Aberdeen Fishery Statistics. 17 
am aware, give any indication of a serious or even significant 
diminution in the catch of codling during the past twelve years. 
But in the case of the smaller classes of fish, codling, small 
haddock, small plaice, and the like, one’s statistical conclusions are 
always apt to be affected, and even invalidated, by the greater care 
which is taken nowadays than formerly of such fish, that is to say, 
by the smaller proportion that is wasted and thrown overboard for 
want of a market at home. It is, therefore, more important to look 
at the corresponding curves for the large cod. 
In Area X. (fig. 11) it is seen that the catch of cod reaches a 
higher level in the summer of 1911 than ever before since the 
series of observations in this area began in the year 1903. In Area 
XIII. 1907 appears to have been the best year, and to have been 
followed by a period of comparative scarcity ; but from 1908 to the 
present time the tendency has been one of steady improvement. 
In Area XLV. recent years have undoubtedly been better than the 
former ones; and it is at least plain that 1908-11 have shown 
better catches than any year from 1901-1906. 
In Area XXIII. (fig. 12) the curve is somewhat irregular, and 
1910, for instance, was a bad year, and 1905 and 1906 were 
conspicuously good ones. But the inspection of the curve as a 
whole certainly does not convey any impression of gradual decrease. 
In the neighbouring area, XXIX., 1910 and 1911 are both bad 
years, and 1902 would seem to have been a specially good one. 
But, with these exceptions, the curve keeps remarkably steady. In 
Area C (fig. 13) 1905 and 1911 were the best years of the series, and 
from 1907 to 1909 the catches were distinctly low. 
On the whole, then, while the statistics for cod do not point to 
anything of the nature of a steady increase, such as would appear 
to be shown in the case of codling, yet it is plain that nothing of the 
nature of a steady, still less of a rapid, decline is anywhere 
indicated. 
A marked steadiness is, on the whole, characteristic of ling also, 
and this is particularly well shown even on the much-fished Aberdeen 
ground, XXITT. (fig. 14), though the catch of ling is never at any 
time very great in this locality. It will be seen that, save for an 
apparently bad year in 1902, the annual curves are wonderfully 
similar during the whole period represented. 
On the Shetland area (X.), where the amount of ling caught is 
much greater, the same is on the whole true (fig. 15). The catch 
of 1910 and 1911 was not large, nor was that of 1904; but there 
is no sign whatever of a gradual decline throughout the period. 
In Area XIV. the curves are just as steady as they have been 
shown to be on the Aberdeen ground. On Area XVIII. (fig. 16) 
there would seem to be a slight tendency to increase. Andon Area 
C (where 1906 was a markedly bad year), 1911 showed the largest 
catches for the whole period. 
IT come, then, to the conclusion that in the case of these two fishes, 
cod and ling, there is either no decline in the annual yield of the 
fisheries, or at least no such marked decline as can he detected by 
the method now employed, and for the important areas which have 
been dealt with. I may add that in the case of saithe the same 
favourable state of things is amply borne out by the Board’s 
statistics. ; 
R 
