of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



67 



at an average of 65s. per cran. Peterhead and Fraserburgh kippering 

 firms were sending to Aberdeen for supplies after the close of the 

 herring fishing at their own port3. The most successful vessel earned 

 £2553 for 4 trips, and the best shot realised £1104 ; but a number of 

 crews did not find the venture remunerative, and discontinued trawling 

 for herrings. 



Ordinary trawls were mostly used, only a few boats being fitted out 

 with special herring trawls. These nets were mostly made in Germany 

 before the war, and a fleet of German trawlers equipped with special 

 herring trawls worked on the Fladden grounds beside the Aberdeen 

 vessels. 



The miners' strike, which took place about the end of October, 

 hindered fishing operations considerably; and when coals had to be 

 rationed on a fifty per cent, basis some owners laid up half their boats, 

 so that the re3t might have full supplies and be unrestricted in their 

 fishing operations. 



The Peterhead trawling fleet was increased by 7 vessels, some of 

 which were local drifters fitted out with otter trawls, while others were 

 trawlers bought from other districts. The Peterhead trawlers generally 

 land their catches at Aberdeen, and only occasionally visit Peterhead. 



At Fraserburgh 2 large motor boats were fitted out with otter trawls, 

 but the venture did not prove successful, and after a few trials the gear 

 was disposed of. Throughout the year steam trawlers frequently landed 

 fish at the port, but the bulk of the landings was sent to Aberdeen 

 by rail. 



A few steam trawlers are still owned and registered in the Greenock 

 district; but, with the exception of one small shot, steam vessels landed 

 no fish in Glasgow in 1920. 



An attempt was made to develop trawling at Stranraer, where two 

 large trawlers worked during the first five months of the year. The 

 fishing proved unremunerative, however, and the vessels were trans- 

 ferred to Fleetwood. 



At Annan about 40 small-sized sailing trawlers are employed fishing 

 in the Solway Firth, where, owing to rapid tides and shifting sands, no 

 other method of fishing is possible. The Annan fishermen use beam 

 trawls in autumn and winter for the capture of flat fish, and during the 

 summer months they mostly engage in shrimp trawling. 



Seine net fishing (a modified form of trawling) for plaice and other 

 flat fishes had been permitted for many years in the Firth of Clyde and 

 on the Haddington coast, only sailing or motor yawls being allowed to 

 work, and the season being restricted to the autumn months. Under 

 the exigencies of war conditions concessions were made, and in 1917 the 

 area from off Red Head, Forfarshire, to the mouth of the Ythan in East 

 Aberdeenshire was opened for seine net fishing. This extension came 

 at a time when small-line fishing had" ceased to be remunerative, and a 

 number of crews about Aberdeen, Gourdon, Johnshaven, Ferryden and 

 Arbroath provided themselves with seine nets and commenced to 

 use them. 



At Aberdeen 35 motor yawls, including a number belonging to 

 Gourdon, were very profitably employed at seine net fishing last autumn. 

 The most successful crew earned £767, and the average was £364, for 

 about two months' fishing. 



Owing to the success achieved by these crews, a strong and fairly 

 unanimous movement was set on foot for opening up the whole of the 

 East Coast from Rattray Head to Fife Ness to seine net fishing. Fisher- 

 men were influenced in favour of the net by the fact that, apart from 

 its initial cost, there is little expense connected with seine fishing ; 



