138 



Part III. — Tiventieth Annual Beport 



Thus in seven of the areas the quantity of fish caught exceeded 

 10,000 cwts., in four it was between 20,000 and 30,000 cwts., and in 

 one it was over 30,000 cwts. It may be noted incidentally, as 

 previously explained when dealing with the " voyage " or " landing," 

 that the ratio between the quantity of fish and the landing varies 

 greatly according as to whether the grounds are distant or near. Thus 

 each landing from the distant area XI. (East of the Shetlands) represents 

 201 cwts.; from areas XIX. and XX. each landing represents 169 

 cwts. ; from XXXII. it represents 152 cwts.; from XXIII. 45 cwts.; 

 and from XXVIII. 27 cwts. The diilerence in amount is owing 

 principally to the varying length of the voyage ; also, no doubt to some 

 extent, to the greater productiveness of certain areas. More than 75 

 per cent, of the fish were caught in seven of the areas, viz., XI., XIV., 

 XV., XVIII., XIX., XXIIL, and XXIX, two of which lie 

 immediately contiguous to the coast, and the others south and east of the 

 Shetlands. The greatest quantity was obtained from the area lying 

 opposite the Moray Firth and south-east of the Orkneys (XVIII.), and 

 the next largest from the area north of this (XIV.) around to the east 

 of Fair Isle and south of the Shetlands, The three areas (XL, XV., 

 and XIX.) to the east and south-east of the Shetlands, between 0° — 2° 

 W. long, and 58° — 61° N. lat., furnished the next largest amounts, 

 totalling 69,746 cwts. 



In the Tables (Table HI., p. 214) are given particulars of the 

 quantities of the various kinds of fish caught in the difierent areas, and 

 since this information is tabulated according to the months, I think it 

 will be found ultimately to furnish a considerable amount of knowledge 

 as to the distribution and relative abundance of the food fishes in 

 different parts of the sea and at different seasons, as well as in con- 

 nection with the question of productiveness. 



Taking the areas in which fishing operations were carried on in 

 each month of the year, the percentage proi^ortions of the various round 

 fishes (among the total round fishes) are as follows, including among the 

 round fishes cod, haddock, whiting, ling, saithe, tusk, hake, gurnard, 

 and catfish. 



