of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



141 



predominant fishing between fifty and one hundred fathoms northwards, 

 one would expect a very difl:erent representation of the fishes, and 

 especially the llat-fishes, in the two periods. About 76 per cent, of the 

 fish landed in the three months of 1901 were from the new grounds in 

 which trawling had not been carried on in 1891 ; and about 60 per 

 cent, of the fish landed in 1891 were from the areas not fished over in 

 1901, the great bulk coming from the Moray Firth. 



The total quantities, and the percentages of the gross catch, of the 

 principal kinds of fish landed in the three months of the two years are 

 as follows : — 



It will be observed that notwithstanding the use of the otter-trawl 

 in 1901 the percentage of haddocks and cod was the same in the two 

 periods ; in the latter period the percentage of Idng and whiting was 

 greatly increased, as were also the percentages of halibut and witches. 

 The percentage of brill slightly diminished, those of turbot and lemon 

 soles were much less, and the percentage of " plaice " declined from 

 18*8 to 2"6. In 1891 dabs and megrims were included with plaice, and in 

 the Table the dabs (168 cwts.) are combined with plaice in 1901. From 

 the fishing taking place so much in deeper water in the latter year the 

 megrims are no doubt proportionately greater in quantity than in 1891; 

 but if they are also all included the percentage of the " plaice," dabs, 

 and megrims in 1901 becomes 5'0. There was undoubtedly a great 

 decline in plaice, due for the most part to the transference of the pre- 

 dominant fishing from shallower to deeper water, and this no doubt also 

 explains to a large extent the other changes in the proportions. 



It would be of much interest if it were possible to make a com- 

 parison between the productiveness of the grounds in 1891 and 1901. 

 The aieas in which trawling took place in both years are seven in 

 number, viz., XIII., XVII.,^ XXIII., XXIV., XXV., XXVIII., and 

 XXIX., but part of XVII. is included in the Moray Firth, which was 

 closed to trawling in 1892. It may be said, however, that that area 

 {XVI I.) yielded very nearly half of the total quantity of fish landed in 

 the first three months of 1891, viz. 20,787 cwts.; while the abbreviated 

 part of it in 1901 yielded 6533 cwts. Omitting this area, the number 

 of landings made fi'om the other six areas was 453 in 1891 and 254 in 

 1901, and the quantity of fish was respectively 16,516 and 16,043 cwts. 

 The avei^age per voyage or landing in 1891 was thus 36-5 cwts., and in 

 1901 63'2 cwts., or 26*7 cwts. more. There are, however, two con- 

 siderations which preclude these figures being taken as an indication of 

 the productiveness of the grounds in the two years. The first is the 

 uncei'tainty of the " landings " representing equal periods of fishing ; 

 it is pi'obable from the general tendency that the voyages were longer 

 in 1901. The second is the fact that the otter-trawl was used in 1901 

 and the beam-trawl in 1891, and there is not at present sufiicient 

 information to show the relative efiiciency of the two nets, either in 

 regard to the gioss quantity of fish caught, or the pi-oportion of the 



