"Mat. Fulls" predominated, the quality of these being, however, satisfactory.

Operations from Barra were particularly unsuccessful; the local boats failed to locate herrings on the nearer grounds throughout the season, and the steam drifters fared hardly any better on the more distant grounds until September, when for a fortnight despite stormy weather a small number of East Coast drifters had a profitable fishing in the vicinity of Tiree, landing chiefly at Oban but also at Castlebay. Apart from this brief fishing the fleet working from Mallaig and Oban during the summer had only two weeks' success in an interval of mild weather in July.

The fleet which worked from Stornoway numbered only 80 vessels, one-third of which were "half-sized." The grounds worked extended along the eastern coast of Lewis, but fair catches were obtained only towards the end of July and beginning of August. For a season extending to 18 weeks the gross earnings of the steam drifters ranged from £450 to £1100, of motor boats from £25 to £465, and of large sail boats from £210 to £700. For the six months April to September the landings in Lewis, made mainly at Stornoway, amounted to 108,607 cwts., valued at £29,595, against 153,483 cwts. and £55,560 in the preceding year.

Only a small fleet, chiefly of motor vessels, operated from Kyle, fishing on the grounds off Rona.

4. EAST ANGLIAN FISHING.

Scottish herring fishermen as a whole at the end of the summer fishing season found themselves in a most difficult position. Few had secured reasonable remuneration for their exertions, while many were actually in the position of having to contribute. towards liquidating the balance of working expenses; stocks of fishing gear were very low, and both capital and credit were nearly exhausted. In the circumstances it was not surprising that much hesitancy prevailed as to the wisdom of participating in the East Anglian fishing, but as matters turned out the fishing proved the most successful of the year. Particulars of the boats engaged and of the quantity and value of herrings landed are embodied in the following table, which gives the usual details of the operations of Scottish herring fishing vessels in England and Ireland :—

Vessels. Quantity. Value. Vessels. Quantity. Value. Vessels. Quantity. Value.

Vessels. Quantity. Value. Vessels. Quantity. Value. Vessels. Quantity. Value.

In the East Anglian fishing proper 599 steam and 134 motor vessels from Scotland participated, landing 1,345,156 cwts. of herrings valued at £519,517. The average earnings of the steam and motor vessels engaged, after deducting working expenses, were £393 and £236 respectively. For the first few weeks, with moderate weather, catches were good and earnings high; but thereafter the weather broke, leading to losses of gear averaging at least 25 nets per vessel, and the curtailment of fishing. Prices throughout were, however, better than in Scotland, and, while a few unfortunate crews gained nothing for their voyage, the majority earned at least a living wage. Earnings were by no means high and left little if any balance to assist the men in fresh enterprise, but the turn of the tide was exceedingly welcome.

5. LOCHS FISHING.

Only a comparatively few East Coast vessels took part in herring fishing in the autumn on the West Coast. These worked mainly in the Skye Lochs, landing at Mallaig. Little success was attained until frosty weather set in about the middle of November. Steam drifters which went to the more distant grounds and so incurred heavy outlay for bunker coal were not so successful as motor boats which confined their operations to a more restricted area. There was no fishing in the Lochs of western Ross and Sutherland.

By the end of the year a large fleet had congregated at Stornoway for the winter fishing, and the despatch of herrings fresh to the Continent had again been begun.

6. FIRTH OF CLYDE.

The total quantity of herrings taken during the year in the Firth of Clyde area, chiefly in Kilbrennan Sound, Loch Fyne, and off the south Ayrshire coast, was 215,539 cwts., valued at £116,972, against 280,823 cwts. and £139,225 in 1922.

The fishing opened promisingly off Ayr at the beginning of the year, and despite stormy weather was vigorously prosecuted during January and February off the neighbouring coast by the fleets of motor skiffs belonging to the various Firth of Clyde ports. The centre of operations gradually moved southwards until near the end

of February the Ballantrae Bank was reached. Owing to the weather fishing on the Bank could not be begun until spawning had commenced, which adversely affected prices. The fishing ended by the middle of March. Results throughout were very partial, but on the average satisfactory.

Fishing recommenced about the end of April in Kilbrennan Sound, but little success was attained until June, from which month until September a fairly successful fishing was obtained in this area. Although the catches at first frequently contained too many small herrings the quality on the whole was good, especially latterly. After a storm in the middle of September the shoals appeared to have taken to deep water, and the fishing closed.

During November and December the various fleets were gathered as usual in Loch Fyne. A few good shots of large herrings were got near the entrance to the Loch at the beginning of the fishing, but thereafter the shoals unfortunately became extremely mixed, comprising all sizes of herrings from 6 inches in length up to "Large Fulls." The catches had therefore to be selected after the nets were hauled at sea, and large quantities of small herrings were thus destroyed. In order to avoid the capture of small fish, drift nets were brought into use by which fair catches of herrings of "Mattie" size were secured, but the largest herrings were only taken in the mixed shots secured by the seine.

7. DISPOSAL OF HERRING CATCH.

Firms curing for export, as well as the fishermen, had an anxious time during the past year, although it is believed they concluded the season rather more advantageously, as a result of an improvement in the markets. They appeared to do fairly well at the winter fishing, although this is of only secondary importance, but afterwards it was evident that they might with advantage have held their stocks a little longer. Prices for cured herrings were largely affected by the unstable conditions of the currency in central Europe, which led importers there to purchase only sufficient supplies for their immediate requirements, and during the summer, when heavy supplies were being landed, they fell to a figure at which neither fishing nor curing could be remunerative, and it looked as though curers must lose heavily on their transactions. An improvement took place, however, towards the end of the season when the greater part of the cure still remained to be sold, and this enabled curers to retrieve their position. Again during the autumn fishing curers in competing for supplies found themselves paying higher prices than the Continental demand then warranted, and some (especially those with limited capital) who sold early were out of pocket accordingly; but the demand improved as before when the end of the fishing came in sight, and for curers as for fishermen this fishing proved the most profitable of the year.

Of the herrings landed in Scotland during the year only some 475,023 cwts., or 15 per cent., were used fresh or despatched from Scotland in a fresh state, while the balance was cured, chiefly by pickling, but also by smoking and tinning. Particulars of the quantities cured are given in the Statistical Tables (D.-No. I. (a),

p. 84), as are also particulars of the exports (E.-No. II., p. 89, and
E-No. III., p. 90).

The total quantity cured gutted exceeded 100,000 tons when in a
fresh state, and represented about two-thirds of the total landings.
The yield of 791,667 barrels showed an increase of 231,379 barrels on
the preceding year, and was considerably greater than for any other
year since the war, although still only half the pre-war average. In
addition 4627 barrels were cured ungutted, most of which went to
Belgium, presumably for smoking. For home consumption 176,280
crans or over 30,000 tons were kippered, which is about the average
of pre-war years in point of actual quantity, although it represents
a much higher proportion of the total catch. Only 3490 crans (610
tons) were made into bloaters or reds. The quantity of herrings
tinned, chiefly for export, was 19,024 crans (3330 tons), showing a
further recovery from the depression of 1921.

Of the herrings cured gutted during the year 23 per cent. or 182,494 barrels received the Board's official brand, against 106,348 in the preceding year. Only 222 barrels were "Large Fulls," against 1311, while over 160,000 were "Mat. Fulls" and "Matties." jections for failure to attain the standard laid down amounted to nearly 5 per cent.

The demand for kippers was frequently dull during the year, and kippering firms found it necessary to restrict their output.

8. EXPORTS.

According to the particulars collected by the Board's Officers the quantity of cured gutted herrings on hand at the beginning of the year was 21,527 barrels, which with the quantity cured during the year gives a total of 813,194 barrels. Of this 799,867 barrels were exported, while 7951 barrels were on hand at 31st December last. The balance is mainly accounted for by home consumption.

Only 22,368 barrels went to places out of Europe, chiefly the United States, where the demand is for large herrings of good quality, which last year were scarce. The bulk of the exports went to Germany and the Baltic States and none went to Russia direct. The free city of Danzig, which serves as an entrepôt for Poland, took the greatest quantity, while the other chief markets were Stettin, Hamburg, and Konigsberg in Germany, Riga and Libau in Latvia, and Reval (now known as Tallinn) in Esthonia.

CHAPTER IV.

FISHERIES OTHER THAN HERRING.

1. GENERAL.

As has already been indicated, the depression in the white fishing industry which has prevailed in recent years showed little sign of abatement during 1923, and at the close of the year no early improvement of any moment in the financial results was anticipated.

The prices of fish at the quayside, it is true, were somewhat higher throughout the year than in 1922, while fishing gear was slightly less costly; but there was no relief in respect of the cost of coal and other stores. The chief factor which has brought about the present condition of the industry is, as regards steam vessels, the high cost of bunkers, while contributory causes-which are common to all classes of vessels are the scarcity of the larger selections of haddocks and flat fish on the nearer grounds, and the high charges for the transport of fish to the southern markets. At the end of last year the cost of coal at Leith was 248. per ton, as compared with only 10s. per ton before the war.

The total landings of demersal fish at Scottish ports by British vessels during 1923 amounted to 2,069,160 cwts., valued at £2,456,445, as against 2,828,945 cwts., valued at £2,902,898 in 1922. The most important contribution to the supply of demersal fish is made by the trawl net, followed at a distance by lines and by other forms of nets. Comparative figures for the post-war years and the last complete pre-war year, showing the contributions to the total quantity of demersal fish by these various means of capture, are as follow :

The falling off in the aggregate catch last year as compared with 1922 was wholly attributable to the dispute as to landings by German trawlers at Aberdeen in the spring, to which reference has already been made.

2. FISHING REGIONS.

The quantity of demersal fish taken in the various fishing regions during 1923 by British vessels, and the percentage proportion to the total catch, with comparative figures for 1922, were as follow: