of the Fishery Board for Scotland 



257 



Crabs and lobsters wore unusually scarce, and the fishing was less Crab and Lob- 

 successful than it has been for years. ster Fibhin £- 



At the close of the year the Meteorological Committee granted on loan Fishery Bar- 

 anew fishery barometer to the fishing community of Dunbeath in lieu JJJI^ ^ 

 of the one lent to them more than 30 years ago, which had become 

 defective. 



Two small-line boats were wrecked during the year, one belonging to Casualties. 

 Golspie in January, and one to Helmsdale in December. Tn each case 

 two fishermen lost their lives. The loss of fishing material and damage 

 to fishing boats returned against Helmsdale refers chiefly to steam 

 drifters. 



Alexander Wood, 



Fishery Officer, 



Helmsdale, 7th January 1907. 



Lybsfer District. 



Compared with the previous two years, the results of the fishing jj^SSk 

 industry for the year 1906 are fairly satisfactory. Both the quantity 1 

 and value of fish landed were greater than in the preceding two years, 

 while in addition the fishermen landed a larger quantity of herrings than 

 formerly at the port of Wick. The fishermen of the district, however, 

 move about very little from one station to another. They take no part 

 in the West Coast or English herring fishing, and in fact confine them- 

 selves almost entirely to the grounds within the Moray Firth. 



Each year shows a decrease in the number and tonnage of boats. Means of 

 During the year 1906 four were broken up and cancelled from the 1 1 e ' 

 register, and there is no likelihood of their being replaced. Nets and 

 lines are also on the decrease, and no effort is being made to keep up 

 with the times with these or any other means of capture. The changes 

 which are taking place year by year in the size of boats, and the improve- 

 ment of fishing gear, seem to be ousting the crofter fishermen more and 

 more from the field. 



Fewer boats than in any previous year were fitted out for the herring Groat Summer 

 fishing. The number was 18, as against 26 in 1905, 13 of these ^Mn| 

 adhering to the old order of things by working the old rig of nets and 

 rigidly sticking to the inshore grounds off Lybster. From the appear- 

 ance of herrings on these grounds fishermen were hopeful that the good 

 old times were coming back again, but unfortunately it was proved that 

 the siioal was of small dimensions. The other five crews took courage 

 and cast in their lot with the Wick fleet and landed their catches at that 

 port. The quantity landed direct at Lybster was slightly greater than 

 in the previous year. 



There were four curers in readiness at Lybster with stations, women, Curers. 

 and men in the event of a successful fishing being landed. The facilities 

 afforded by the railway for moving men and women to and from Wick 

 enabled them to keep these stations opened, otherwise, owing ' to the 

 small quantity cured, they would have had to be closed. t Her 



Several boats fitted out for the winter herring fishing, and the early vi ™ Wishing" 

 part of the season showed some signs of success. The catch at the close, 

 although more than double that of the previous year, was a very poor 



A slight improvement is observed in the quantity of white fish landed Fi^ingJ Sh 

 when compared with the returns of the previous few years. A gradual 

 improvement in the catches of haddocks and codlings was observable 



