276 



Appendices to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



Mackerel 

 Fishing. 



Line Fishing. 



Beam 

 Trawling. 



Shell-fish 

 Fisheries. 



Boatbuilding. 



Casualties. 

 Barometers. 



Mackerel fishing was carried on in conjunction with the herring fishing. 

 None of the crews were equipped with mackerel nets. Small mackerel 

 were exceptionally plentiful in the adjacent waters throughout the months 

 of July, August, and September. 



Line fishing was unimportant, little attention being given to it. 

 White fish of all kinds were, as in 1905, exceedingly scarce. 



Beam trawling is yearly becoming less remunerative to the Rothesay 

 crews who engage in it. It is quite evident that unless flat fish become 

 more numerous in the restricted area, in which the crews are allowed to 

 fish for nine months of the year, this mode of fishing will soon be 

 altogether extinct in the Clyde. 



The shell-fish fisheries of the district are now of little importance. The 

 total value shows a decrease from that of 1905. 



A succession of poor herring fishing seasons has told against the boat- 

 building trade. The prospects for 1907 are considered more encouraging. 



Fortunately, no lives were lost in connection with the fisheries, and the 

 amount of damage done to fishing gear was small. 



The barometers at Lochranza and Lamlash are in good condition and 

 well looked after by the persons under whose charge they are. 



Rothesay, 5th January 1907. 



Frederick Fraser, 



Fishery Officer, 



Greenock District. 



Herring Fish- 

 ing between 

 Ayr and Arran. 



Off Largs. 



In Gareloch. 



Off Greenock. 



Off Troon. 



Herrings taken 

 by Trawlers. 



The district fisheries were prosecuted with about the usual results. 

 The most important was the herring fishing in the channel between the 

 Ayrshire coast and Arran, where a fairly successful fishing was obtained 

 for several months from July onwards. By far the greater part of the 

 catch was taken on the Arran side of the channel. Some good catches 

 were also got, about the latter end of November, off Largs, where some 

 of the hauls were obtained close inshore. About 160 boats were at work, 

 but the fishing continued for only a few nights, after which the herrings 

 apparently shifted to Gareloch, where a fairly successful fishing was 

 carried on for several weeks. Before the close of the year, however, the 

 fishing fell off very much, the catches becoming very light. 



About 170 boats, chiefly seine-netters from other districts, worked in 

 the loch. 



The catches ranged up to about 240 boxes, and were obtained princi- 

 pally by seiners. The fishing was also carried on off" Greenock, where 

 some fair catches were got up till the close of the year. 



The herrings, which were partly of medium, but principally of small, 

 size, and generally realised from 16s. to 20s. a cran, were purchased 

 chiefly by buying steamers and carried to the Glasgow market in a fresh 

 state. It is gratifying that a herring shoal should have returned to 

 Gareloch after an absence of a number of years. Catches of exceed- 

 ingly small herrings were also got in Gareloch in the beginning of the 

 year. They were no larger than sprats. 



About 150 crans were also caught off Troon by a pair of seiners about 

 the latter end of December. The herrings apparently only remained one 

 night, as none were got afterwards. 



Two trawlers landed at Glasgow, in the month of November, 80 and 86 

 crans of herrings respectively, taken from the west coast of Ireland. The 

 fish were lightly iced, and of extra large size, and were purchased at from 



