24 



The fishing now carried on is mainly for young herrings, and 

 at Seahouses, July is now considered the best month for herrings. 

 It will be seen from the present j)aper and those in previous reports 

 that the bulk of the fish since 1912 has consisted of herrings in their 

 fourth summer, that is, with three winter rings on the scale, 

 and that there has been no evidence of spawning to any extent 

 since 1911. The fact is also illustrated by the absence of spawny 

 haddocks from the region during these years. 



In Report, New Series III., page 63, attention was drawn 

 to the variations in the growth mcrements of fish with two, three 

 and four winter rmgs in the samples obtained during 1913, and 

 it was stated that these variations were taken as showing a change 

 in the composition of the herrmg shoals off our coast, and that 

 the change took place during the first and the beginning of the 

 second week of September. It is difiicult to make a definite state- 

 ment, but there would appear to be some connexion between the 

 change in the herring shoals here observed and the changes which 

 took place in previous years when the August herring left after 

 spawning, and was replaced by a smaller but fuU herring in the 

 beginning of September. 



There seems to be Httle doubt that intensity of fishing has 

 been the cause of the changes in our local herring shoals, and it 

 is highl}^ probable that the period of rest which the shoals have 

 enjoyed during 1915 may to some extent bring back the fisheries of 

 Berwick Bay and Craster Smooth. Mr. Gray, of Craster, told 

 me he had observed herring whales blowmg in Craster Smooth 

 several times in the middle of August last year, and the sight 

 recalled to him the period when this was common, and herrings 

 were caught there in large quantities. 



No report has as yet been made as to the herrmgs examined 

 during 1912. The samples were small and four in number, and 

 the locaHties and method of capture were as follows : — 



