54 



Appendices to Thirty-seventh Annual Report 



The few boat -builders in the district were kept fully employed, but 

 the output of new craft only amounted to one steam drifter and seven 

 motor boats, which were for local owners. Barrel-making was almost 

 wholly suspended, and with the urgent demand for labour for war work 

 operations at the Lossiemouth boat shelter were totally suspended early 

 in the year. A large amount of work in connection with deepening 

 remains yet to be accomplished, but this will be proceeded with as soon 

 as demobilisation permits. 



Unfortunately 5 lives were lost in connection with fishing as a result 

 of a motor boat employed in cod net fishing being run down and sunk 

 by a destroyer. One of the local steam drifters employed in^Admiralty 

 service was also sunk, but fortunately all the crew were saved. 



William Sinclair, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Lossiemouth, 13th January 1919. 



Cromarty District. 



During the year under review the fisheries of this district were prose- 

 cuted by a slightly increased number of men as compared with the previous 

 year, and while line fishing showed improved results and yielded substantial 

 earnings to those engaged, the fishermen who prosecuted drift net fishing 

 in the Inverness and Beauly Firths were exceptionally fortunate and 

 secured record earnings. Encouraged by the high earnings secured at this 

 fishing during the closing months of 1917, operations were continued by 

 20 Avoch crews during January, February, and part of March with 

 good results, prices ranging up to £7 per cran. Operations were again 

 resumed early in September, and the number of Avoch crews employed 

 gradually rose to 30. Good catches were steadily obtained up to the 

 close of the year, and, except for a short period during the progress of the 

 English fishing, when prices fell to 10s. per cran, a good demand prevailed, 

 and the general range of prices was from £2 to £6 6s. per cran. The best 

 results were obtained in December, when the average earnings of these 

 second-class boats amounted to £700. 



Six first-class sailing boats were fitted out for the summer herring 

 fishing, and prosecuted operations for a short period on the West Coast 

 and afterwards at Fraserburgh with good results, the average earnings 

 amounting to £1200 per crew. 



At the close of the herring fishing in the Inverness Firth in March 

 several crews prosecuted cod net fishing in the Moray Firth for a few weeks 

 and landed fair catches, chiefly at Portmahomack. 



Line fishing results were slightly improved as compared with 1917, 

 the quantity and value showing an increase of 1584 cwts. and £8628 

 respectively. Plaice were found to be scarcer than during the previous 

 year, and increased attention was consequently devoted to haddock fishing, 

 which accounted for nearly 80 per cent, of line fish landings. The pro- 

 portion of small haddocks landed was considerably less than during the 

 previous year, and prices showed a marked advance, the average price 

 per cwt. of haddocks being 14s. above that of 1917. 



The Means of Capture Returns show a further decrease in the number of 

 boats, chiefly of the larger classes. The majority of the large -sized sailing 

 boats have been laid up since the outbreak of war, and have consequently 

 deteriorated to a considerable extent. Three small boats were fitted with 



