134 Appendices to Thirty -ninth Annual Report 



During the progress of this fishing, two steam drifters landed some 

 240 crans at Stranraer from the Irish waters, which made 55s. per cran. 



Year by year the herring shoals gather on Ballantrae Bank for the 

 brief spawning season, but, owing to stormy weather, this season also 

 proved unproductive in 1920. Hardly any favourable night was experi- 

 enced, and the only herrings taken from the Bank were ripe and 

 running with spawn, indicating the approaching end of the season. 

 Only a very few crews made reasonable earnings. 



After an interval of a month or six weeks the district fleet made a 

 fresh start at herring fishing, which was continued with more or less 

 regularity in different areas till the end of the year. During the 

 summer months, the results of fishing with the seine net were very 

 irregular, while the Girvan boats, which generally adopt the drift-nets 

 during this period, landed a light regular fishing of herrings with a fair 

 proportion of mackerel. During the fall of the year, when the seine net 

 is generally adopted, catches were irregular, and landings at Ayr and 

 Girvan very erratic, as the fishing was mostly centred too far from home 

 ports, and weather conditions were against long passages. 



While, nevertheless, a number of the district boats experienced a 

 prosperous time, some crews unfortunately were very unsuccessful. 

 Although the returns of herrings landed are no true index of the earnings 

 of fishermen from this source, the average earnings are known to be 

 much below those of the previous year, and the general condition of the 

 fishing community is much less prosperous than a year ago. 



As previously indicated great line fishing does not receive much 

 attention from local fishermen, being restricted to a very small portion 

 of the fleet, and almost confined to Stranraer and Girvan. At the 

 former place the fishing was engaged in also by 4 large motor boats 

 from the East Coast, and at Girvan by 2 of a smaller size. At neither 

 place was the yield more than would provide fair earnings to those 

 engaged. Gross earnings at Stranraer averaged approximately .£600, 

 inclusive of receipts from herring trammel nets and cod nets, all of 

 which were employed during the season. Earnings at Girvan averaged 

 .£375, all from line fishing. 



Cod net fishing was somewhat developed at Stranraer and Girvan, 

 and for a little time was very successfully prosecuted, yielding in the 

 aggregate better results than in the previous year. Small line fishing 

 was prosecuted from Dunure for a very short period, and at Girvan this 

 method of fishing was almost confined to one crew, but at Maidens, 

 whieh is the local seat of this fishing, some 3 to 7 boats operated during 

 the whole year with very satisfactory results. Skate fishing in Luce Bay 

 was not so productive as during 1919. 



The shell fisheries of the district were well maintained and in some 

 cases improved. 



As already indicated values were on a lower level. The average 

 price for herrings works out at lis. per cwt. against 22s. 6d. in 1919, 

 while the average for all kinds excluding shell fish is 19s. 5d. against 

 31s. 5d. for the previous year. Herrings were generally of poor quality, 

 especially as regards size, which to some extent explains the decided fall 

 in value. 



Kippering as a branch of the local herring industry continues to 

 expand. During the year some 1249 crans, including about 200 crans 

 from other districts, were dealt with against 432 crans in the preceding 

 year. These were largely disposed of in the surrounding district. 



Very little curing is done in this district and only some 95 barrels 

 were put up in this manner, entirely for local sale. 



Unfortunately the year's operations were marred by the loss of two 



