of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
9 
occurrence for a few boats to have heavy takes, and the majority of the 
fleet to have none. Several boats landed from 200 to 300 crans, one 
360, and a good number from 80 to 140 crans, while one boat landed 
only 45 crans. The largest single take was 124 J crans. Previous to 
22nd July the catch was light : but thereafter, till 9th August, fairly 
good success was experienced, the weekly averages for the three weeks 
embraced in that period being 2838| and 51J crans respectively. 
During the remainder of the season the weekly averages were from 4|^ 
crans to 23 crans. The highest take for one day was landed on the 
5th of August. In the second week of August it was thought that a 
large shoal of herrings was lying a few miles from the shore. Unfortun- 
ately, however, owing to stormy weather, the boats only got once to sea 
during that week. With this exception, and occasional calms in the 
previous week, — the weather was remarkably favourable for prosecuting 
the industry. The fishing grounds extended from 5 to 45 miles from 
land, but very few herrings were taken within 12 or beyond 30 miles — 
the most productive grounds lying from 18 to 30 miles distant. Early in 
the season the herrings were of fairly good quality ; but in the last two 
weeks of July and the first week of August the quality was excellent. 
After that time, however, the takes generally contained a large proportion 
of small and inferior fish. Nine boats were engaged to deliver their 
catches to curers at from 13s. to 14s. per cran, with a few pounds of 
bounty money to each crew, the remainder selling their herrings by 
auction. Unengaged boats got prices ranging from 3s. to 27s. 6d. per 
cran — the average price realised by the whole fleet being about 13s. 
per cran. 
The winter and spring fishing was a complete failure, the catch being 
only 174 crans — giving a total catch for the year of 11,113 crans. One 
fisherman was unfortunately drowned on 30th May, and nets and lines of 
the value of £341 were lost and damaged during the year. There were 
61 herring boats belonging to the district, as compared with 64 dn 1889. 
Aberdeen District. 
From Skateraw, exclusive, to Aberdeen, inclusive. 
District Fishery Office — Aberdeen. 
The summer herring fishing of 1890 commenced in the first week of 
July and closed early in September, and was prosecuted by a fleet 
numbering 375 boats, against 409 in 1889. The fishing grounds ranged 
from 5 to 50 miles off"shore, but the most productive lay from 5 to 25 
miles from shore. The total quantity of herrings landed amounted to 
87,750 crans, against 105,745 in 1889, while the average per boat was 234 
crans, . against 259 crans in the preceding year. July yielded 35,254 
crans, August 49,528 crans, and September 2968 crans. The most 
successful week was that ended the 2nd August, witli a catch of 22,263 
crans. The highest individual take was 125 crans, while the largest 
catch for the season amounted to 620 crans. The herrings Avere of fair 
quality, and, with few exceptions, were landed in good condition. The 
catch was rather irregularly distributed, especially towards the end of the 
season. No boats were engaged to curers, the fishermen selling their 
herrings either privately or by auction. The average price received in 
July was 14s. Id., in August 12s. 7fd., in September 15s. lOd., and for 
the season 13s. 4d. per cran, as compared with 13s. in 1887, 15s. in 
1888 and lis. 4d. in 1889. The total quantity cured was 110,190 
barrela, as against 132,968 barrels in 1889. A larger quantity than 
