CAPTURES BY LINERS AND TRAWLERS, 1896. 91 



over 1895 ; halibut remained nearly as in the previous year, 

 while lemon-dabs had a diminution of 733 cwts., but an increase 

 -of £160 in value. Flounders, plaice and brill exceeded 1895 

 by no less than 7,973 cwts. and £8,502. Skate had increased 

 by 1,888 cwts. and £340. Other kinds of white fishes also had 

 an excess of 2,110 cwts. and £1,245 over the previous year. 



The value of the round fishes in 1896 is 76'. for the liner 

 and 85. for the trawler, the difference in favour of the trawler 

 when contrasted with 1895 being 2c?. The liner received 

 lis. lOd. for flat fishes, the trawler 27^. 5d., an increase of 

 Is. Id. in the former case and a diminution of lOd. in the 

 latter. 



The grand total of all kinds of fishes (other than shell-fishes) 

 landed in 1896 was 6,146,738 cwts., an increase of 39,697 cwts. 

 on 1895, and this notwithstanding the great deficit in the 

 herrings, sparlings and mackerel of 92,904 cwts. on the previous 

 year. If we deduct the total for herrings, sparlings and 

 mackerel, viz. 4,002,791 cwts., the fishes caught by the liner 

 and trawler amount to 2143,947 cwts., an excess of 132,598 cwts. 

 on the previous year. Of this total 1,589,204 cwts. were pro- 

 duced by the liner, and 554,743 cwts. by the trawler, the former 

 presenting an increase of 109,553 cwts. and £33,117, the latter 

 23,048 cwts. and £39,697. This year also a large reduction of 

 boats — boats propelled by sails or oars — took place, viz. 1,064, 

 representing 4,303 in tonnage, and 3,521 resident and non- 

 resident men and boys. The remaining boats, however, were 

 increased in value both as regards the hull and equipment. 

 Besides, 7 new steam-liners and 93 men were added to this 

 department, a sign that the old order of things is steadily 

 being dispensed with. 



No steam-trawlers were added to the Scottish series this 

 year, and a reduction of 3 in vessels other than Scottish took 

 place. Two small sailing trawlers were also added to this 

 department. The increase in men was 31, and the tonnage in 

 the steam vessels was augmented. The general adaptation of 

 the otter-trawl in the trawling vessels was a feature of the year, 

 indeed, so great is the competition in the fishing industry, that 

 it was found that the beam-trawls could scarcely hold their 



