of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
11 
July. It was thereafter regularly carried on till 6th September, when it 
practically ceased. Fifty boats fished part of the following week, but 
only added 320 crans to the previous yield. June produced 2184 crans, 
July 103,483, August 82,693, and September 7040, showing a total for 
the season of 195,400 crans. The number of boats fishing was 710, of 
which 260 belonged to the district. Eleven fished from Rosehearty, 20 
from Pittulie, and 679 from Fraserburgh — a decrease of 40 boats under 
last year's fleet. Only two boats were engaged to curers, at the rate of 
14s. per cran, with £5 bounty, for fish delivered in August. The herrings 
were chiefly sold by auction, although a number of crews transacted 
business direct with curers in order to avoid disagreements and auctioneers' 
charges. Prices varied from 6s. to 22s. per cran, according to quality 
and time of delivery, the average price for the season being 13s. 6d. 
against 14s. in 1889. The catch, for the number of boats employed, was 
the greatest on record. The boats fishing from Rosehearty averaged 180 
crans, Pittulie 271, and from Fraserburgh 277, or an average of fully 
275 crans for the whole fleet. The quality of the fish proved the best 
for man}^ years, the proportion of full fish being seven-eighths of the total 
catch. A notable feature of the season was the great number of un- 
usually large individual takes, which ranged from 80 to 163 crans, caught 
between St Combs and Rattray Point, 3 to 10 miles from land. The 
highest gross catch for any one boat was 880 crans, but catches of from 
400 to 750 were numerous — 41 boats belonging to St Combs averaging 
over 320 crans for the season. The lowest ascertained catch was about 
84 crans. The weeks ended 19th July, 26th July, 2nd August, and 
23rd August, produced the best results, the respective averages being 46 J 
crans for 650 boats, 411 for 710, 42f for 710, and 42f for 655. Early 
in the season the boats fished from 18 to 30 miles N.E. of Kinnaird Head, 
but two-thirds of the catch was taken within 15 miles from the shore, 
and consequently the fish were, as a rule, delivered in good condition. 
The number of barrels of herrings cured was 300,788 against 308,121 
in the previous year, 288,116 barrels being cured gutted, 360 ungutted, 
3441 crans freshed or sprinkled, and 12,312 kippered, cured red or 
tinned. 9100 crans were disposed of for consumption fresh, in the 
district, and 3879 sent to other places. These figures exhibit a decrease 
of 7333 barrels cured, but an increase of 2418 crans used fresh, as com- 
pared with 1889. The estimated loss of netting sustained through 
weight of fish, stormy weather, and fouling on the inshore grounds, was 
j£3470, while 33 boats received more or less damage amounting to £194. 
On 30th August, a hired man was unfortunately knocked overboard by 
a sail off Rosehearty and drowned. Only five fishing nights were lost by 
stormy weather throughout the season. 
The winter and spring herring fishing, although better than in the 
previous year, yielded only 1514 crans, compared v/ith 851 in 1889, — the 
herrings being chiefly used for bait and a small pro})ortion kippered and 
freshed. Prices ranged from 5s. to 40s. per cran, the average price being 
about 18s. The total catch of herrings for 1890 was 196,914 crans 
against 204,272 in the preceding year. 
Banff District. 
From Troup Head, inclusive, to Cullen, exclusive. 
District Fishery Office — Macduff. 
The summer herring fishing in Banff district began on 14th July, a 
week later than in 1889, and closed at the end of August. There were 
