142 Part III. — Twenty -seventh Annual Report 



1899, amounted to 213,085 cwts., with an average of 26,636 cwts., while 

 in the period 1901-1908 the amount was 146,490 cwts., the average being 

 18,311 cwts., and the decrease about 31 per cent. With one or two 

 exceptions, the quantity of haddocks landed by trawlers in any one year 

 was small. In the eight years, 1892-1899, it amounted to 1571 cwts., the 

 average being 196 cwts. ; in the later eight years the quantity was 20,947 

 cwts. and the average 2618 cwts. The increase was thus 19,376 cwts., or 

 about 1233 per cent. The proportion in the latter period was — line 87*4 

 per cent., trawl 12-5 per cent., but in the years 1907 and 1908 this pro- 

 portion was very much higher. 



The aggregate of whiting landed on the West Coast in the twenty years 

 was 162,183 cwts., an average of 7609 cwts. In the first ten years the 

 quantity was 75,838 cwts., the average being 7584 cwts. ; in the last ten 

 years the amount was 76,345 cwts. and the average 7634 cwts. There was 

 thus a slight increase in the quantity of whiting, something under 1 per 

 cent. Almost all were taken by lines, but the greater quantity taken by 

 trawl in the second period compared with the first period was more than 

 sufficient to account for the increase mentioned in the total. 



The quantity of conger eel landed in the twenty years Avas 243,353 cwts., 

 an average of 12,168 cwts. per annum. The quantity in the first ten years 

 amounted to 113,097 cwts.. the average being 11,310 cwts. ; in the second 

 period the quantity was 130,256 cwts. and the average 13,026 cwts. There 

 was thus, as with tusk and whiting, an increase, which amounted to 17,159 

 cwts., or about 15 per cent. With the exception of 722 cwts. landed by 

 trawleis throughout the twenty years — and chiefly in the last four — all the 

 conger were taken by line, except 96 cwts. by " net" in 1906-1907. 



Among the other round fishes included in the tables are gurnards, catfish, 

 anglers, and hake, but the quantities, as will be seen from the detailed 

 tables, are small, and refer only to the last few years. 



Among the flat fishes the aggregate of turbot landed Avas 9617 cwts., or 

 an average of 481 cwts. The decrease in the last ten years, compared with 

 the first, amounted to about 35 per cent. The average in the first period 

 was 581 cwts. per annum and in the second 381 cwts. 



The total for halibut was 48,002 cwts., or an average of 2400 cwts. 

 Here also there was a decrease cf about 34 per cent in the latter ten years 

 of the period. In the first ten years the annual average was 2894 cwts., 

 and in the last ten years 1906 cwts. As with the turbot, the quantity 

 landed by trawlers was comparatively small and irregular. 



The aggregate quantity of lemon soles was small, namely 3440 cwts., or 

 an annual average of only 172 cwts. In the last ten years, 1899-1908, 

 there was a decrease of 73 pei- cent. The decrease in the line-caught fish 

 was 50 per cent., and in those taken by trawl 5 per cent. The percentage 

 proportions in the last ten years were — line, 68*6 per cent,; trawl, 29-1 

 per cent. ; net, 2'3 per cent. 



As on the East Coast, the other species of flat fishes were only separately 

 distinguished in 1904 and since. 



The total quantity of skates and rays amounted to 348,831 cwts., the 

 annual average being 17,442 cwts. In the first ten years the quantity was 

 156,792 cwts., the average being 15,679 cwts.; in the second period the 

 quantity was 192,030 cwts. and the average 19,204 cwts., showing an 

 increase of about 22*5 per cent. Most of the increase was due to the larger 

 landings by trawlers in the second period, but the proportion landed by 

 trawl over the last eight years amounted to only 2'3 per cent. 



The Values of the Fish Landed, 



Appended to this I'epoi-t will be found tables showing the values of the 

 fish of the diflferent kinds landed in the years 1889-1908, and also the 

 values of those taken by the chief methods of fishing. 



