of the Fishery Hoard for Scotland. 
17 
the 31st August, 131 boats being employed, of which 5 fished from St 
Margaret's Hope, 10 from Cara, 20 from Burray, 33 from Holm, and G3 
from Stronsay, being an increase of 5 over the fleet of 1888. With the 
exception of 6, they were all engaged to curers at 1 4s. per cran for a com- 
plement of 150 crans, and in some cases 14s. per cran for 100, and 12s. 
for 50 crans. The average catch was 124 crans per boat, — Stronsay 
being the most productive station with a general average of 132 crans. The 
highest individual catch was 100 J crans landed by the steam fishing boat 
' Alice ' of Leith. The largest gross catch was 260 crans, and th^ smallest 
40 crans. The quality of the herrings was poor throughout, a large pro- 
portion being maties and spents. Nets, valued at £947, had to be 
abandoned on 28th August, through weight of fish meshed, which was 
the heaviest loss ever sustained in Orkney in one season. Two first class 
boats were totally wrecked during the year, and 3 lives were lost in 
connection with the fisheries. The number of boats belonging to the 
district was 631, of- which 168 were first class, 32 second class, and 43i 
third class, and the estimated value of which was £16,541. 
Shetland District. 
Comprising the Shetland Isles, Fair Isle, and Foula Island. 
District Fishery Office — Lerwick. 
The herring fishing of Shetland district, which developed so rapidly 
during the years 1880 to 1885, has recently greatly fallen off, and during 
the past year, considering the number of boats employed, it was little 
better than a complete failure. Extensive preparations were made for the 
early fishing, which began about the 20th June, all the available stations 
being occupied, and a few new ones erected. 771 boats, an increase of 
371 over 1888, were engaged by 72 curers, and of these, 568 boats fished 
in the Unst section, and 203 on the west side of the district. In the first 
few days of the fishing a fair average catch was landed, but towards the 
end of June, dog-fish appeared on the fishing grounds and frightened the 
herrings away, all fishing operations being suspended. The early fishing 
closed in the second week of July, with an estimated catch of 27,822 
crans, which realised an average of 15s. per cran. 
The late fishing began at Lerwick and other stations on the east side 
of the district towards the end of July, 400 boats being engaged. It 
proved a complete failure, the total catch only amounting to about 800 
crans, nearly a half of which quantity was landed at the station of 
Symbister. A large proportion of the boats did not take a single herring 
during the season. One take of 37 crans was landed at Lerwick, and 
another of 50 crans at Symbister. Of the 400 boats employed, 320 
belonged to the district, and the remainder chiefly to the Isle of Man. 
The total quantity of herrings cured was 47,006 barrels, being a decrease 
of 52,215 J barrels under the quantity cured in 1888, and a decrease of no 
less than 171,717 barrels under the average for the previous five years. 
The average price obtained was 16s. per cran. The fishing was con- 
tinued by a few crews up to the middle of September, but with no 
better success, dog-fish being as numerous at that time as in the month of 
July. There were no lives lost in connection with the fishing. The 
estimated damage to nets amounted to £530, and the damage to boats 
to £155. 
IT. WEST COAST HERRING FISHERY. 
The nine fishery districts on the W r est Coast of Scotland are : — 
Stornoway, Loch Broom, Loch Carron and Skye, Fort William, 
Campbeltown, Inveraray, Rothesay, Greenock, and Ballantrae. 
B 
