at the moment living in an elaborate cycle of credit, in which the firms which undertake the reconditioning of the drifters, the manufacturing firms who supply gear, and the wholesalers who supply the local retailers with food and other necessities of life, are alike involved.

In these circumstances it is not surprising that much anxiety prevails as to the future of the steam drifter fleet, and must continue to prevail so long as earnings remain at or below the pre-war level, while repairs, renewals and running expenses have to be paid for at post-war rates. These conditions have rendered it impossible to maintain the vessels at a proper standard of efficiency, and with progressive deterioration the cost of repairs and maintenance increases yearly. Much consideration has therefore been given to the possibility of substituting for the steamer a smaller vessel run by some form of oil-engine, with its advantages of comparatively low initial cost and running expenses and adaptability for almost any form of fishing in moderate weather. It cannot be said that there has been any pronounced movement in this direction as yet, but it is significant that what little new construction has taken place has been practically confined to vessels of this type.

Curers fared a little better than in the preceding year, but in their case also much leeway remains to be made up as the result of their non-success in previous seasons, and it cannot be said that their operations in 1926 did much to restore the balance. Curing capacity was often in excess of the supplies of herrings, and the resulting competition frequently led to their paying prices which left them little or no margin of profit, notwithstanding the brisk Continental demand which prevailed during most of the season. Moreover the high prices which the cured article reached ultimately checked the demand, and towards the close of the season there was a considerable fall in prices.

Motor boats were not subject to the same disabilities as regards fuel as steam drifters, and after the foregoing gloomy record it is pleasant indeed to be able to report that one section of the herring fishermen is at present enjoying an era of prosperity, viz. those engaged in herring fishing in the Firth of Clyde and Loch Fyne, whose operations for the third year in succession were attended with remarkable success. This fishing is prosecuted by motor skiffs of from 30 to 40 feet in length, and in many cases their earnings exceeded those of the most successful steam drifters at the Scottish and East Anglian fishings on the East Coast.

Their success is largely attributable to the growth of

klondyking," i.e. the export of fresh herrings to Germany, which underwent a further considerable expansion during the year, and regarding which further information will be found in Chapter III, and also to the development of curing at Tarbert. The position in which the Clyde fishermen find themselves as a result of three years of unexampled prosperity must be the envy of their unfortunate confrères on the East Coast, and it is not to be wondered at that an increasing number of East Coast crews who possess suitable boats are annually repairing to this fishing.

White-fish fishing, the other great branch of the industry, suffered little less severely than the herring fishery as the result of the coal dispute. Not only were the working expenses of the steam vessels greatly increased by the high price of bunker coal, but as supplies were often inadequate it was found impossible to keep the vessels regularly at sea, and for considerable periods part of the steam fishing fleet was laid up. The handicap thus imposed was reflected not so much in the catch, although the landings by all classes of steam vessels-trawlers, liners and Danish seiners alike-were lower than in the preceding year, as in the margin between earnings and working expenses, which was reduced to vanishing point.

In the circumstances, the surprising feature was that the landings were so well maintained, the shortage as compared with the preceding year's total being only 2 per cent., and this despite the fact that in order to conserve fuel voyages were restricted to the nearer grounds. The explanation is that fish, and particularly small haddocks, were present in unusual abundance on these grounds. These small haddocks, which actually formed one-sixth of the total trawl catch for the year, were mainly the product of the exceptionally successful brood year of 1923, which had not yet left these grounds, augmented to some extent by the upgrowth of the moderately productive 1924 brood. The predictions made by the Board's scientific staff that heavy catches were to be expected as these broods gradually increased in size have thus been confirmed in a very striking manner.

The landings by foreign trawlers from the Icelandic grounds, which have become so notable a feature of the industry at Aberdeen, fell off considerably during the year, owing to the inability of these vessels to replenish bunkers in this country during the coal dispute. Had this not been the case the indications are that a new record would have been set up, as their

landings during the first few months of the year appreciably exceeded those for the corresponding period of 1925.

A new feature in this connection was the landing of numerous shots from the North Sea in November, the inducement being the high prices then prevailing. It is worthy of note, however, that it was only towards the end of the dispute that prices were consistently higher than in the preceding year, the reason being that the falling off in the quantity landed did not lead to increased competition for the supplies available, owing to the diminished purchasing power of the industrial consuming centres.

As in the case of the herring fishing, the position in the white fishery was not entirely one of unrelieved depression. The handicap under which the steam fishing fleet laboured afforded the small line fishermen round the coast their opportunity, which they were not slow to grasp, and thanks to the abundance of haddocks in inshore waters alluded to above, the men engaged in this branch of the fishing enjoyed a prosperous

year.

Reference was made in our last Report to the resumption of the practice of sending an Inspector to the Continent to report on the conditions prevailing in the principal cured herring markets. As a result of the report furnished by the Inspector, a revision of the branding regulations with a view to bringing the various selections into accordance with the requirements of present day consumers was decided upon. The new regulations came into operation last season, and at the same time a concerted effort was made by the Board and their outdoor staff to attain the highest possible standard of cure. From information received from the Continent, the Board have every reason to believe that their efforts have been successful, and that their Brand has never been in higher repute.

During the course of the year a petition was received from Shetland fishermen praying that certain inshore waters on the east side of the islands might be opened to seine net fishing, and after consideration the Board passed a byelaw, which was confirmed in December 1926, authorising seine net fishing by boats not exceeding 40 feet in length of keel, under the usual restrictions, within the inshore waters from Score Point to Sumburgh Head. This petition was the precursor of agitation on various parts of the coast both for the extension and restriction of inshore seine net fishing, and in view of the fact that, since the policy of permitting a limited amount of seining in inshore waters was adopted, the situation has been radically altered by the

introduction of motor propelled vessels and mechanical hauling gear, the Board have decided to reconsider the whole question in the light of the new factors at work.

We conclude this chapter with the following table summarising the results of the Scottish fisheries during the last decade

SUMMARY OF MEANS OF CAPTURE AND RESULTS.

MEANS OF CAPTURE AND PERSONS ENGAGED.

The decline in the numerical strength of the Scottish fishing fleet which has been in progress for some years continued during the year 1926. The decrease as compared with the preceding year again occurred, however, mainly in sailing boats, and did not represent any appreciable diminution of the fishing power of the fleet. The maximum number of such boats was reached as far back as 1885, when some 15,000 were engaged in the Scottish fisheries; since then the number has steadily declined, although last year they still totalled 3,477, or over half of the total fleet. The steam and motor craft which have been taking their place are, despite their fewer numbers, unquestionably of much greater aggregate fishing power.

Particulars of the numbers and type of vessels engaged, with comparative figures for 1925, will be found in the Board's "Statistical Tables for 1926," Tables 1 to 5 and 21. The total

+ Fishery Board for Scotland. Forty-fifth Annual Report: Sea FisheriesStatistical Tables, 1926. (Published separately by His Majesty's Stationery Office, price 78.)