462 



REPORT ON TRAWLING AND OTHER INVESTIGATIONS 



slightly increase the percentage of large fish in the general averages 

 at the expense of the small. 



The following table shows the actual amount of fishing carried out 

 by the Oithona on the various stations at different seasons of the year. 



Table X., showing the Amount of Trmvling over each station in Torhay, 

 for each quarterly period of the year. 



Season. 



July, Aug., Sept., 1901 

 Oct., Nov., Dec. „ 

 Jan., 1902 . 

 April, May, 1902 

 July, Sept. „ . 



Totals 9 55 11 30 10 35 7 25 



Seasonal Changes. 



The following table represents a quarterly summary of the average 

 hourly catches of plaice by the Oithona in Torbay, distinguishing the 

 various size-groups. 



Table XI., showing, for Torhay, the Average Catch of Plaice 'per Hour, and 

 the Percentage Frequency for each size, for each quarter of the year, 

 over all the stations combined. 



Season. 



July, Aug., Sept. ,'01 

 Oct., Nov., Dec. ,, 

 Jan., 1902 

 April, May, 1902 . 

 July, Sept. ,, 



Catch per Hour. 



Total. 0-7" S-11" 12-14" 15"+ 



46 

 37 

 27 

 25 

 41 



22 13 



21 

 21 

 17 



14 22 



The total catch, irrespective of size, is seen to have steadily fallen 

 from a maximum of 46 per hour in the summer of 1901 to a minimum 

 catch of 25 per hour in the spring of 1902, after which the catch rose 

 to 41 per hour in the following summer quarter. This second summer 

 maximum is less than that which obtained in the previous year. The 

 small fish, from to 7 inches in length, are seen to have steadily 

 diminished in abundance from 22 per hour in the summer of 1901 to 

 14 per hour in the summer of the following year. It is remarkable 

 that the figures should show no sign during the last quarter of the 

 increase in numbers wliich is usual at this season. 



It will be seen, however, upon reference to Table X., which shows 

 the relative amount of fishing on different stations for each season, that 

 during the summer of 1901, as compared with the summer of 1902, 

 the Oithona trawled twice as long over Station IV., where the small 

 fish are most abundant, and only one-third as long over Station IV A., 



