92 Part III. — Tirentieth Annual Beijort 



should he talcen as a unit, and that throughout the manipulatiou and 

 condensation of the information referring to a large number of boats 

 the various factors should be kept separate and distinct — the method of 

 fishing, the quantities of the various species of fish, the place of fishing, 

 the duration or extent of fishing, and the season of fishing. 



It would be most desirable that all steam-trawlers and steam-liners 

 should be included in the scheme, the information as to the place of 

 fishing, and the duration and extent of the fishing operations, being 

 made compulsory by the filling up of a form, such as is described above, 

 at the end of each voyage, the particulars as to the catch being obtained 

 in the ordinary manner at the market, or from the books of the salesmen. 

 Failing the inclusion of the whole fleet in a compulsory system, the 

 information should be obtained from as many vessels as possible. 

 Probably fifty per cent, or even thirty per cent, would suffice to show sub- 

 stantially the operations of the whole fleet. It would, at all events, in 

 the course of a very few years, if properly carried out, provide a large 

 volume of accurate knowledge regarding the variations in the productive- 

 ness of the fishing grounds, or their impoverishment, which cannot be 

 otherwise acquired. 



I. Investigations on Board Steam Trawlers. 



The Inshore Grounds. 



The investigations on board steam-trawlers were made in May, June, 

 July, August, September, October, November, December, and January, 

 as a rule for about a Aveek on each occasion, the vessels employed being 

 the " Star of Peace," " Strathcona," " Strathearn," Strathclyde," " Star 

 of Hope," " Ocean King," " Lochryan," and " Lochnagar." The con- 

 tents of 155 hauls of the large otter-net were i-ecorded, and 39 hauls 

 with the small-meshed net were also taken. 



The first trip in the territorial waters was made on board the " Star of 

 Peace," one of the largest and be.st-equipped trawlers, under Captain 

 Caie, and it extended from 30th May to 7th June, the hauls being 

 taken in Aberdeen Bay, the Moray Firth, Sinclair Bay, and Thurso 

 Bay. Compared with the catches made in the previous autumn and 

 winter, it was found that fish were scai^ce inshore, the number of plaice 

 and haddocks being very much less. Two hauls, in twelve to sixteen, 

 and nine to fourteen, fathoms in Aberdeen Bay, on 30th May, occupying 

 four hours of actual trawling, yielded 214 plaice, of which 213 were 

 marketable, 208 haddocks, of which 174 were marketable, 219 whitings, 

 of which 152 were marketable, and a few other fishes. Other three 

 hauls were taken on 6th and 7th June, the trawling occupying thirteen 

 hours, with much the same results, the five drags, lasting altogether for 

 seventeen hours, furnishing the following numbers of fish : — 



