44 
Appendices to Ninth Annual Report 
The total quantity of all kinds of white fish landed in Scotland in 1890 
amounted to 5,864,488;^ cwts., valued at £1,623,346, or 5s. 6Jd. per 
cwt., and the value of shell fish .£68,613, giving £1,691,959 as the 
gross value of both white and shell fish. Of this catch of white fish 
4,01 3,621 J cwts. were lan4ed on the East Coast, 594,452 cwts. in 
Orkney and Shetland, and l,256,414f cwts. on the West Coast. The 
total quantity of white fish landed in 1889 w^as 5,589,239 cwts., valued 
at £1,454,175, or 5s. 2id. per cwt., and the value of shell fish £63,201, 
being an aggregate value of £1,517,376. Thus there was an increase 
in the white fish returns of 1890, on the preceding year, of 275,249 J 
cwts. and £169,171 respectively, and in the value of shell fish of £5,412. 
The total increase in the value of both white and shell fish being 
£174,583. 
Some particulars follow of the total quantity and value (to the fisher- 
men) of the principal kinds of white fish landed. 
Herring. — Of herring, the total quantity landed in Scotland last year, 
w^as 1,1 37,246 J crans, valued at £827,072, being equal to 69*9 per 
cent, of the gross weight of all kinds of fish landed, and 50*94 per cent, 
in value. It shows an increase on 1889 of 74,81 6 J crans and 
£110,627 in value. The average price obtained was 14s. 6|^d. per cran, 
or 4s. per cwt., against 13s. 6d. and 3s. lOd. respectively in 1889. The 
East Coast yielded 758,258 crans, Orkney and Shetland 95,895 crans, 
and the West Coast 283,093 J crans. The most successful districts were 
Fraserburgh, with 196,914 crans ; Peterhead, 159,986 crans ; Stornoway, 
127,320 crans; Wick, 105,713 crans; and Aberdeen, 88,791 crans. The 
quality of the herrings taken last year was generally much superior to 
those of 1889, and better than any taken during the preceding fifteen or 
twenty years. Having been taken chiefly upon the inshore grounds, 
the fish were usually landed early, and in very good condition. 
Sprat. — The sprat fishing of 1890 only yielded 4,022 crans, valued 
at £1,070. Although 2,773 crans, and £807 value, above that of 1889, 
which, however, was a failure, it is 6,215 crans under the average of the 
preceding seven years, the period since these returns w^ere first collected. 
None of the other sea-fisheries exhibit such fluctuations as the sprat 
fishery. The fish are generally taken in the months of January, February, 
November, and December, in the upper reaches of the Firths of Forth 
and Tay, and Moray Firth. A few are occasionally got in the Stornow^ay 
and Fort William districts. The sprat is of comparatively little value 
in this country, and when the fishing is abundant the greater portion 
of the take is disposed of, at a very low rate, for manure. It is to be 
regretted that this fish has not been utilised to better purpose, as is done 
in certain foreign countries. The average price obtained last year was 
2s. IJd. per cwt., while that of 1889 was Is. 2Jd. 
Mackerel. — The total quantity of mackerel landed last year was 938 
cwts., valued at £525, being an increase on 1889 of 274 cwts. and 
£145. Orkney and Shetland did not yield any mackerel last year. The 
East Coast only yielded 234 cw;ts., and the West Coast 704 cwts., — 
Banff, Buckie, Fort William, Inveraray, and Ballantrae showing the 
largest quantities. There has never been a district mackerel fishing in 
Scotland, most of the fish landed being got in nets set for herrings. 
Last year's average price was lis. 2|d. per cwt., against lis. 5Jd. per 
cwt. in the previous year. 
Cod. — The quantity of cod landed last year was 448,942 cwts., valued 
at £155,987, being a decrease from that of 1889 of 54,721 cwts., and 
£16,113 in value, The average price obtained by the fishermen was 
6s. lljd. per cwt., against 6s. lOd. in 1889, or an increase of l^d. per 
cwt. The most successful districts w^ere Shetland, Leith, Wick, 
