of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
21 
May, which was recognised as a close time by the Fishermen's Association. 
Tiiere were 484 boats einploj/ed — the result of the year's fishing showing 
a small decrease as compared with 1889, but nearly on an average with 
that of the past 10 years. The total quantity of herrings cured and sold 
for consumption fresh in 1890 amounted to 45,733 barrels, against 45,883 
barrels in 1889. The fishing was fairly successful in January and 
February, some of the crews securing good hauls, which sold at remuner- 
tive prices — the quality of the fish being superior. At the close of 
February the greater number of the boats went to the Ballantrae banks 
and remained till the end of the season there. The regular summer 
fishing opened on the 1st June, and was carried on with fair success by 
drift-net boats during June and July, but was almost a failure from 
1st August to 30th September, when it was given up. The crews 
using the seine or circle-net were not very successful during the summer 
nor in the closing months of the year, except in the weeks ended 25th 
October and 8th November, when upwards of 8000 crans were landed. 
The fishing finally terminated at the end of November, and prospects 
being good on the Ayrshire coast, the majority of the boats proceeded 
there and remained till the close of the year. The herring shoals in 
Kilbrannan Sound during the weeks above referred to were dense, and 
many hundreds of crans of herrings were frequently encircled, but the 
greater portion of the fish escaped through the bursting of the nets. The 
largest single take, amounting to 117 crans, was landed from a seine- 
net by a Carradale crew, and sold at 24s. per cran. A double crew be- 
longing to Campbeltown, who carried on the same mode of fishing, earned 
£950 during the season, while others earned from £250 to £350. The 
fishermen using the drift-nets experienced a more unremunerative season 
than in any year hitherto recorded. The quality of the herrings was excel- 
lent, especially in summer and autumn. The fish were also of a good size, 
ranging from 500 to 600 to the cran. The principal fishing ground was in 
Kilbrannan Sound ; but the fishing was also very prosperous in Loch- 
gremard, Islay, during the summer months and the month of September, 
and remained regular till the end of the year. In Lochindaal, where a fair 
fishing was got in the previous year, the catch was very poor. In the 
early part of the season the prices ranged from 24s. to 60s. per cran, and 
afterwards from 8s. to 50s. The total value of the season's catch was 
estimated at £36,368. The herrings were forwarded to Glasgow by 
trading and chartered steamers. Besides the district boats employed in 
the fishing, there were others from Arran, Loch Fyne, Bute, Ayr, Mull, 
Skye, and the Firths of Forth and Moray. At Campbeltown a small 
quantity of herrings was kippered and cured gutted. The latter industry 
was carried on much more extensively at Islay. 
Inveraray District. 
From Oban to Tayinloan, both exclusive; including the lochs and islands 
within this range of coast, and from Skipness Point and Ardlamont Point, 
both exclusive, for both sides of Loch Fyne, to the head of the loch. 
District Fishery Office — Ardrishaig. 
The herring fishing in this district commenced in the first week of June 
and closed in the last week of December. There are 319 boats belongin*' 
to the district, about 250 of which were constantly employed. When the 
season opened two-thirds of the fleet fished with drift-nets. This mode 
of fishing did not succeed, and before the middle of July two-thirds of 
the boats were fishing with seine-nets, and the remainder with drift-nets. 
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