Aberdeen Fishery Statistics. 



21 



On the Northern Grounds, besides the recent abundance of 

 haddock which we have ah-eady referred to, we notice also a great 

 increase in the average catch of ling. On the other hand, the 

 average catch per voyage of cod has fallen much below the quanti- 

 ties of 1910-13, though not yet so low as in the years 1905-09. In 

 all these cases we are evidently dealing with natural fluctuations, 

 and to such natural fluctuations the three fishes in question are 

 subject in a high degree. 



On the East Coast Grounds, the recent abundance of small 

 haddock (reaching a maximum in 1915), a marked scarcity of cod, 

 and the continued and increasing scarcity of plaice are all 

 conspicuous. 



The Voyages to the several Fishing Grounds. 



The following Table (N) shows the number of voyages made to the 

 several fishing grounds in 1913-16 by the Aberdeen trawling fleet, 

 including the foreign vessels which, up to 1914, were wont to make 

 use of the port : — 



TABLE N. 



Number of Landings of Steam-trawlers at the Port of Aberdeen, 

 from the several fishing grounds, J 913-16. 



Northern Grounds . 

 East Coast Grounds 

 Middle Grounds 

 South-East Grounds 

 North Sea, Various . 



Total, North Sea 

 Western Grounds . 

 Faeroe 

 Iceland . 

 Mixed Grounds 

 White Sea 

 Norway . 



Grand Total . . 12,086 10,691* 7,543 5,862 

 * Including one to the West of Ireland and one to the British Channel. 



We see that the total number of voyages fell off as follows ; the 

 number in 1916 being somewhat less than half that in 1913 : — 



When we take, as in Table 0, the percentage number of voyages 

 to the several fishing grounds, a number of interesting things are 

 brought out. It will be sufficient to draw attention to the fall in 

 the number of voyages to the Northern Grounds from 27 per cent, of 



