CONTENTS. PAGE REPORT CHAPTER I.-INTRODUCTION ... CHAPTER II.-MEANS OF CAPTURE AND PERSONS ENGAGED ... ... ... ... 24 24 25 26 3. Monthly Landings by Districts ... 4. Composition of Catch and Wholesale Prices ... : 44 44 2. Losses of Fishermen due to Enemy Accion ... 3. Prevention of Damage by Trawlers to Submarine Cables 4. Ornithology ... ... 5. Enquiry regarding Deposit of Clyde Dredgings 6. Gunfiring and other Practices II REPORT BY CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SEA FISHERIES ... 57 57 59 60 IV. SALMON FISHERY CLOSE TIMES V. CHAIRMEN AND CLERKS TO SALMON DISTRICT BOARDS ... 84 FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. SIR, TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM ADAMSON, M.P., His Majesty's Secretary for Scotland. FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND, In terms of the Act 45 and 46 Vict., c. 78, we, the Fishery Board for Scotland, have the honour to present this, our Forty-second Annual Report, being for the year 1923 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. We regret that our Annual Report on the Scottish fisheries is again a disappointing one. In the case of the herring fishing industry, the position throughout the greater part of the year was perhaps more acute than at any previous period in its history, the only feature which afforded any encouragement being the comparative success which attended the East Anglian fishing at the close of the year. For the reasons given in our last Annual Report, the prospects at the beginning of the year were on the whole considered to be brighter than at any time since the termination of the war, and the year's operations were in consequence commenced in a spirit of subdued optimism, which was however speedily dispelled, the winter herring fishing, which engages attention during the first quarter of the year, being, so far as financial results were concerned, a comparative failure, for which stormy weather, loss of netting and low prices were accountable. Everything consequently depended upon the success of the ensuing summer fishing, but the majority of the fishermen were illequipped for prosecuting it to advantage owing to the shortage of gear and the inferior condition of that which remained. The causes which had operated to bring about this position have been widely canvassed and are now well known. Briefly they were that the restriction of the demand for pickled herrings on the Continent owing to the reduced purchasing power of the consumers, the difficulties in the way of trading brought about by the instability of the exchanges, and the consistently high costs of production, had combined to render fishing unremunerative since the withdrawal of Government support at the end of 1920, with the result that the great majority of the fishermen had been unable to earn a living wage during that period. It had consequently not been possible for them to renew their gear, which had gradually deteriorated until in many cases it was practically useless. In these circumstances an agitation arose at various centres for a further measure of Government assistance, but owing to lack of unanimity as to the form which this assistance should take, no concrete scheme was formulated before the summer fishing commenced, and operations were conducted by means of the unaided resources of the industry. Had the summer fishing proved a success financially all might have been well, but unfortunately such was far from being the case. It is true that herrings were found to be fairly plentiful and of excellent quality, but the demand in the Continental markets was so slack that curers were able to pay only low prices for the fish, with the result that at the close of the season the majority of the fishermen found themselves more deeply involved in debt than at its commencement. In these untoward circumstances the demand for Government assistance now became clamant, and after a series of meetings of fishermen it crystallised into a proposal that the Government should guarantee a weekly wage of £2, 108. per man during the East Anglian autumu fishing. Eventually a conference was held in Edinburgh between representatives of the Government and the industry at which the case for assistance was exhaustively discussed, but at its close it was intimated that the decision arrived at by the Government in 1920 could not be reversed. This decision caused deep disappointment and for a time a feeling akin to despair prevailed. With characteristic resiliency, however, the fishermen determined to put overything to the hazard of the English fishing, and as many as possible fitted out and proceeded South, being encouraged thereto by the fact that the Continental markets were showing distinct signs of improvement. Happily the English fishing proved more successful than any had ventured to hope at the close of the summer season. This was due entirely to the improved demand on the Continent, which enabled curers to pay higher prices for the fresh herrings, and thus for the first time since 1920 ensured to the fishermen engaged a fair credit balance after meeting ordinary running expenses. Unfortunately the season was marred by heavy losses of gear which still further depleted the already attenuated stocks, and while the success achieved had the welcome effect of restoring a feeling of confidence in the future, it did not effect any material alleviation in the position of the fishermen. It temporarily arrested the accumulation of debt which had been in progress since 1920; but it provided no more than a living wage for the fishermen, and did not compensate for the poor results of the summer fishing and of previous seasons; nor, although it sufficed to replace nets actually lost, did it render possible the replacement of gear which, though still in existence, was inefficient owing to age and depreciation. The curing interests met with more varied fortune. Those who had sufficient capital to enable them to hold on to their stocks in the hope of an improvement in the market did fairly well. Others who were not in this fortunate position and were compelled to realise their stocks quickly had little or no profit on the year's transactions. The other great branch of the Scottish fishing industry—that of white-fish fishing-was in little better case than the herring fishing industry, the combination of adverse factors which rendered it generally unremunerative in 1922 having been again operative during the year under review. Gear dropped slightly in price, but the cost of coal and other stores remained at the same high level as before, while more serious even than the high price of coal was the continued scarcity of the larger selections of haddocks and flat fish in the North Sea and other areas. This scarcity was particularly pronounced in the inshore waters, and the smaller trawlers and the large fleet of small-liners which are unable to venture far afield had a depressing experience. In marked contrast to the scarcity of large haddocks was the continued plethora of small haddocks, which formed such a striking feature of the two previous years. These "seed," "ping-pong" or chat" haddocks, as they are variously termed, would formerly have been shovelled overboard, but they now find a ready market in the fish-frying trade. The continued destruction of these small fish has |