108 Appendices to Thirty-ninth Animal Report 



and the means of capture returns exhibit no changes of any consequence 

 when compared with those of the year 1919. 



The total quantity of fish landed in the year 1920 amounted to 

 4701 cwts. valued at £4732, as against 3074 cwts. valued at £4350 in the 

 preceding year. 



In August a fine shoal of herrings visited Latheron Bay, and for five 

 weeks provided remunerative employment for the majority of the fisher- 

 men. The fleet engaged in this inshore drift-net fishing was composed of 

 6 small motor boats and 12 small sail boats. The herrings were landed 

 chiefly at Lybster and at Wick. The gross earnings of the most success- 

 ful crew amounted to £400, while those of the others varied from £15 to 

 £300. Of the herrings landed at Lybster, 398 barrels were cured gutted, 

 and of these 290J barrels', chiefly matties and matfulls of very fine 

 quality, were handed over to the Board under the guarantee. 



The average prices of the principal kinds of fish landed in Lybster 

 district were : — 



Year 1920. Year 1919. 



s. d.. s. d. 



Herrings — per cran ... 42 7 35 3 



Codlings— per cwt. ... 22 8 34 9 



Haddocks— per cwt. . . 26 U 29 3| 



In October a crew of Lybster fishermen proceeded to the West Coast 

 in their small motor boat, and for eight weeks engaged in herring fishing 

 in the lochs of Skye. Herrings were plentiful, but during the greater 

 part of the season they were of very little value. Fishermen had some- 

 times difficulty in selling them at 5s. per cran. The earnings of the 

 Lybster crew amounted to little more than sufficient to clear the work- 

 ing expenses. 



In the summer a large shed near the harbour of Lybster was con- 

 verted into a kippering establishment, with kiln capacity sufficient to 

 deal with about 30 crans daily. The curer who has fitted out this 

 establishment also intends to carry on a business in smoked haddocks 

 and codlings. This kippering business, added to the one previously 

 opened at Lybster, will provide increased employment especially for 

 women workers. The herrings kippered at Lybster were usually brought 

 by rail from Wick. In 1920 the total output of kippers from Lybster 

 amounted to 16,700 one-stone boxes. 



In the spring months 4 coopers were employed at Lybster making 

 barrels. The total quantity manufactured amounted to 2400 barrels 

 and 350 half-barrels. 



It is ten years since the Lybster harbour was last cleaned out, and it 

 has become very much silted up with sand, which has been carried 

 down the burn into the basin. When the water was lower than half- 

 tide, this accumulation of sand prevented the larger of the boats from 

 getting to the pier, and when there was depth of water sufficient to float 

 them to the pier, they took the ground when the tide receded. Thus 

 the work of the fishermen was rendered difficult and fishing operations 

 were greatly restricted. If cleaned out, this harbour would be an 

 excellent one from which to carry on inshore fisheries by small motor 

 boats. 



Alexander Wood, 



Fishery Officer. 



Fishery Office, 

 Wick, February 1921. 



