Aberdeen Fishery Statistres. ) 
diminished, but in no very great degree. In both regions the catch 
of codling has increased. ‘he ling has remained almost steady in 
both regions. Large haddock have decreased very perceptibly in 
both regions. Small haddock have fluctuated, and on the Kast Coast 
the catch appears to have increased. Large lemons have kept on the 
whole steady, and small lemons are landed in increasing quantities. 
Large plaice have greatly diminished in both regions, and meaium 
plaice have very greatly diminished in the Northern region. 
From these facts the following conclusions would seem to be 
justified: That certain fishes, such as the cod and ling, show as yet 
no signs of diminution, their natural abundance, and probably also 
the wide extent of sea over which they breed and feed, enabling 
them so far to maintain their numbers unimpaired by the operations 
of man; that there are marked fluctuations in the abundance of 
many fishes, such as the cod, haddock, and others which we can only 
refer to natural causes that are as vet unexplained ; that in certain 
fishes, such as the haddock, while it cannot be said that their total 
numbers have of late diminished, yet there has been a very percep- 
tible diminution among the larger sizes; that the trawlers are 
landing increased quantities of the smaller sizes of several fish, 
including cod, haddock, lemon soles, and others ; that certain fishes, 
and especially plaice, show of recent years a great diminution in 
abundance, which diminution is so regular and progressive that it 
cannot be ascribed to a natural fluctuation, but simply to the fact 
that the species is being over-fished. 
Let me now turn from these general results to some of the other 
lessons that may be drawn from the statistics. 
The following Table shows the number of voyages made to the 
several fishing-grounds in 1912 by the Aberdeen trawling fleet :— 
| TABLES. 
