of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



253 



wooden steamers. Early in the year two firms secured orders for these 

 vessels from local crews, and since then a third firm has entered the field. 

 Three very satisfactory vessels have been completed, and three more 

 are in course of construction, while orders are on hand for three or four 

 others. 



Wooden vessels are at present favoured by most of the fishermen of the Wooden 

 district, the reason being that they are considered more buoyant than [^o^ed 

 iron boats in a sea-way, and therefore less liable to ship water. Less 

 painting is required for the wooden craft. 



With a very successful summer herring fishing at Shetland and the Year]s 

 East Coast, succeeded by an even more successful season on the English g^m** ° f 

 coast, the owners of steam drifters in this district had a particularly Drifters, 

 successful year. Their earnings ranged from ,£1890 to £3545, with an 

 average of £2370. Four new vessels that were fitted out late in 

 summer and early in autumn averaged .£100 for each week they worked. 

 In the month of November one vessel at Lowestoft earned £392 in one 

 week alone. 



To meet the requirements of the changed conditions, an engineering of.^E^Sieer 

 establishment has been erected at Lossiemouth for the making of engines m g Works and 



for drifters and the executing of repairs. In connection with that Construction 



of a 

 Slip 



establishment a patent slip has-been constructed for the hauling of fishing 2^ Pi 



vessels when undergoing cleaning and repairs. 



Few sail boats were fitted out for the winter herring fishing. All the Winter Her- 

 steam drifters, however, were at work, and operated mostly from Storno- ling Fismn £- 

 way and Wick. In general, the season w r as not a very remunerative one, 

 the weather conditions very frequently being unfavourable. 



While the early summer herring fishing was being prosecuted, the Early Summer 

 whole of the crews of this district were distributed over the various centres ?® rriDg Flsh " 

 on the North and West Coasts, and the north of Ireland. The venture at °" 

 that season did not prove very remunerative to fishermen. 



Herring fishing was carried on in the district during the months of Herring Fish- 

 June and July, the catch being about equal to the average of the last S£trict be 

 few years. After July had expired the crews that had been working in 

 the district proceeded to the larger centres, where they operated for the 

 remainder of the season. 



On the wmole, the district crews experienced a very remunerative season Satisfactory 

 while pursuing the herring fishing at the various East Coast centres. High East Coast 

 prices were realised for the fish landed, and, therefore, individual earnings Season/ 

 generally reached a high figure. Sailing boats, in many instances, 

 secured from £500 to <£700, while steamers had earnings of from £750 

 to £1200. 



Every encouragement was given to fishermen to pursue the herring fish- Small Herring 

 ing regularly, as there were three curing firms at Inverness purchasing besides ^islihig^ 

 the regular buyers for the fresh markets. Two of the curers put up their 

 purchases in bulk in barrels and shipped them off to Bergen. One adopted 

 the clipping process in place of gutting, then packed and salted as in the 

 ordinary process of curing. Good prices, which commonly varied from 

 14s. to 26s. per cran, were realised for the herrings landed. Sprats were 

 not at all abundant during the season, nor were they of a superior 

 quality. What were secured were generally disposed of at from 18s. to 

 27s. per cran. Most of the catch was purchased for a Swedish firm, who 

 put up the fish in a specially-prepared pickle and exported them to 

 Sweden. 



A marked improvement in the haddock fishing took place all over the Haddock 

 district during the latter half of the year. The cause to which this agree- Fishm £- 



