of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



23 



Trawling. 



Steam trawling retains the premier position in the capture 

 of demersal fish, accounting during 1920 for about three-fourths of 

 the quantity and value of the landings. Landings by foreigners 

 during the year were restricted to an insignificant quantity brought 

 in by a Norwegian trawler which made three arrivals at Aberdeen, 

 in striking contrast with the heavy catches landed by the German 

 trawlers right up to the outbreak of war. If the contribution by 

 foreigners be left out of account the balance for the year, represent- 

 ing the landings in Scotland by British trawlers, is the greatest 

 recorded. This was to some extent to be anticipated from the 

 increase of the trawling fleet to more than its pre-war dimensions, 

 but was also partly due to the replenishment of the stock of fish in 

 consequence of the restriction of fishing during the war. Whether 

 the increase will be permanent cannot, however, yet be stated. 



Over three-fourths of the total trawl landings were made at 

 Aberdeen, nearly one-fifth at Granton, and the comparatively small 

 balance chiefly at Dundee. An attempt was made during the year 

 to develop Stranraer as a trawling centre, and two steam vessels 

 belonging to a newly formed Company operated from that port from 

 January till May, when they were transferred to Fleetwood, and 

 the original idea was apparently abandoned. The chief drawbacks 

 were evidently the lack of harbour facilities, and adequate and fast 

 railway communication with the large markets. 



Trawlers based on Granton and. Dundee worked entirely in the 

 North Sea, principally on the grounds off the May Island and Bell 

 Rock respectively. All the long voyage vessels, in addition to many 

 trawlers of the smaller classes, were based on Aberdeen. For none 

 of the classes of vessels engaged were the results of the year's 

 operations quite satisfactory, but the large vessels running long 

 voyages to Iceland, Faroe and the grounds to the north-west of 

 Scotland suffered most. Early in the year, when fairly good prices 

 prevailed, these vessels were again landing by far the greater 

 proportion of the trawl catch, but with the advent of better weather 

 and consequently increased landings prices fell away, especially for 

 fish of inferior quality, and some 30 of the large trawlers were laid 

 up for about three months from the end of May, while 25 began to 

 work as liners and others ran short trips, in order to obtain the 

 higher prices ruling for the better quality of fish thus landed. 

 Information as to the earnings and expenses of this class of vessel 

 with observations on " salting voyages " to Icelandic waters is given 

 in the report by the Assistant Inspector in charge of Aberdeen 

 District (p. 86). 



On the whole the smaller trawlers were fairly successful. The 

 problem with which they were faced during the greater part of the 

 year was not a difficulty in securing catches, but rather the large 

 proportion of small fish, chiefly haddocks, included in their shots, 

 which when supplies were plentiful frequently proved unsaleable 

 as food and had to be disposed of as manure. 



The only serious dispute in the industry during the year was 

 the strike of trawl hands at Granton, which began in November 

 1919, and was settled by mutual concessions on 19th January. But 



