of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



33 



In July 1920 a Standing Conference, consisting of representatives 

 of the Board" of Agriculture for Scotland, the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland, the Scottish Board of Health, the Board of Trade and the 

 Scottish Office, was constituted for the purpose of considering all 

 proposals for new or improved inland transport facilities in Scotland. 

 The Board nominated the Inspector of Fish Distribution as their 

 representative, and several meetings of the Conference were held 

 during 1920, their reports on the various schemes considered by 

 them being submitted to the Scottish Office to be brought before 

 the Development (Scotland) Committee, by whom the schemes were 

 considered before submission to the Ministry of Transport. The 

 activities of this Committee will be recorded elsewhere, and it suffices 

 here to say that many proposals affecting fishery interests have been 

 involved, and that in these cases the fishery point of view has 

 received the fullest consideration. 



While the attention of the Inspector during 1920 has been 

 mainly directed to securing improvements of the transport services, 

 the question of extending the retail distribution of fish has also been 

 under consideration. 



Particulars of the quantity of herrings and other fish placed on 

 the home markets are given in previous chapters of this Eeport, but 

 it may here be noted that of the Scottish herring catch the quantity 

 consumed at home in 1920 was more than double the corresponding 

 quantity in 1913, a result directly traceable to the efforts made dur- 

 ing the war to increase the home consumption of this fish, while the 

 quantity of other kinds of fish used in the United Kingdom, either 

 fresh or smoked, also shows an improvement as compared with 1913. 



Betail distribution has not, however, been able to cope with the 

 increased supplies of fish available, and it is clear that in the 

 interests of both fishermen and consumer the means of distribution 

 should not only be fully re-established, but should be materially 

 improved and increased as compared with pre-war years. This is 

 primarily a matter for the wholesale and retail traders, but it 

 appears that there is scope not only for Government but for 

 municipal action. 



In the latter part of the year enquiries were instituted with a 

 view to obtaining particulars as to the existing facilities for retail 

 distribution, and through the courtesy of Town Clerks much valuable 

 information was received as to the numbers of fishmongers, fried fish 

 shops, etc., in the more important Scottish towns. The information 

 obtained was under consideration at the close of the year. 



While the increased distribution of fish will doubtless depend 

 principally on the enterprise displayed by local fishmongers, there 

 is ample scope for other branches of the trade. An extension of the 

 " small parcel " system and additions to the number of hawkers and 

 of fish frying establishments would all materially help in extending 

 consumption. The fish frying trade in this country is already much 

 more extensive than is generally known, it- being estimated that 

 there are some 25,000 of such shops at work and consuming 4,000 

 tons of fish per week, but the limits of expansion have by no means 

 been reached. 



c 



