102 



Appendices to Thirty -ninth Annual Report 



Owing to the fine weather that prevailed throughout the season 

 comparatively few nets were lost at the English fishing. 



Small-line fishing receives little attention in this district except from 

 the older fishermen who are unable to follow the herring fishing. The 

 results of this fishing were somewhat similar to those of the previous 

 year. 



Boat-builders were busily employed during the first eight months of 

 the year refitting vessels which were released from Government service, 

 but during the last four months trade was very dull, and several 

 hundreds of employees were paid off. 



The only new vessels launched during the year were 2 steam drifters 

 which were built to the order of the Admiralty, and 1 large motor fishing 

 vessel. The latter was 80 feet long by 17| feet beam by 8 feet depth, 

 and was fitted with a 76 b. H.P. Vickers-Petters semi-Diesel engine. 



In October a commencement was made to deepen the channel at the 

 harbour entrance. The Board's dredger and the Aberdeen rock-breaker 

 were both employed, but the work was not completed at the end of the 

 year. When the work is finished it will render the entering of the 

 harbour much safer, and will tend to a further development of the 

 district fisheries. 



An outstanding feature in connection with the losses of the year was 

 the number of large motor boats lost, 7 of which were burnt, 4 foundered 

 at sea, and 1 was wrecked while taking the harbour. 



The last casualty referred to, which happened in February last, 

 was a serious disaster. The motor boat " Loyal " of Portessie was 

 returning from the cod-net fishing on a dark stormy night, and while 

 endeavouring to take the harbour missed the entrance, and, with the 

 crew of 8, was lost at the back of the harbour breakwater. 



A. J. Munro, 

 Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Buckie, \2th January 1921. 



Findhorn District. 



Early in the year under review the reconditioning of steam drifters 

 which had been in Admiralty service during the war was completed, and 

 the number of vessels available for herring fishing approximated more 

 closely to the pre-war standard than during any year since 1914. 



Four-fifths of the district fishermen are dependent on the results of 

 herring fishing prosecuted from the principal centres around the coast, 

 and the success of the industry at those centres is very largely de- 

 pendent on the export trade in cured herrings, which continued in a 

 very unstable position owing to economic difficulties in Germany and 

 Russia. There is no doubt therefore that a serious crisis was averted 

 last year by the decision of the Government again to assist the industry 

 financially by a Guarantee Scheme. 



Although the summer herring fishing proved disappointing, good 

 results were obtained at the East Anglian autumn fishing, and in a less 

 marked degree at the West Coast winter fishing early in the year, but 

 owing to the exceptionally heavy outlay incurred in connection with 

 working expenses and the provision of gear, the net earnings in many 

 cases proved unusually meagre. 



Compared with the previous year, the quantity and value of fish 

 landed in the district show decreases of 34,033 cwts. and £58,080 re- 



