10 



Part III. — Tirentieth Annual Report 



The statistics dealing with the number of " shots " of the line- 

 fishing boats in the Moray Firth, or the number of trips to the 

 fishing grounds, show that the decrease noted last year has con- 

 tinued. The number of shots both of the larofe and of the small 

 boats diminished in 1901 compared with 1900, the decrease being 

 marked in the large or great-line boats. The figures for the past 

 eight years are as follows : — 



In both cases the numbers are much less than in any previous 

 year. As already indicated, the cause of this decay in line-fishing 

 is to be sought in the general conditions of the fishing industry, 

 rather than in any special conditions in the Moray Firth, since the 

 same change is manifested on other parts of the coast. 



The stations within the closed waters of the Firth of Forth were 

 examined in September 1900, and in the following March, April, 

 and July. The results are of interest owing to the interval which 

 has elapsed since this area was closed to trawlers, and since the 

 stations were last examined. It is desirable therefore to compare 

 the hauls recently made with those made in corresponding periods 

 of previous years, and which were specially dealt with in the Four- 

 teenth Annual Eeport. In that Eeport the catches taken in the 

 ten years 1886-1895 were described, the ten years being grouped 

 into two periods of five years each for comparison, viz., 1886-1890 

 and 1891-1895. 



The particulars regarding the gross catches and the proportions 

 of round-fishes and flat-fishes in the three periods are as follow, the 

 totals including skates and " other fishes," mostly inedible. 



