134 



Part III. — Twentieth Annual Report 



The otter-trawl was introduced on this vessel in December 1896, and 

 the aggregate catch in 1897, it will be observed, was the highest of any 

 year, owing to the increased quantity of round fishes taken ; but the 

 catches in the following years did not reach the same high standard. 

 The average catch in the six years when the beam-trawl was employed 

 (1891-1896) was 4003 cwts., and in the four years when the otter-trawl 

 was used (1897-1900) it was 4889 cwts., showing an increase in the 

 latter period of 22*1 per cent. There is, however, no information to 

 determine how much of this increase was due to tlie greater efficiency 

 of the otter-net, how much to difference in the place of fishing, and how 

 much to change in the abundance of fishes on the grounds. 



Among round fishes, an increase took place in cod from 3130^ to 

 62481 cwts., in ling from 196f to 537|, in saithe from 26i to 31 1^ in 

 hake from 132f to 355f, and in whitings from 230 to 326 cwts. 

 Haddocks decreased, the total for the first five years being 12,3211 cwts., 

 and for the second five years 11,496 cwts. 



Among the flat-fishes, turbot, halibut, brill, dabs, witches, and megrims 

 increased, and plaice and lemon soles diminished. The increase in the 

 quantity of turbots landed was from 1631 to 2251 cwts., the increase in 

 halibut was from 30| to 681 cwts., brill increased from 41 to 44^ cwts., 

 dabs from 711 to 88f cwts., witches from 135f to 1861 cwts., and 

 megrims from 17 to 3441 cwts. The diminution in the quantity of 

 lemon soles was from 15081 to 826 cwts., and the decrease in plaice 

 from 18921 to 15151 cwts. ^ 



The steam-trawler No. VI. began to fish in December 1890, and con- 

 tinued trawling in each month of the ten years except in January 1896, 

 The first term of five years thus contains one month of fishing moi'e than 

 the second term. The aggregate catch of this vessel in the ten years 

 amounted to 52,040| cwts., the quantity in the period 1891-1895 being 

 23,553§ cwts., and in the period 1896-1900, 28,4871 cwts. In the first 

 term 19,601f cwts. of round fish were landed, and in the second term 

 24,541^ cwts., the corresponding quantities of fiat-fishes being 3785gand 

 3130 cwts. respectively. There is intrinsic evidence from the statistics 

 that this vessel fished mostly in the deep water. 



The totals for each year and the quantities of flat-fishes and round 

 fishes respectively are as follows : — 



This trawler also replaced the beam-trawl by the otter-trawl in 

 December 1896, and the catch in the following year rose very consider- 

 ably, and it was still greater in 1898. The average gross catch in the 

 six years when the beam-trawl was employed amounted to 4506 cwts., 

 and in the four years following the use of the otter-trawl to 6251 cwts., 

 showing an increase in the later period of 38-7 per cent. If comparison 

 be limited to the two years 1895-96 and 1897-98, the increase after 

 the introdviction of the otter-net amounted to no less than 81*7 percent. 

 But, as formerly stated, in the absence of information as to the places of 

 fishing in the two periods it is impossible to say how much of this 

 increase is due to the direct action of the net. 



