84 



Part III. — Tvientieth Annual Report 



the virgin grounds. Thus, in the first three months of 1901 the area of 

 fishing extended north to 61°, and eastwards to about the lOO-fathoni 

 line — that is to say, to within about 50 or 60 miles of the Norwegian 

 coast, while its southward limit (so far as concerns the vessels about which 

 particulars were obtained) was 57°, except near the coast between 57° 

 and 56°. The new area in the North Sea which the introduction of the 



FlC4. 1. 



-A Heavy Bag on the Noith-Easteni Grounds. 

 Opening the Cod-end. 



otter-trawl enabled to be brought within the sphere of trawling operations 

 may be said to be the region between the 50-fathom and 100-fathom line, 

 or, broadly, about 30,000 square miles. In the three months in 1901 

 referred to, more than 76 per cent, of the trawl-caught fish was taken 

 from these deep-water grounds, where none were taken in 1891, or for 

 some years later. 



The influence of this change of ground is indicated in the statistics of 

 the fish landed, and it corresponds with what was above deduced from 

 the special information collected. The general statistics, as published, 

 do not show it, since most of the flat-fishes are slumped together under 

 the heading "flounder, plaice, and brill," But the statistics of the fish 

 landed by trawlers at the port of Aberdeen exhibit the great increase in 

 witches and megrims in recent years and the decrease of plaice. These 

 statistics, it is to be noted, include fish from all quarters, comprising Ice- 

 land, the North and "West Coasts, &c., as well as the North Sea; and 



