of the Fishery Board for Scotlaitd. 



xliii 



The demand for cured herrings was exceedingly keen, and the Prices for 



errings. 



prices paid by the curers for the fresh fish were consequently above Jj resl 



the average, the fishermen reaping a most lucrative harvest, and 

 the shore workers generally sharing in their prosperity. 



The summer fishing in Shetland and on the East Coast com- 

 menced earlier than usual, and as there was a keen demand on the 

 Continent, fishermen and curers were tempted to take full advantage 

 of the early beginning to catch and cure as large a quantity as 

 possible. These early herrings were not, however, of such g 00 ^Q uality 

 quality as those which are usually taken later in the season and did 

 not, therefore, prove quite so suitable for curing, and being taken 

 so early in the season were not eligible for the Board's Crown 

 Brand. 



The quantity of herrings cured on shore in curing-yards was ^ e ^ t °s ea horo 

 1,991,010 barrels, or 39,246 less than in 1905, while that cured on an 

 board of curing-vessels at sea was only 6852 barrels, or 74,493 less 

 than in the preceding year, the number of such vessels engaged 

 having dropped from 41 to 23. 



The most marked increases are shown in the cases of Eyemouth Details. 

 (70,150 barrels), Peterhead (56,000), Aberdeen (53,600), and Fraser- 

 burgh (46,900) on the East Coast, and Barra ( 34,000) on the West 

 Coast, while the principal decreases are found in the case of Wick 

 (10,800 barrels) on the East Coast, 323,982 barrels in the case of 

 Shetland, and 47,600 and 12,500 in the returns of Loch Broom and 

 Stornoway, respectively, on the West Coast. 



Of the herrings cured on shore, 1,789,438 barrels were gutted and 

 pickled, 16,188 barrels pickled ungutted, the equivalent of 144,675 

 barrels kippered and packed in boxes, the contents of 29,493 barrels 

 put up in tins, and 11,216 barrels cured as bloaters or "reds." 



East Coast districts accounted for 939,302 barrels of the total 

 cured gutted, Shetland and Orkney for 736,979, and the West 

 Coast for 113,157. 



Under herrings cured ungutted a substantial increase is shown Cured 

 over the figures for 1905, the return being more than three times Un g utted - 

 greater than that for that year — Shetland and Stornoway districts 

 showing large increases. 



The kippering industry was not quite so successful as in 1905, a Kippering, 

 decrease of 5702 barrels being shown. Wick, Shetland, Stornoway, 

 and Greenock districts contributed practically the whole of the 

 decrease. 



A decline (of 3442 barrels) is also shown in the quantity of Bloaters, 

 herrings treated as bloaters or "reds," a process which is now 

 almost exclusively confined to East Coast districts. 



The tinning industry continues to make progress, particularly at Tinned. 

 Aberdeen — its headquarters, that port and Fraserburgh contribut- 

 ing almost the whole of the returns. The returns of 1906 show an 

 improvement over those of 1905 of nearly 2000 barrels. 



The gutters, packers, and other workers on shore experienced a Earnings of 

 most lucrative season, and it is estimated that the wages and ShoreWorkers ' 

 "arles" paid to gutters and packers alone would amount to £100,000. 

 A large number of the women employed hail from the Western 

 Isles, and their earnings materially contribute to the well-being of 

 the natives of those islands. The coopers, carters, and labourers 

 employed also shared in the general prosperity, and earned very 

 good wages during the season. 



