84 



A^endices to Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



expenses were high, and the average net earnings of the former were 

 only £400 and of the latter £250. Eleven crews prosecuted the East 

 Anglian herring fishing with a fair measure of success, the average net 

 earnings being £740 for drifters and £350 for motor boats. 



There was an abundance of sprats in the Tay Estuary during January, 

 February, November and December, and heavy catches were landed at 

 Dundee during these months, but owing to the plentiful supply of 

 herrings from other ports no market could be found for these fish, and 

 the whole catch was disposed of for manure. 



Upwards of two-thirds of the district fishermen were employed at 

 line fishing at different times during the year, and this important branch 

 of the industry constituted the only source of livelihood for 50 per cent, 

 of the fishermen ; consequently its success or failure means a great 

 deal to the welfare of the district. Spells of stormy weather and 

 occasional shortages in the supply of mussels were mainly responsible 

 for a large decrease in the catch. The landings of sail line fish were in- 

 significant, and fell off by 46 per cent, compared with 1919. A fleet of 

 95 motor skiffs and yawls made 13,945 landings for a total catch of 51,309 

 cwts., or 3*6 cwts. value £6, 5s. 3d. per catch, against 15,235 landings and 

 a total catch of 62,460 cwts., or 41 cwts. value £8, 12s. 7d. per catch for 

 1919. The average price was 34s. per cwt. against 42s. Id. per cwt. for 

 1919. 



Eight motor skiffs engaged in great-lining on the west coast, but 

 although fish were plentiful prices were low, and the venture gave but 

 poor wages for the period. 



Greater attention than formerly was paid to seine net fishing. 

 Eighty-two motor skiffs took part at different periods, and the total catch 

 of seine net plaice and dabs increased from 929 cwts. in 1919 to 3550 cwts. 

 for 1300 arrivals in 1920. The Gourdon fleet landed their catches during 

 October and November at Aberdeen. 



The produce of the shell fisheries of the district shows an increase in 

 value of £2021. Gourdon, Johnshaven and Arbroath provide practically 

 all the fishermen for lobster and crab fishing. No mussels were landed 

 from the Tay, but there was an increase of 6074 cwts. dredged from the 

 South Esk. 



Trawl fishing operations were conducted mainly from Dundee, where 

 the local fleet was augmented by vessels from other districts. The 

 results were, on the whole, good, and would leave a fair margin of profit 

 for all concerned. Landings were made principally from short trips of 

 an average of 2*67 days to the fishing grounds in the vicinity of and from 

 5 to 60 miles E. and E.S.E. from the Bell Rock, while some good catches 

 were got also from the waters off the Aberdeenshire coast. There was 

 a total of 825 arrivals with an average catch of 937 cwts. value £122. 

 The best fished boat grossed £12,000 for the year. The average price of 

 trawl fish was 32s. 2d. per cwt. against 41s. 4d. per cwt. for the previous 

 year. Landings of trawl fish at Montrose were confined to a few 

 small shots, and occasional catches landed by Granton vessels to be 

 railed to Glasgow for sale there. 



There was no herring curing, but a large quantity of haddocks was 

 smoked for retail purposes, especially at Arbroath. Most of the fish 

 landed at Arbroath are sent off in a fresh state, but upwards of 2000 tons 

 of trawled fish were brought from Aberdeen by rail for smoking and 

 disposed of throughout Arbroath and district, providing employment for 

 a considerable number of workers. 



Barrel making is fast dying out, and only 1366 whole barrels were 

 constructed at Montrose. 



There were 1291 quarter cran baskets manufactured at Dundee. 



