XXVI 



Part I. — Twenty -fifth Annual Report 



Sailing Vessels As in the three preceding years, frequent calms (especially dur- 

 Drffter™ anc ^ ^ e ^ rs ^ wee ^ °^ August) hindered fishing operations, 



the disadvantage being particularly felt by the sailing boats work- 

 ing from Aberdeenshire ports. The recurrence in recent seasons 

 of these calms has impressed the fishermen more and more with 

 the advantages of steam drifters, and the practical cessation in the 

 construction of these vessels during 1905, following upon the com- 

 paratively poor earnings in 1904 (notwithstanding the record catch) 

 * was not repeated in the year under review. In 1906, no fewer 

 than 65 steam drifters were added to the fleet ; but to obtain an 

 adequate idea of the progress made in the use of steam for herring 

 boats reference should be made to the Table in the " Means of 

 Capture " article (p. xv.). In the same article, interesting par- 

 ticulars of the working of the majority of the district fleets of 

 steam drifters are given, and, in this connection, special reference 

 should be made to Tables I., II., and III. embodied in the article. 

 AveragePrices. On the East Coast, the average price per cran was 22s. 7d., 

 against 16s. 8d. in 1905; in Orkney and Shetland it was 28s. 6d., 

 against 18s. 4cl; and on the West Coast 22s. 10d., against 21s. 6d. 



Development 

 of East Coast 

 Fishing. 



Early Summer Fishing. 



As indicated in previous Eeports, the early summer herring fish- 

 ing was formerly prosecuted mainly on the West Coast and in 

 Orkney and Shetland. A few years ago, however, the East Coast 

 began to occupy a more prominent position, and in 1904, for the 

 first time on record, it actually surpassed the West Coast in its 

 catch. The movement thus begun was continued during the year 

 1905, while, in the year under review, the East Coast catch was not 

 only over three times as great as the West Coast catch, but actually 

 exceeded by over 50 per cent, the landings in Orkney and Shetland, 

 which have long been by far the most important contributors to 

 the early summer returns. In order to show the change which has 

 taken place, it may not be uninteresting to exhibit in tabular form 

 the landings for the five years 1902-6 in each of the three sections 

 into which Scotland is divided for the purposes of the returns. 



Statement showing the Quantity of Herrings Landed on the East 

 Coast, in Orkney and Shetland, and on the West Coast dur- 

 ing the Five Years 1902-1906. 



Year. 



East Coast. 



Orkney and 

 Shetland. 



West Coast. 



Total. 





Gwts. 



Gwts. 



Giuts. 



Gwts. 



1902 



68,679 



399,618 



267,968 



736,265 



1903 



141,282 



353,939 



240,417 



735,638 



1904 



220,155 



305,831 



187,342 



713,318 



1905 



210,090 



437,032 



160,369 



807,491 



1906 



618,578 



407,100 



178,926 



1,204,604 



