﻿86 
  

  

  OTTER-TEAWL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  other 
  sizes 
  having 
  decreased 
  both 
  quantitatively 
  and 
  proportionately 
  

   to 
  the 
  whole. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  "northern 
  grounds" 
  both 
  large 
  and 
  small 
  cod 
  increased 
  

   very 
  materially, 
  but 
  the 
  latter, 
  which 
  formed 
  but 
  45 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  

   the 
  catch 
  in 
  1906 
  to 
  1908, 
  constituted 
  54 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  1909 
  to 
  1912. 
  

   All 
  sizes 
  of 
  haddock 
  decreased, 
  but 
  the 
  large 
  and 
  medium 
  categories 
  

   were 
  both 
  of 
  proportionately 
  greater 
  importance 
  in 
  the 
  catch 
  in 
  

   1909 
  to 
  1912 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  earlier 
  years, 
  while 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  small 
  fish 
  

   to 
  total 
  haddock 
  declined. 
  There 
  was 
  a 
  heavy 
  quantitative 
  decline 
  

   in 
  all 
  sizes 
  of 
  plaice, 
  but 
  relatively 
  the 
  small, 
  and 
  especially 
  the 
  

   medium 
  size, 
  increased 
  at 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  fish. 
  

  

  It 
  appears 
  from 
  the 
  foregoing 
  that 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  fish, 
  excepting 
  the 
  

   cod 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  grounds, 
  show 
  signs 
  of 
  depletion 
  either 
  in 
  a 
  

   quantitative 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  large 
  sizes 
  of 
  fish, 
  or 
  a 
  rela- 
  

   tively 
  greater 
  catch 
  of 
  small 
  sizes 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  stationary 
  

   or 
  decreasing 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  as 
  a 
  whole. 
  The 
  evidence 
  is 
  most 
  

   emphatic 
  respecting 
  the 
  plaice, 
  less 
  conclusive 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  had- 
  

   dock, 
  and 
  contradictory 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  cod. 
  The 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

   quantity 
  and 
  ratio 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  small 
  cod 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  grounds 
  

   suggests 
  increased 
  attention 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  to 
  compensate 
  for 
  some 
  

   deficiency 
  in 
  other 
  kinds, 
  e. 
  g., 
  haddock 
  and 
  plaice. 
  The 
  period 
  

   covered 
  by 
  this 
  analysis 
  is 
  too 
  short 
  for 
  the 
  conclusions 
  to 
  carry 
  

   great 
  weight 
  by 
  themselves, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  value 
  when 
  considered 
  

   with 
  the 
  deductions 
  from 
  other 
  data 
  previously 
  examined. 
  

  

  SCOTCH 
  LINE 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  line 
  fishing 
  boats 
  and 
  vessels 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  

   of 
  Scotland 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  definitely 
  determined 
  from 
  the 
  reports, 
  and 
  

   the 
  only 
  data 
  showing 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  are 
  those 
  pertain- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  lines. 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  Lines 
  Fished 
  by 
  Vessels 
  of 
  all 
  Classes 
  on 
  the 
  East 
  Coast 
  of 
  

   Scotland 
  During 
  the 
  First 
  and 
  Last 
  Years 
  of 
  Certain 
  Periods, 
  

  

  The 
  data 
  are 
  not 
  available 
  prior 
  to 
  1898, 
  but 
  since 
  then 
  there 
  has 
  

   been 
  a 
  continuous 
  and 
  conspicuous 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  line. 
  

   The 
  smallest 
  decrease 
  occurred 
  between 
  1903 
  and 
  1906, 
  the 
  only 
  

   period 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  steam 
  otter 
  trawlers 
  waned. 
  

  

  