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Appendices to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



steam drifters find the best outlet for their energies. They can come and 

 go to sea when it suits them, as the harbours they fish from are all 

 natural ones. In the East Coast harbours it often happens that, however 

 willing, they are unable to get to sea owing to the congestion. If they 

 owe something to Shetland in this respect the district owes a good deal to 

 them for the extraordinary development of the industry in recent years. 

 During the seasou very large earnings were made by the steam vessels, a 

 considerable number having over £2000. The sailing boats, both local 

 and strangers, also had a very successful season, the highest earnings 

 among the local crews amounting to £1290, while many of them reached 

 from six to eight hundred pounds. While there was such a decrease in 

 Shetland there was a very successful fishing being landed in the Aberdeen- 

 shire and Eyemouth districts, where the catch amounted to over 100,000 

 crans more than in the preceding year, with an increase in value of almost 

 £250,000. A little further north of Aberdeenshire, or just across the 

 Moray Firth, at Wick, the fishing was, during the latter part of the 

 season, in the month of August, little less than a failure. Such a poor 

 return for that month has rarely, if ever, occurred in the history of the 

 industry at Wick. The boats fishing from Orkney met with fair success, 

 as they fished chiefly near the prolific Fair Isle fishing grounds. As in 

 other districts, high prices were prevalent, the engagement system 

 having ceased there as well as elsewhere. 



In the Firth of Clyde the fishing, though a great improvement on that 

 of the previous year both in quantity and value, was still considered a 

 poor one, even though the fishermen received over £21,000 more than in 

 1905. Most of the fish were caught on the coasts of Ayr and Wigtown- 

 shire, and comparatively few in Kilbrannan Sound or Loch Fyne — more 

 evidence of the erratic movements of the herrings. 

 Herring Curing went on on much the same lines as in former years. The great 



Curing. hulk of the fish was, of course, cured for export to the Continental 

 markets, the quantity consumed in this country constituting a very small 

 percentage of the whole. As a large proportion of the catch was obtained 

 in the earlier part of the season, curing in such a manner as to please the 

 consumer, and yet preserve the fish in good condition for some time, was 

 rendered a somewhat difficult matter, more especially as the weather was 

 very warm. Light salting was accountable for a few parcels going wrong, 

 but on the whole there were not many barrels found spoiled from this 

 cause, curers being quite alive to the necessity of using sufficient salt in 

 the curing process. 



Branding There has been a very considerable falling oft in the quantity presented 



of Herrings. £ QJ , ^ e 0 g^ c | a ^ b ran d t There is no diminution in the demand for, and 

 the usefulness of, the Board's brand, but the season under review has 

 been exceptional in several ways. In the first place, a large proportion 

 of the catch on the East Coast was got in the month of June (160,000 

 crans), thus being unsuitable for the brand, while during the month of 

 August, which is the month when herrings are most suitable for curing 

 for the brand, the fishing proved to be rather slack. This was specially the 

 case in both Shetlaud and Wick, compared with former years. The 

 earlier-caught herrings are shipped off for immediate consumption, while 

 branded herrings are expected to keep, and do keep, in sound condition 

 for from eight to twelve months. 



The herrings entitled to the brand have always commanded he highest 

 price in the markets, as, with very few exceptions, they have always turned 

 out what they are represented to be. 

 Exportation During the season there were some slight changes in the places to 

 of Herrings. w hi ca herrings were exported. During the two previous years 

 considerable quantities of herrings were exported to Archangel, 



