104 



Appendices to Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



thousand barrels of sprats, cured towards the close of 1919, were exported 

 direct to Sweden early in the year. 



The decline in line fishing operations since the termination of the 

 war continued during last year, and several motor boats, acquired by 

 fishermen during the war period when their vessels were in Admiralty 

 service, were sold to other districts. 



Cod net fishing was prosecuted during the spring months, with poor 

 results, by an increased number of crews as compared with the previous 

 season. The takes obtained were generally meagre, and prices frequently 

 fell to a low level, owing to heavy supplies in the southern markets. 

 Although the quantity of fish landed was practically equal to that landed 

 during the previous season, the value was £14,000 less, being a reduction 

 of 54 per cent. The gross earnings of the crews employed ranged from 

 £200 to £500, which in many cases was absorbed in working expenses. 



Seventy fishermen found employment throughout the year on board 

 trawlers working from Aberdeen, while 40 were employed during a con- 

 siderable part of the year in bringing to this country trawlers and 

 drifters built in Canada to the order of the Admiralty. 



Few boat builders were employed, and building was practically con- 

 fined to motor boats of medium size, suitable for line fishing, of which 

 9 were launched, chiefly for other districts. Coopers were kept fully 

 employed until the close of the East Anglian season. 



A fisherman, belonging to Lossiemouth, was unfortunately drowned 

 through falling overboard while prosecuting herring fishing on the West 

 Coast. 



The loss of fishing craft was heavier than usual, 3 steam drifters 

 being wrecked, and 2 large motor boats being destroyed by fire, but the 

 loss of netting was not nearly so extensive as during the previous year. 



In view of the continued depression in the Continental markets, and 

 the fact that no Government Guarantee Scheme will be available for the 

 coming fishing seasons, the outlook for the herring industry meantime 

 presents features of unusual difficulty. 



Wm. Sinclair, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Lossiemouth, 12^ January 1921. 



Cromarty District. 



For the year 1920 the number of fishermen in Cromarty district shows 

 an increase of 43 over the number for 1919. 



While line fishing was carried on with fair success at most of the 

 creeks, some of the fishermen, especially those in Avoch, gave most of 

 their attention to drift-net fishing, landing their catches at Inverness. 

 Although the fishing for small herrings and sprats in the Beauly and 

 Inverness Firths was so successfully carried on during the previous year 

 or two, the results during the year under review were rather disappoint- 

 ing. Eight arrivals of motor boats in Cromarty district for the year had 

 an average catch of 45 crans each, and realised an average price of 

 35s. 6^. per cran, while 79 arrivals of sail boats averaged 11 crans per 

 arrival and only 30s. 4d. per cran. 



Cod-net fishing was carried on with a fair measure of success oil 

 Tarbat Ness, and most of the catches were landed at Portmahomack. 

 The best results were obtained during the month of March, when in- 

 dividual shots ranged from 10 to 100 fish, and the prices realised were 

 *rom 2s. to 6s. per fish. During February, March and part of April 122 



