TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 



TO THE EIGHT HONOUKABLE 



ANDREW GKAHAM MURRAY, K.C., M.P., &c„ 



His Majesty's Secretary fw Scotland. 



Office of The Fishery Board 

 FOR Scotland, 

 Edinburgh, \st July, 1904. 



My Lord, 



In continuation of our Twenty-second Annual Eeport, 

 we have the honour to submit — 



PART III— SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



GENERAL STATEMENT. 



This, the third part of the Twenty- second Annual Eeport, 

 contains an account of the scientific investigations conducted by 

 the Board in 1903 in connection with the sea fisheries of Scotland, 

 so far as these have been completed, by means of the Parliamentary 

 Vote granted for the purpose. The scientific researches have been 

 carried on for the most part at the Board's Marine Laboratory at 

 the Bay of Nigg, Aberdeen, which was erected a few years ago, and 

 where tanks have now been fitted up for various experiments and 

 observations. The sea-fish hatchery is also situated at the same 

 place, and a statement as to its operations during the year will be 

 found below. 



The investigations into the condition of the fishing grounds, more 

 particularly in the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, which were 

 commenced four years ago, were continued last year by means of 

 steam-trawlers. One of the chief objects of these investigations is 

 to ascertain the changes in the abundance of the food and other 

 fishes in the closed waters in different years ; but observations are 

 also made on the reproduction of the fish, their spawning, food, and 

 on various other points connected with their life-history; and 

 collections of the plankton or floating organisms are secured, and 

 experiments made with small-meshed and large-meshed nets. 



With the large trawl, the efficient ship, and the experienced 

 trawlers in charge, it is possible to make a much more thorough 

 examination of the bays than was formerly the case, and from the 



