of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



59 



pered in the kippering establishments at Wick, as also were 1749 crans 

 which were received by rail from other ports. In these establishments 

 during the first quarter of the year 12,025 barrels of Norwegian cured 

 herrings belonging to the Government were converted into reds. In 

 August those reds were exported to London for transhipment to their 

 destination. 



The value of the shell-fisheries was £4663, an increase of £2152 on 

 the results obtained in 1917. The increase was in lobsters, which in 

 1918 were more plentiful and higher priced than in the previous year. 

 Usually the crabs given in the returns for Wick district are landed chiefly 

 by the fishermen of Keiss, who in 1918 gave little attention to this branch 

 of the fisheries, and thus there was a considerable falling off in the quantity 

 and value of these shell-fish. 



Practically all the fish (other than herrings) landed in the district in 

 the year 1918 were despatched fresh to the southern markets, as also 

 was the great bulk of the herrings kippered. London was the principal 

 market. 



During the year a number of Wick crews engaged in herring fishing 

 on the West Coast and also at England. From January to March, 1 steam 

 drifter was employed for 10 weeks at the herring fishing at Stornoway, 

 during which period her gross earnings amounted to £4,453. The gross 

 earnings of 6 motor boats and 1 steam drifter for 5 weeks from May to June 

 at the West Coast herring fishing ranged from £560 to £1300. At the 

 late autumn herring fishing at Stornoway 7 motor boats met with varying 

 success. Their gross earnings ranged from £85 to £1275, the average 

 being £605. Five motor boats took part in the English herring fishing, 

 where their gross earnings ranged from £1600 to £3906. At the English 

 herring fishing a steam drifter belonging to Wick owners, but manned 

 by an English crew, for 10 weeks fishing landed at Yarmouth a total 

 catch of 2070 crans. The gross earnings of this crew amounted to £9371, 

 which was probably the record for the season. 



There was a regrettable loss of life in connection with the fisheries 

 during the year. In August a number of small fishing boats employed 

 at herring fishing off the North Coast were caught in a severe storm. 

 Two of the boats were driven ashore and their occupants, 7 men belonging 

 to Portskerra, were drowned. In October, when returning home to 

 Stroma after landing a catch of fish at Wick, a small motor boat en- 

 countered stormy weather in the Pentland Firth and was swamped and 

 her crew of 3 men drowned. 



In April a Wick steam drifter in the Admiralty service was lost through 

 colliding with another vessel in the Firth of Forth. Her crew was saved. 



The following statement shows for the years 1914 to 1918 the average 

 prices received by the fishermen for the principal kinds of fish landed 

 in Wick district, and to what extent prices were affected by the war. 



Year. 



1918 . 



1917 . 



1916 . 



1915 . 



1914 . 



Herrings, 

 per cwt. 

 25s. 



16s. 10Jd. 

 14s. 2d. 



8s. 9id. 



6s. 0|d. 



Cod and Codlings, 

 per cwt. 



58s. 4d. 



29s. 4|d. 



14s. llfd. 



10s. 5|d. 



7s. 6Jd. 



Haddocks, 

 per cwt. 

 40s. 8d. 

 27s. 8Jd. 

 lis. 2d. 



8s. 5|d. 



7s. 7id. 



Fishery Office, 



Wick, March 1919. 



Alexander Wood, 



Fishery Officer. 



