of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



11 



to persons who find only partial or temporary employment in the 

 industry, such as women herring gutters and seamen engaged in 

 transporting fish and fish curing material ; and, as in the case of 

 fishermen, is very largely attributable to the depressed state of the 

 herring industry. 



The majority of the persons engaged in curing operations are 

 gutters and packers, and the number so employed during the year 

 was 9403 as compared with 16,269 in 1913. The decline is particu- 

 larly noticeable in the more outlying districts such as Orkney, 

 Shetland, Stornoway, Barra and Loch Broom. 



An increase in the numbers of persons gathering bait and baiting 

 lines on the East Coast, especially in Anstruther and Montrose 

 Districts, reflects both the revived interest in small-lining as 

 compared with pre-war years, and the greater attention paid to the 

 gathering of bait locally, due to high transport charges and delay in 

 transit from the West Coast and elsewhere. 



The building and repairing of fishing vessels gave employment to 

 3376 persons, as compared with 3684 in 1919 and 2403 in 1913, and 

 of the total 75 per cent, were engaged at Aberdeen, the principal 

 centre for the building of steam trawlers. Elsewhere boat building 

 for the fishing industry affords only intermittent employment, and 

 building operations were practically restricted to motor boats, 

 although 1 steam trawler was completed at Leith, and Montrose and 

 Buckie each contributed 2 steam drifters and liners. The majority 

 of the men employed were engaged in reconditioning and repair work, 

 and nearly all work of the former class was completed by the end of 

 the year. 



Net making afforded employment to 2260 persons, as compared 

 with 1778 in 1919 and 2302 in 1913. The high cost of nets, together 

 with unsuccessful fishings, deterred fishermen from replacing or 

 acquiring gear so readily as in pre-war years, and a few boats were 

 idle owing to the lack of share fishermen provided with suitable 

 equipment. A fall in the price of gear and a more encouraging 

 outlook for the herring fishing industry must eventuate before any 

 material increase in the demand for nets can be looked for. 



In consequence of the failure of the summer fishing, and the poor 

 prospects of the industry generally, a number of coopers also were 

 unemployed at the end of the year, and with large stocks of unused 

 barrels on hand there was little prospect of any improvement in the 

 situation for some time to come. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE HERRING FISHERY. 



The quantity of herrings landed in Scotland in 1920 was 

 3,155,165 cwts., valued at £2,244,680, as compared with 3,735,486 

 cwts., valued at £2,236,559, in 1919. The landings showed a decrease 

 of 16 per cent, in quantity, but a slight increase of less than 1 per 

 cent, in value. 



For purposes of comparison, the accompanying diagram shows the 



