of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



79 



September and had fairly good success, the total quantity and value of 

 their catch for 10 trips being 567 crans and £2256. These herrings were 

 of fine quality and met with a keen local demand. A larger number of 

 the best trawlers might profitably take part in this # method of catching 

 herrings in the autumn. The herring fishing in the Firth of Forth, 

 which at one time was an important fishery, was not prosecuted with 

 good results last season. It was carried on from January to April by a 

 fluctuating fleet of about 100 boats, and the largest part of the catch 

 was landed at Newhaven. The bulk of the catch was secured by seine 

 net crews off Granton and in the vicinity of Aberdour and Inverkeithing. 

 The drift net is yearly becoming less used in the Firth of Forth, mainly 

 on account of the difficulty of working drift and seine nets together in 

 such narrow waters. All the herrings were sold for consumption in a 

 fresh state, and the maximum controlled price of 98s. a cran was 

 realised for almost the whole of the catch. A compulsory rationing 

 scheme had to be introduced at Newhaven, which was supervised by 

 the Board's Officer. 



The number of steam drifters and large motor boats belonging to 

 this district which engage in the principal Scottish and English herring 

 fishings is now small, numbering only 22 boats last year. 



Their earnings at the Scottish fishing were poor owing to the short 

 and unsatisfactory season, but they all did moderately well at the East 

 Anglian fishing. 



There were good prospects of a sprat fishing setting in during the 

 autumn in the upper reaches of the Firth of Forth, but the fish remained 

 in these waters for only a few weeks. Practically all the catch, 1109 crans, 

 was secured in Bo'ness dock. There was a brisk demand at Newhaven 

 for these fish for exportation at prices ranging from 26s. to 30s. a cran, 

 and had they remained longer in the Firth of Forth the fishermen would 

 have reaped a rich and much needed harvest. 



The district line fishery continues to be of minor importance, and 

 the only creeks at which this method received much attention were 

 Dunbar and Cockenzie. 



Seine net fishing for flat fish under Bye Law No. 31 was chiefly 

 engaged in from Cockenzie. For 1249 landings the total catch was 

 4424 cwts., value £8385, as against 835 arrivals, 1977 cwts., and £5506 

 for the previous year. 



The crab and lobster fisheries of the district are important and were 

 engaged in with success from Cockburnspath, North Berwick and 

 Dunbar. 



As a result chiefly of the monopoly established by the German 

 Government in connection with the importation of cured herrings, and 

 also of the high freight, namely 12s. 6d. a barrel, from Leith to Hamburg, 

 the shipments of cured herrings to that port were comparatively light, 

 amounting to only 18,547^ barrels. On the 15th of December last, 

 however, the monopoly was abolished, and simultaneously the freight 

 was reduced to 5s. 6d. per barrel. These two factors had an immediate 

 salutary effect, as large shipments of matjes from the cold stores at 

 Glasgow were exported to Hamburg. 



The number of barrels of cured sprats exported was 1521, chiefly to 

 Gothenburg. 



The exportation of dried fish was regular throughout the year, Spain 

 being the principal market. The export totalled 40,647 cwts., being 

 practically the same as for 1919. 



The importation of partially-cured cod, etc. into Leith from Iceland 

 and Faroe was again large, amounting to 147,872 cwts., as against 

 161,060 cwts. in the year 1919. The largest proportion of these fish were 



