PRESENT CONDITION OF FISHING GROUNDS. 99 



area from inshore to offshore then possessed — do not seem to 

 have been borne out by further experience. Even with the 

 entire area of the Forth and St Andrews Bay closed, these 

 vessels, now considerably increased in numbers, have found 

 fishing profitable on the more distant grounds. They work on 

 a certain area, either by means of a flag-buoy or otherwise, and 

 strictly in accordance with the instructions given from head- 

 quarters. If the captures are observed to be decreasing, either 

 from the thinning of the fishes or their being scattered, they 

 change ground, as, indeed, was very noticeable in 1884, returning 

 after an interval to the same area, to find that an increase has 

 taken place. In connection with this filling up of areas over 

 which trawling has been assiduously carried on, it is an inte- 

 resting fact that the local boats — from 12 to 20 or more in 

 number — found for many years that, on the whole, their best 

 ground in St Andrews Bay was a line about 2 miles from shore 

 (' Scooniehill,' in a line with 'the steeples'), and about 4 

 fathoms in depth. Boat after boat trawled along that line, 

 wind and weather permitting, for four months of the year, and 

 sometimes longer, and to the closing day it maintained its 

 position as the best area for plaice. The same observation has 

 been made at Brixham, where trawling has been in operation 

 about a hundred years. It is quite evident, therefore, that 

 other fishes took the place of those captured, and that this 

 continued month after month, and year after year. The whole 

 question, consequently, in the larger areas outside the 3-mile 

 limit is — Can the supplies from the neighbouring waters keep 

 pace with the rate of capture now going on by both liners and 

 trawlers ? These supplies consist of the growth of the young 

 from eggs on the area itself, and the immigration of eggs, 

 young, and adults from other areas, or the open water beyond. 

 It is seen that, so far as human observation can go, the supplies 

 of herrings are as plentiful as formerly, notwithstanding the 

 absence of restriction and the great waste that annually takes 

 place in this fishing. On the other hand, it is a matter of 

 observation that the first hauls of the trawl on virgin ground 

 are the most successful, and that by and by the catch diminishes, 

 and the same occurs with the liners on their new ' banks ' or 



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