﻿OTTER- 
  TEAWL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  81 
  

  

  that, 
  considering 
  the 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  trawl 
  

   fleet, 
  there 
  was 
  either 
  a 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  haddock 
  or 
  the 
  vessels 
  

   resorted 
  to 
  other 
  grounds, 
  which 
  would 
  imply, 
  although 
  not 
  posi- 
  

   tively 
  indicate, 
  the 
  same 
  thing. 
  A 
  decrease 
  in 
  haddock 
  would 
  re- 
  

   quire 
  increased 
  attention 
  to 
  other 
  species, 
  e. 
  g., 
  the 
  cod, 
  to 
  main- 
  

   tain 
  the 
  productiveness 
  of 
  the 
  fishery. 
  This 
  is 
  further 
  elucidated 
  in 
  

   considering 
  the 
  average 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  trawlers. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  flat 
  fishes, 
  halibut, 
  which 
  Avere 
  of 
  no 
  importance 
  in 
  

   the 
  catch 
  in 
  1891, 
  increased 
  to 
  almost 
  10 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  class 
  

   in 
  1912, 
  while 
  the 
  category 
  of 
  flounder, 
  plaice, 
  and 
  brill, 
  which 
  com- 
  

   prised 
  over 
  60 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  1891, 
  was 
  reduced 
  to 
  about 
  42 
  per 
  cent 
  

   in 
  1912. 
  This 
  leads 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  assumptions 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  

   cod 
  and 
  haddock. 
  In 
  other 
  words, 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  fishes 
  in 
  1891 
  

   showed 
  signs 
  of 
  depletion 
  in 
  1912. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  catch 
  per 
  vessel 
  probably 
  furnishes 
  the 
  best 
  avail- 
  

   able 
  criterion 
  for 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  in 
  

   the 
  several 
  periods, 
  and 
  these 
  data 
  are 
  tabulated 
  below. 
  The 
  average 
  

   per 
  voyage 
  and 
  per 
  days' 
  absence 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  computed 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  

   data. 
  

  

  Average 
  Catch 
  pee 
  Annum 
  per 
  Steam 
  Otter 
  Trawler 
  on 
  the 
  East 
  Coast 
  of 
  

   Scotland 
  During 
  the 
  First 
  and 
  Last 
  Years 
  of 
  Certain 
  Periods. 
  

  

  Classes 
  and 
  periods. 
  

  

  Quantity 
  (hundred- 
  

   weight) 
  during— 
  

  

  First 
  year. 
  

  

  Last 
  year. 
  

  

  Increase 
  or 
  decrease. 
  

  

  Hundred- 
  

   weight. 
  

  

  Per 
  cent. 
  

  

  Demersal 
  fishes 
  

  

  1891-1898... 
  

  

  1898-1901... 
  

  

  1901-1903... 
  

  

  1903-1906... 
  

  

  1906-1912... 
  

  

  1891-1912... 
  

   Round 
  fishes: 
  

  

  1891-1898... 
  

  

  1898-1901... 
  

  

  1901-1903... 
  

  

  1903-1906... 
  

  

  1900-1912... 
  

  

  1891-1912... 
  

   Flat 
  fishes: 
  

  

  1891-1898... 
  

  

  1898-1901... 
  

  

  1901-1903... 
  

  

  1903-1906... 
  

  

  1906-1912... 
  

  

  1891-1912... 
  

  

  5,549 
  

   5,407 
  

   5,161 
  

   5,654 
  

   7,038 
  

   5,549 
  

  

  3,533 
  

  

  4,587 
  

   4,250 
  

   4,844 
  

   6,076 
  

   3,533 
  

  

  1,340 
  

   480 
  

   444 
  

   473 
  

   400 
  

  

  1,340 
  

  

  5,407 
  

   5,161 
  

   5,654 
  

   7,038 
  

   6,321 
  

   6,321 
  

  

  4,587 
  

   4,250 
  

   4,844 
  

   6,076 
  

   5,500 
  

   5,500 
  

  

  480 
  

   444 
  

   473 
  

   400 
  

   275 
  

   275 
  

  

  - 
  142 
  

  

  - 
  246 
  

   + 
  493 
  

   +1,384 
  

  

  - 
  717 
  

   + 
  772 
  

  

  + 
  1,054 
  

  

  - 
  337 
  

   + 
  594 
  

   + 
  1,234 
  

  

  - 
  576 
  

   + 
  1,967 
  

  

  - 
  860 
  

  

  - 
  36 
  

   + 
  29 
  

  

  - 
  73 
  

  

  - 
  125 
  

   -1,065 
  

  

  - 
  2 
  

  

  - 
  4 
  

   + 
  9 
  

   +24 
  

   -10 
  

   +13 
  

  

  +29 
  

  

  - 
  7 
  

   + 
  13 
  

   +25 
  

  

  - 
  9 
  

   +55 
  

  

  -64 
  

  

  - 
  7 
  

   + 
  6 
  

   -15 
  

   -31 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  catch 
  per 
  steam 
  trawler 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  demersal 
  fishes 
  

   fluctuated 
  irregularly 
  between 
  1891 
  and 
  1912 
  but 
  exhibited 
  a 
  net 
  

   increase 
  of 
  about 
  13 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  total 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  fishery, 
  there- 
  

   fore, 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  kept 
  pace 
  with 
  the 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  vessels 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  increase 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  probable 
  fishing 
  

  

  