of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



285 



APPENDIX P. 



DEVELOPMENT OF A SCOTTISH MACKEREL FISHERY 

 ON THE WEST COAST. 



Precis of Reports by Fishery Officers on the Season of 1906. 



Only in Barra and Loch Carron districts is a regular mackerel 

 fishery pursued ; in other districts the fish are landed solely from 

 herring nets, and are not sought after independently. 



Barra. — The results for the last three years will be seen from the 

 following Table : — 





1906. 



1905. 



1904. 



No. of boats engaged 

 Cwts. landed - 



Value ----- 



Average price per cwt. - 

 Number of curers - 

 Barrels cured 



Barrels exported to U.S.A. 



84 

 4,603 

 £716 

 s, d. 

 3 1 

 3 



1,304 

 700 



94 

 4,184 

 £999 

 s. d. 

 4 9 

 5 



1,689 

 1,589 



64 

 2,757 

 £678 

 s. d. 

 4 11 

 5 



800 

 610 



Thus, although fish were plentiful in 1906, the season otherwise was 

 not encouraging. In Barra the fish cannot be disposed of fresh. The 

 American markets were depressed in summer, with the result that only 

 three Lochboisdale merchants — -indeed, only one to any extent — carried 

 on curing operations. At Castlebay most of the good catches secured 

 in herring nets had to be thrown overboard. South Uist fishermen 

 could get sale for only a portion of their catch, and cured the remainder 

 themselves. Owing to the failure of the Irish fishing, the American 

 demand improved, and fishermen are likely to get disposed of some of 

 the cured fish on hand. The success of the herring fishing in July and 

 August had an adverse effect on the mackerel fishing. 



Loch Carron and Skye. — Here the fish are readily bought for the 

 southern markets, and the season of 1906 was distinctly successful, and 

 a considerable improvement on the previous two years. 





1906. 



1905. 



1904. 



No. of boats engaged 

 Cwts. landed - 



Value - - - - . 

 Average price per cwt. - 



52 

 8,219 

 £3,111 

 s. d. 

 7 7 



32 

 3,334 

 £946 

 s. d. 



5 8 



30 

 4,678 

 £1,588 

 s. d, 

 6 9 



