154 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1893. 



With the exception of 1890 the series of years following the 

 fertile one of 1887 had given but indifferent totals for the food- 

 fishes of the Forth. Four of these had been under that reached 

 at the commencement of the experiments, while 1890 had an 

 average of only twelve over it. The sudden rise of 160 per 

 haul in 1887, and which had buoyed so many hopes, therefore, 

 had been ephemeral — dependent alike on the short and 

 favourable period of the year and on other advantages. In the 

 year 1893 the grand total was three times larger than in 1887, 

 viz. 27,401, but the hauls which produced it were four times as 

 numerous, viz. 96. The average per haul was 285, or 93 under 

 1887, yet it came next it during the period of eight years. Of 

 this number 14,130 or 147 per haul were saleable and 13,271 or 

 138 per haul unsaleable. The average of the saleable had been 

 exceeded in 1886, 1888, and 1890, whereas that of the un- 

 saleable was exceeded only in 1887. The years 1887 and 1893 

 were therefore remarkable in the capture of unsaleable fishes, 

 the former having the largest proportion in the series, the latter 

 also a large proportion, but greatly under that of 1887. 



All the months of the year are represented in the table, 

 though unequally, March being lowest with only two hauls, 

 July and November with 7, January, February, May, and 

 September with 8, April, June, October, and December with 9, 

 while August had 11. By far the most productive months 

 were August and September. The work was thus very fairly 

 distributed over the year, but the diminution of the hauls in 

 March would tend to keep up the general average since it is 

 usually an unproductive month, while the 11 hauls in August 

 would also tend to raise the average. 



No fish has been more prominently brought forward by the 

 liners and others as an instance of the gradual decay of the 

 Scotch fisheries than the haddock. Statistics, in some cases 

 most difficult to comprehend, have been produced to bear out 

 such views, and they have been accompanied by the most 

 lugubrious pictures of the present and future of the line-fisher- 

 men of our shores. But such advocates, whose real interest in 

 the fishermen — it is to be hoped — is to be measured by the 

 warmth of their efforts, hitherto have not been able to satisfy 



