshore waters and firths the 

 catch for the year was very light. In the more southerly districts, 

 notably Leith and Anstruther, prices ruled highest. The herrings caught 

 in the Inverness Firth consisted of small fish for which there was a keen 

 demand at an average price of £3 per cran. A considerable quantity of 

 these was purchased for tinning, and for the first time on record a small 

 portion of the catch was kippered. 



West Coast. 



On the West Coast the most productive and remunerative catch was 

 secured in the Minch from about the middle of January to the middle of 

 March. For the season the total was 149,506 cranj, valued at £683,849. 

 Herrings in larger or smaller quantites we r e landed monthly in all the 

 West Coast dstricts — not so on the East Coast. 



The greater part of the fleet operating in the Minch came from the 

 East Coast and made Stornoway its headquarters, but invariably went 

 direct to the rail heads, chiefly Mallaig, with the heaviest of their takes. 

 Both Kyle and Oban were able to deal with a fair share of the catch, and 

 received the bulk of the through traffic from Stornoway. At the three 

 places referred to rail facilities were taxed to the utmost in meeting the 

 requirements of the industry. 



To the reduced number of fishermen employed, as a result of the war, 

 the earnings for the winter fishing season were the highest on record. 

 There being no control, prices generally ranged from £3 to £5 per cran. 

 The highest recorded was £14, 10s. per cran. It was no uncommon occur- 

 rence for single takes to realise from £400 to £800, and one shot of 196 

 crans realised £1961. The gross earnings of the steam vessels generally 

 ranged from £2700 to £7000, and of the motors from £1000 to £4000, one 

 of the latter earning £7900. During the progress of the summer fishing 

 on the East Coast the gross earnings of the steam vessels generally ranged 

 from £2000 to £4500 ; of motors, £1200 to £4000, and of sail craft £700 to 

 £2300. Nearly all the steam and motor drifters also fished from Yarmouth 

 and Lowestoft during the autumn months and met with marked success. 

 The combined earnings for the year were therefore the highest recorded, 

 those of the most successful ranging from £10,000 to £13,000. 



Firth of Clyde. 



In this section there are five fishery districts, Campbeltown and Ballan- 

 trae being the most productive, with 74 per cent, of the catch for 1918 

 to their credit. Loch Fyne, which held the premier position for so many 

 years, was again a failure. The herrings caught in the Clyde area;; are of 

 excellent quality, and after being landed retain their brightness of colour 

 for a much longer period than those caught elsewhere. This can be 

 accounted for by the great volume of fresh water annually deposited in 

 these waters, which favours the growth of a superior kind of animalcule 



