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Appendices to Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



fishermen sending fish to the markets on their own account receive less 

 than sufficient to pay the cost of carriage. The lack of haddock curing 

 firms in the district is another adverse factor, as during the warm weather 

 deterioration has often set in by the time the fish have arrived in the 

 markets, with a consequent depreciation in value. Towards the end of 

 the year, however, one firm commenced curing operations in Brora, and 

 another wa3 preparing to start in Helmsdale. It is to be hoped that the 

 fishermen will derive some benefit from their operations. 



While the landings of white fish show a decrease, a substantial 

 increase in the landings of shell-fish has to be recorded, the increase in 

 value on last year being =£1324. This great increase is almost entirely 

 due to the success of the lobster fishing prosecuted in the spring and 

 summer months from Helmsdale, and to a less extent from Brora and 

 Dunbeath. From Helmsdale 8 small boats, both motor and sail, were 

 engaged at this fishing from April to June, and with better success 

 than was attained by the boats working lines. 



Small-line fishing, the most important branch of the district fisheries, 

 was carried on together with hand-line fishing almost continuously 

 throughout the year, when weather conditions were favourable. Results, 

 however, were not very remunerative, especially when the high cost of 

 bait, fishing gear, and the running expenses of motor boats are taken 

 into consideration. At both Helmsdale and Golspie, the small-line 

 fishing is engaged in almost entirely by motor boats, the small sail boats 

 being mainly used for hand-line fishing. At the other creeks, however, 

 the sail boats are still in the majority. As usual the small-line fishing 

 was most successful during the first and last quarters of the year, and 

 again motor boats contributed by far the larger proportion of the 

 landings. The principal kinds of fish landed were haddocks, codlings 

 and plaice, although very few plaice were landed except at Embo. 



The cod-net fishing commenced during the last week in January, 

 and continued right on until the end of April. In addition to about 

 30 local boats, 4 stranger boats took part in the fishing, but although 

 the fleet was considerably larger than in the previous year landings were 

 very much less, and the value for the season amounted to only £2649 as 

 compared with £5840 for 1919. Most of the fishermen here attribute 

 the scarcity of fish on the grounds to the prevalence of westerly winds 

 during the winter. The fishing besides being a failure was unfortunately 

 attended with considerable loss of fishing gear, in some instances whole 

 fleets being lost. Trawlers were alleged to have caused the damage, 

 but in no case could evidence be obtained against any particular vessel. 



There are now very few 1st class boats and only 1 steam drifter 

 belonging to this district. The steam drifter, 2 large motor boats, 

 and 2 large sail boats prosecuted the herring fishing at Wick, but 

 except in the case of 1 Dunbeath motor boat which grossed over £1500, 

 earnings were not very high. One of the sail boats had grossed only 

 about £120 when loss of fishing gear caused the fishermen to cease 

 operations. In addition to the above, 12 small motor boats and 8 

 small sail boats engaged for some time in herring fishing from the 

 various creeks in the district, but chiefly from Helmsdale and Dunbeath. 

 Four of these motor boats were for some time on the West Coast, but 

 met with very poor success. The total quantity of herrings landed in 

 the district was greater than for some years past, and amounted to 595 

 crans valued at £1281. Part of the herrings were " freshed," and 316 

 barrels were cured for disposal locally. These were mostly cured by 

 crofters and the fishermen themselves. A few barrels were cured by a 

 local curer, but owing to the small size of the herrings were not pre- 

 sented for acceptance under the Government Guarantee. 



