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Appendices to Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



Leith District. 



The fishing industry in thi3 district during the year 1920 was energeti- 

 cally carried on, and the results were generally satisfactory. So far as 

 the trawling branch was concerned, the most notable feature was that 

 during the latter half of the year in particular trawlowners had not a 

 remunerative period, although fish were by no means scarce. This was 

 caused mainly by the poor prices which ruled for small haddocks, the 

 high costs of all materials required for trawling, and the increased wages 

 of the crews. 



The quantity and value of trawled fish landed in the district last 

 year were the largest in its history, amounting to 443,294 cwts., and 

 £531,731, while the total quantity and value of white fish caught by all 

 methods of fishing were 499,230 cwts., and £607,778, exclusive of shell 

 fish, the value of which was no less than £i0,191. These figures establish 

 a record for this district, and they are a tribute to all connected with 

 the industry, through whose energy and enterprise the fisheries are 

 again as fully developed as before the war. 



The year's average price of all kinds of white fish caught by all 

 methods was 24s. 4d. per cwt., as against 36s. 7d. for the year 1919, 

 while trawled fish realised an average price of 24s. a cwt., as compared 

 with 36s. 3d. in the previous year. 



Increases of 12 trawl vessels and of 22 motor boats A were the chief 

 features of the means of capture returns. The day of the sailing 

 fishing boat among bona fide fishermen is fast drawing to a close in this 

 district; as a matter of fact few if any proper fishermen will now go to 

 sea in a boat unless it is propelled by steam or motor power. 



The trawl fishery was pursued with much vigour, but both the strike 

 of skippers and deck hands which occurred at the close of 1919 and 

 was not finally settled until the 19th of January last, and the coal strike 

 in the autumn, had an injurious effect on this, the chief branch of 

 the district fisheries. A settlement of the fishermen's dispute was effected 

 through the concession by owners of increases to the crews. As regards 

 the miners' strike, a rationing of coals on the basis of 50 per cent, of 

 normal supplies kept alternate halves of the fleet employed. 



The average number of trawlers at work during the year was 70, 

 as compared with 40 in the preceding year. Twenty different firms of 

 fish salesmen acted for these vessels. While several of the largest sized 

 trawlers worked about 100 miles off in the North Sea, the local trawling 

 fleet can nevertheless be termed an inshore one. The favourite fishing 

 areas of the boats working in the distant waters lay off Buchan Ness 

 and Rattray Head, and the range of their catches was from 100 to 390 

 cwts. for voyages of an average duration of 4 days. The inshore craft 

 usually fished from 5 to 35 miles in various directions off the May Island, 

 Bell Rock, Bass Rock and St. Abbs Head, and the range of their shots 

 was from 38 to 210 cwts. for trips of from 2 to 4 days' duration. 

 Haddocks accounted for 55 per cent, of the total catch, but fully 30 per 

 cent, of the haddocks landed consisted of the extra small selection, locally 

 called '' Seed," and for these unremunerative prices had frequently to be 

 accepted. It was a common experience at Newhaven market during 

 the summer for hundreds of boxes of these small fish to be sold at the 

 nominal price of 2s. a box, and on several occasions large quantities 

 had to be disposed of to the local manure factories at 9d. per box. 

 The quantity of fish sent to Glasgow direct from Granton last year was 

 202,817 cwts., being equivalent to 46 per cent, of the total trawl catch 

 for the year. 



A few boats engaged in trawling for herrings on the Dogger Bank in 



