of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



263 



A few Moray Firth crews tried the winter herring fishing, but with Winter 

 indifferent success. Owing to unfavourable weather, both catch and j^J^",? 

 value were less than last year's. 



Following upon the successful early fishing of 1905, there were great Scalloway aud 

 preparations at Scalloway for a commencement of the fishing in April, West yide - 

 32 stations, or exactly double the number working the previous season, 

 being opened. This fishing, however, proved a failure, the total catch for 

 April, May, and June amounting to only about one good day's fishing 

 for the boats and curers employed. Better results were, however, 

 obtained during the late fishing by the local crews. When the fishing 

 opened at the other west-side stations no better success was met with. 

 Along the whole coast from Walls to Cullivoe the June fishing wis one 

 of the poorest on record, entailing serious loss both on fishermen and 

 curers. 



For the Baltasound fishing, although the number of boats did not Baltasound, 

 quite come up to the preceding year's, preparations on shore were on a 

 more extensive scale, four additional stations being opened. The season, 

 however, did not open auspiciously, and many of the crews were so dis- 

 heartened that they left as soon as their short engagements permitted. 

 After this the fishing improved, and as high prices were paid for the 

 herrings, fishermen who had waited on were generally well enough 

 rewarded for their patience ; but with a fleet reduced from 675 to 250 

 or 300 boats the shortcoming could not be made up, and the season 

 closed with a deficiency of 107,3i>5 crans, value £66,622, as compared 

 with 1905. 



At Lerwick not only were there half-a-dozen large new curing stations, Lerwick, 

 but many of the existing stations had been extended, and the staffs of 

 workers and stocks of curing material were greater than ever before. 

 The fishing here was steady all the season, though never so heavy as 

 curers could have wished ; or rather the fleet of boats was never large 

 enough to supply the local demand for herrings. Fishermen accordingly 

 received high prices for their fish all the season, as was also the case at 

 Hoswick, Whalsay, &c, where the conditions were somewhat similar. 

 Although most of the strangers left in the beginning of September, a 

 number of local crews worked at the south-eastern stations for a month 

 longer, and added very considerably to their season's earnings. For the 

 whole season there was a deficiency in the catch of over 21,500 crans, but 

 an increase in value of £107,000. 



The firm that commenced sending roused herrings to Hamburg in Fresh Herring* 

 1905 continued these exports in 1906, and had two steamers running for Hamburg, 

 all the season. 



The Norwegian curers, as formerly, had their vessels at Lerwick, but Foreign Curing 

 apparently the prices were too high for them, as they bought fewer Vessels, 

 herrings than usual and left comparatively early in the season. 



Owing to the exceptionally high prices, fortunate crews made record Prices, &e. 

 earnings. The most successful local crew had over £1200 for the 

 Lerwick fishing ; and at Hoswick, though the best boat's earnings did 

 not exceed £875, the fishing was so equally distributed that the average 

 for 24 boats reached the substantial sum of £580. The Burra Isle and 

 Whalsay fishermen also had, as a rule, a very profitable season. On the 

 other hand, a number of crews, especially those working in the smaller 

 and older boats, or who had been engaged during the early season at the 

 western stations, earned very little. There was no inshore fishing, the 

 bulk of the herrings having been got from 20 to 70 miles off. Steam 

 drifters, therefore, had a great advantage over sailing boats, and all of 

 them, so far as could be learned, had a most profitable season. The 

 boats belonging to one English firm averaged £1900, one bSat having 

 earned a gross sum of £2330 in 12 weeks. 



