of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



m 



Lybster District. 



During the year 1918 the fishermen resident in the district of Lybster 

 were employed at small line, hand line, and occasionally, during the 

 summer months, at drift net fishing. These fisheries were all carried on 

 in the inshore waters off the coasts of the district, and in their prosecu- 

 tion only small boats, mostly sail boats under 18 feet of keel, were used. 



Although the fishing areas available for the fishermen in the year 1918 

 were very limited, the restrictions on fishing off the coast of Lybster 

 district were not so great as in the previous year. Haddock and codling 

 fishing were regularly carried on from Lybster, and the landings at that 

 creek account for 73-5 per cent, of the total quantity and 86 per cent, 

 of the total value of fish landed in the district in the year 1918. 



The total quantity of fish landed within the district of Lybster in the 

 year 1918 was 3226 cwts., and the value £7399, an increase of 256 cwts. 

 and £3674 as compared with the results obtained in the year 1917. 



Haddock and codling were the principal kinds of fish landed from the 

 line boats, and these species accounted for 76 percent, and 85 per cent, 

 respectively of the total quantity and value of fish landed during the year. 



From each of the creeks of the district during the summer months a 

 number of crews occasionally tried the inshore herring fishing in their 

 small boats. In August as many as 16 boats were employed irregularly 

 at this fishing. Herrings, however, continued scarce throughout the 

 summer, and the total quantity landed in the district amounted to only 

 202 crans. Of the total catch, 60 crans vvere cured gutted by the fisher- 

 men, and the remainder was railed to Wick and sold at the fish market there. 



Although the fisheries of Lybster district were not very productive in 

 the year 1918, the earnings of the fishermen were, as a general rule, very 

 satisfactory, owing to the high prices received for fish. 



The average prices received for the principal kinds were, herrings 

 28s. 5|d., codling 50s. 5d., and haddock 53s. lOJd. per cwt., as against 

 15s. 2d., 26s. Id., and 32s. 6Jd. per cwt. respectively in the year 1917. 



The Means of Capture Returns for Lybster district show, as compared 

 with those of the previous year, an increase of 2 in the number of motor 

 boats (2 engines having been installed into small line boats), and a falling 

 off of 5 in the number of sail boats, chiefly the result of boats having been 

 sold from the district. 



Alexander Wood, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 



Wick, March 1919. 



Wick District. 



The most outstanding features in the annual returns of Wick district 

 for the year 1918 are a considerable increase, as compared with the figures 

 for 1917, in the number of motor boats, and the high value of the fish 

 landed. The total quantity of fish landed was 58,988 cwts. and the total 

 value £134,346, an increase of 20,746 cwts. and £80,905 as compared 

 with the results obtained in the preceding year. Of the total quantity 

 and value of fish landed, motor boats accounted for 75 per cent, and 

 77 per cent, respectively. 



During the year there was a keen demand for motor boats, and alto- 

 gether 31 motor engines were installed, chiefly into locally owned sail 

 boats. Makers, in a number of cases, booked orders for engines, but 

 were unable to promise deliverv until the following year. The engines 



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