62 THE IMMATURE FISH QUESTION. 
in detail by Dr. Fulton in the Board’s tenth report, 1892. He finds 
that the tonnage of Scottish trawl-vessels has increased from 2004 in 
1883 to 6484 in 1891. The separate particulars of steam trawlers, 
which make up the greater part of this tonnage, have only been 
obtained since 1889. ‘The fish landed by trawlers in Scotland has 
been separately recorded since 1888, and Dr. Fulton states that the 
total quantity has increased from 250,000 ewt. in 1888 to 323,046 
cwt. in 1891. But, on the other hand, the quantity of fish per ton 
of the vessels’ tonnage has decreased from 92°9 cwt. to 49°8 cwt. 
He is able further to give the quantity of round-fish and flat-fish 
per ton of the vessels’ tonnage separately, and also the proportional 
quantity of several single kinds of fish. He finds in all except in 
skates a great falling off. 
However, it must be pointed out that, in the first place, it is not 
safe to rely upon conclusions drawn from a series of statistics extend- 
ing over so short a period ; and in the second place, that the Scottish 
trawlers have been greatly handicapped by the closure of such exten- 
sive areas as the Firth of Forth and other territorial waters where 
they formerly fished. 
In the following table I have indicated all that can be done in the 
way of comparing the statistics of fish caught, and boats employed, 
| Cwt. soles Cwt. soles | Cwt. total fish Cwt. turbot | Cwt. turbot | Total value 
| per Ist-class per ton | per ton total | per Ist-class per ton per ton total 
boat. 1st class. tonnage. | boat. | Ist class. tonnage. | 
1886 24°45 ‘OL 29°63 | 1492 | 31 £17 
1887 21°25 44 ecueiAi atl lbh 33 le/ 
1888 18°21 38 29:42 | 13°82 | 29 | 18 
| 1889 18°87 “34. 30°27 13°63 28 | 18 
1890 18°59 33 29°22 13°37 28 | 20 
| 1891 21:34 | “45 28°75 | 1468 ‘31 21 
| 1892 ~ _ —- jf = ae hk 
available for England and Wales. It will be seen that the hundred- 
weights total fish per ton of total tonnage of fishing-boats shows slight 
fluctuations, but no continuous increase or decrease. ‘There is no pos- 
sibility of distinguishing trawlers and drifters among the boats regis- 
tered. I have, therefore, compared the quantities of soles and 
turbot per first-class boat, and per ton of the aggregate tonnage of 
first-class boats ; that is to say, I have supposed the number and 
tonnage of trawlers to be always in the same proportion to the aggre- 
gate numbers and tonnage of first-class boats—a supposition which 
may be correct or not. The results, however, are not without 
interest. Thus the quantities of soles per first-class boat for the 
several years follow almost exactly the same order as the total quan- 
