244 



Appendices to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



were highly satisfactory. Fishcurers and fishworkers also had a profit- 

 able season. Three-fourths of those connected with the industry engaged 

 in various herring fishings outside the district. At several of these 

 curers and fishworkers did not do so well, but to the majority of the 

 fishermen, especially those engaged on board steam vessels, the results 

 exceeded their most sanguine expectations. 

 Means of The five trawlers belonging to Peterhead continued to land their fish 



Capture. a j. Aberdeen, where superior facilities exist. Nine-tenths of the district 

 fishermen engaged in net fishing, and to the total landings herrings 

 contributed 96 '9 per cent. Owing to the increased distance at which 

 the herring fishing is most successfully prosecuted, steam propulsion for 

 fishing craft and an abundant supply of fishing gear of the very best 

 quality have become essential. It is therefore gratifying to report that 

 in these respects the district fleet was never so well equipped as during 

 the year under review. 



An outstanding feature in connection with the means of capture was 

 the continued displacement of sailing boats by steam vessels for herring 

 fishing purposes. During the year 11 steam drifters were added to the 

 fleet, while 25 sailing boats were struck off the register. Several of 

 these were broken up, others were sold to various places in Scotland, 

 Ireland, and one to an English port. A number of the large sailing boats, 

 recently built at a cost of from £720 to £850, were offered for sale at the 

 close of the year at less than half the original cost. 



In consequence of the success of the various herring fishings, and the 

 high prices realised throughout the year, a large number of orders were 

 placed for steam drifters. About twenty of these are to be delivered 

 by the beginning of June 1907, and it is expected that ten more will be 

 built by the close of the year — all with local capital. Nearly all are to be 

 built of steel at a cost of from £3100 to £3400 each. The contract price 

 for wooden vessels varies from £2400 to £2600. The largest and most 

 expensive steel vessel is being built at Dundee, others at Aberdeen, 

 Glasgow, and various places on the English coast. In addition, a 

 company, called " The London and Peterhead Steam Fishing Company 

 Ltd.," was registered at the close of the year with a capital of £25,000 

 for building steam drifters. 



F?shfn HerrinS * n ^ atter P art °* an( * throughout the month of June from 40 

 to 150 vesseis engaged in herring fishing with remarkable success 

 Contrasted with the results obtained in the preceding year by a similar 

 number of boats, the catch exhibited an increase of 32,922 crans in 

 quantity and £24,560 in value. Weather conditions were favourable for 

 both sail and steam vessels, and the herrings were landed in excellent 

 condition. Prices ruled high, the average being 16s. 6d. per cran, as 

 compared with 12s. in 1905. The quality was exceptionally good, and a 

 very large proportion of the catch was cured gutted for the Continental 

 markets. 



Great Summer Practically the whole of the sailing boats engaged in the great summer 

 Herring Fish- nerr j n gf fishing during the month of June and the greater part of July 

 were km the Fifeshire coast, the district sailing boats being then 

 engaged in the Shetland herring fishing. From the beginning to the 

 close of the season there was every indication that herrings were in great 

 abundance, and not so far from the land as in the preceding year. In 

 general, the best results were obtained from 45 to 55 miles off, but heavy 

 takes were got much farther off, and also within a mile or so of the land. 

 Contrasted with the preceding year as from the 1st of July, there was 

 a decrease in the catch of 4081 crans, but taking the catch as from the 

 1st of June, there was an increase of 28,841 crans in quantity and 

 £84,997 in value. 



