of tibe Fishenj Board for ScoUcouL 



107 



The vessel tiien steamed to the Dornoch Firth, where, in seven hauls 

 in from seven to thirteen fathoms, the time occupied in actual trawling 

 being twenty-six hours, 19,176 fishes were caught, of which 13,743 were 

 marketable and 5433 vm marketable, as follow : — 



There were also taken in these hauls three solenettes, five herrings, 

 eleven pogges, two gemmeous dragonets, one goby, and nineteen angler . 

 Other unrecorded hauls were made in the same area. 



The fishing is noteworthy from the number of plaice taken ; in one 

 haul of four hours and ten minutes 2921 were caught, of which 2650 

 were marketable. On this occasion, however, the small " ofi:al " plaice 

 wei'e taken to market, the fish being assorted into four classes, including 

 one of " very small," as well as the usual " large," " medium," and 

 '* small." The proportion of the plaice thrown overboard (i.e., " un- 

 marketable") was thus unimportant, being only 2| per cent., whereas 

 in the hauls made at the beginning of August the proportion not 

 taken to market was nearly 50 per cent. In the same way on this 

 occasion about 30 per cent, of the dabs were taken to market, while 

 in August the proportion was scarcely seven per cent., and while no 

 gurnards were marketed in August, 62 per cent, were " marketable " 

 in November. The proportion depends upon several considerations, and 

 very largely on the inclination of the skipper ; and the facts stated 

 illustrate the fallaciousness of vising the term " marketable " as 

 indicative of a particular size of fish, as is sometimes done. 



The question whether it is right that such small plaice should be 

 taken to market after they have been caught, depends upon whether or 

 not it is practicable to return them living to the sea. If it is not prac- 

 ticable, it is clearly better that they should be used as food than thrown 

 away dead ; if it is practicable it is better they should be returned, 

 and thus have a chance of growing to maturity. The difiiculties in 

 practice of i-eturuing them living are considerable. With a big catch of 

 fish, it often takes a long time to get the net aboard, especially if the 

 weather is very rough or very calm — in the latter case because the net 

 tends to get under the vessel, and there is no roll to facilitate pulling in 

 the slack of the net with each dip of the gunwale. And when the bag 

 has been emptied in the pound on deck, the first requirement is to get 

 the net again shot, and if repairs are required the delay may be con- 

 siderable. Moreover, with a large catch filling the poiind and com- 



