18 



Part III. — Twentieth Annual Report 



The Moray Firth. 



A number of hauls were made in the Cromarty Firth in January, 

 as recorded in the Tables, but they were insufficient to enable a 

 comparison to be made with former years. The statistics showing the 

 catches by line fishermen within the Moray Firth, given in the 

 appended Tables, indicate a considerable fall in the gross quantity of 

 fish caught, and a slight decrease in the average catch per shot of the 

 line. The quantity is the lowest since these statistics began to be 

 collected in 1894, as one might expect from the gradual decadence of 

 line-fishing on the Scottish coast generally, which is referred to in 

 Part I. of the present Annual Report (p. xxi.). 



The quantities and the average catch per shot are given in the 

 following Table for each of the seven districts during the last six 

 years : — 



These figures show how great has been the progressive decline in 

 recent years in the quantities of fish taken by line within the closed 

 waters of the Moray Firth, notwithstanding the benefits accruing from 

 the closure. The quantity landed last year was the lowest throughout 

 the period of eight years during which these statistics have been 

 collected, and 19,392 cwts. less than in 1890. The average take per 

 " shot " has also diminished as well as the totals, as the following 

 figures show : — 



In three of the districts — namely, Lybster, Helmsdale, and Banflf — 

 all the line-caught fish landed were caught within the closed waters. 

 In the other cases a varying pi-opoi-tion of the line fish landed was 

 deiived from other areas. 



The decrease in the quantity was shared by each of the seven districts 

 except one — viz., Wick — where there was a slight increase in the total — 

 from 23,927 cwts. to 28,649 cwts. The average per shot was, however, 

 a little less, 4-34, compared with 4-53 in 1900. The greatest decline in 

 quantity was exhibited in the three disti-icts on the South Coast — Banff, 

 Buckie, and Findhoin. The quantity of fish caught by line in the 

 Moray Firth and landed in the Banfi:' district last year was 11,918 cwts., 

 as against 18,471 cwts. in 1900, and 26,675 cwts. in 1899 ; in 1895 the 



