of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



9 



table will be found details for each port or creek round the Scottish 

 coast — number of vessels or boats, classified by sizes, number of 

 fishermen, and quantity and value of fish landed. 



The following figures, showing the total number of fishing vessels 

 actually belonging to Scotland in the various years, indicate the 

 changes which have occurred in the composition of the fishing fleet, 

 as does also the chart opposite showing the increase in the number 

 of motor boats as compared with steam drifters and liners : — 



v Steam Steam Drifters Motor Sail T . , 



lear " Trawlers. and Liners. Boats. Boats. i0ia ' 



1920 . 354 854 1947 4658 7813 



1919 . 324 872 1844 5084 8124 



1913 . 298 884 523 6807 8512 



The bulk of the fishing fleet was owned on the East Coast, in- 

 cluding practically all the steam vessels, over a half by number but 

 four-fifths by gross tonnage of the motor vessels, and more than a 

 third both by number and gross tonnage of the sailing fleet. 



The trawling fleet operating from Scottish ports, inclusive of 

 English owned vessels, was greater in 1920 than ever before, number- 

 ing 385 as against a previous maximum of 332 attained in the first 

 half of 1914. The additions to the fleet consisted mainly of trawlers 

 built by the Admiralty, primarily for war purposes, and of small-sized 

 trawlers sold to England during the war, and repurchased at greatly 

 reduced prices. Of 10 steam trawlers built during the year the 

 majority went to English owners and only one was retained in 

 Scotland. 



An interesting feature of the year was the conversion of a number 

 of drifters into trawlers. Although Scottish steam drifters have all 

 along been owned for the most part by the fishermen themselves, 

 nearly all the Scottish trawlers have been held by shore owners, 

 chiefly limited liability companies, and trawling has been regarded 

 with little favour by drift-net and line fishermen. Many of these 

 fishermen, however, while on Admiralty service became more closely 

 acquainted with trawl fishing, and doubtless lost some of their pre- 

 judice against it ; and in view of the gloomy prospects of the herring- 

 fishing a number were prepared to give trawling for white fish a 

 serious trial. The disposal of Admiralty steam drifters through the 

 Board to ex-service fishermen afforded the necessary opportunity, and 

 a number of those sold during the year were by the fishermen's own 

 choice equipped for trawling. 



The number of steam drifters and liners belonging to Scotland 

 shows a decrease of 30 as compared with 1913, and until trading- 

 conditions with the Continent show an improvement, it is improbable 

 that the upward trend of the figures which was so noticeable prior to 

 the war will be resumed. 



While the number of boats fitted with motor engines shows an 

 increase over the total for 1919, and the motor fleet is now almost 

 four times its pre-war strength, the activity which prevailed during 

 the war in installing motor engines into sailing boats was not mani- 

 fest during 1920. No additional large sailing boats were equipped 

 with motor power, and the return of the steam drifter fleet from 

 Naval service resulted in the laying up of a number of motor 



