912 REPORT— 1898. 



the second quinquennial period is handicapped by frequent examinations in the 

 colder months, which, while increasing the hauls, seriously affect the averages. 

 The so-called diminution is shown to be due not to a diminution of fishes in the 

 period, but to the less successful capture in the colder months. The conditions of 

 the two quinquennial periods were wholly divergent, for in the first there was a 

 balance of 38 in favour of the hauls in the warmer months, and in the second one of 

 23 in favour of those in the colder months. 



In the case of the Firth of Forth the proportions of the hauls in the warmer 

 and in the colder months quite differ from that of St. Andrew's Bay in the respective 

 quinquennial periods. In the first there were no less than 50 in favour of the six warm 

 months, and only five in favour of the colder months in the second period — that is 

 to say, out of 269 hauls in the first period 159 occurred during the warmer months 

 (May to October) and 110 in the colder months, whilst in the second 214 occurred 

 in the warmer and 219 in the colder months. Here likewise no sign of substantial 

 increase followed the closure, though the food-fishes maintained their ground. 

 One instance will suffice, and it is of a form which is stated by many to be * swept 

 out ' of the Forth — viz. the haddock. Moreover, it shows [the complex nature of 

 such an inquiry. During the last year of the ' Garland's ' work in the Forth 

 7,033 haddocks, or 93 per haul, were captured, which, contrasted with 1887, 

 showed a reduction of 36 per haul, and therefore ostensibly forms a basis for 

 demanding further closures, so as to control the ' spawning grounds ' of the parent 

 fishes, which are devastated by trawlers and general free fishing in the open waters. 

 But the work in 18S7 was carried out only in the months of June, August, and 

 September, all productive months, whereas in 1895 the work ranged over ten 

 months, five being warmer and five being colder, a very different condition. If we 

 take the captures of the haddock during the colder months of this period — viz. 435, 

 and contrast them with those of the warmer— viz., 6,598, the force of this criticism 

 is apparent. There were actually more per haul — viz. 157 — in these five warmer 

 months than in the very favourable three months in 1887 — viz. 129. Hesitation 

 is, therefore, felt in approving of a method of controlling the important subject of 

 the fisheries of the country which does not appreciate the available sources of 

 information. 



On the whole, the foou-fishes of the Forth remained at the end of the experi- 

 ments very much as they were at the beginning, just as happened in the case of 

 St Andrew's Bay. 



Comparatively few trawlers worked in the Moray Firtli in 1884. At that time 

 three hauls of a commercial trawl on Smith Bank and off" Caithness, in April, 

 gave a total of 2,711 saleable fishes, or 903 per haul, a very moderate number in 

 conti'ast with some of those off" the Forth the same season, each of which produced 

 from 1,500 to 2,744 saleable fishes. The average size of the haddocks in the 

 Moray Firth was noteworthy, for few of the kind termed small were procured. 

 The average number per haul was 604, or next to the Forth in this respect. The 

 avidity with which trawlers sought the region subsequently, the captures by the 

 liners up to a recent date, and the work of the ' Garland ' sufficiently deal with the 

 groundless views about the Moray Firth being ' swept out.' Moreover, on 

 April 7 and 8 of this year (1898) six hauls iu a commercial trawler were made 

 outside the limits of the protected area, resulting in a total of 5,286 fishes, or 881 

 per haul, a contrast to the indifferent work of the ' Garland ' within it. The chief 

 fish, as iu the former case, was the haddock, and it was satisfactory to find that in the 

 midst of an area worked by 12 to 20 trawlers the average of this important fish 

 was 695, or 91 over the average within the protected area in 1884. Without going 

 into further detail at present it may be remarked in passing that the distribution 

 of this species is so wide, and its numbers so great, that a survey of the whole 

 subject leaves little room for doubt as to the wisdom of removing all unnecessary 

 restrictions from fair fishing. Further, no trace of any eflPect of the closures on 

 this fish is apparent, either here or in any of the other areas. Such a gigantic step 

 as the closing of the whole Moray Firth is at variance with the principles which 

 in 1884 caused the recommendation for the closure of the Forth, St. Andrew's 

 Bay, and Aberdeen Bay for experimental purposes to be made. Step by step every 



