80 CAPTURES BY LINERS AND TRAWLERS IN 1892. 



under these circumstances. Nor is this surprising, since even a 

 tiny cod, of little more than Jth of an inch, can avoid the 

 forceps intended to capture it. The cod and saithe are also 

 largely caught by gill-nets on the West coast ; while the great 

 lines, carrying hooks baited with herring, are the chief means of 

 capture used in the case of the conger. Further, it has to be 

 remeoibered that the trawlers, both near and distant, as a rule, 

 throw overboard their small haddocks (8 to 9 and 10 inches), in 

 both cases because it is not worth their trouble to bring them 

 to market and pay dues for the trifling sum obtained for them ; 

 and in the instance of the distant trawler, to avoid, in addition, 

 the labour of ' gutting,' and the expense of ice. Yet the liners 

 bring these to market and they are included in their returns. 

 It is an interesting fact that, notwithstanding the recent 

 remarks concerning the condition of the trawled fishes, that the 

 price of the latter surpasses that of the former by 2s. l\d. per 

 cwt. It is true the trawler can more readily reach the market 

 with his fishes, but against this has to be placed the great 

 number of local fishing-boats which have only brief distances to 

 traverse, and the fact that the trawlers who go to distant banks 

 bring fishes ' gutted ' as well as preserved in ice, and the 

 appearance of which is not always in their favour. 



When the flat fishes are considered, it is found that though 

 the liners produced considerably more in weight, yet the price 

 obtained per cwt. is not half (by 35. lOd. less) that got by the 

 trawlers, so that the total value of the flat fishes procured by 

 the latter is nearly double that of the former^ Yet we know 

 that halibut are largely caught by the liners, and that the 

 three-mile limit and the closed waters in addition are at the 

 disposal of the latter for relays of lines wherewith to capture 

 plaice, dabs, and flounders. In all probability, however, it is 

 the plaice, the witches, and especially the lemon-dabs and the 

 turbot which prove so advantageous to the trawlers. 



Of the ' other kinds of fish,' little need be said except that 



1 At Montrose, for instance, the flat fishes landed by trawlers realised nearly 

 20s. per cwt., while those caught by line produced only 9s. lid. per cwt. But 

 turbot alone was sold at £3. 6s. M. per cwt., so that the trawlers had the 

 advantage in this respect. 



