196 



INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1894. 



A table was this year given by the Fishery Board showing 

 the quantities of white fishes caught within the closed waters 

 of the Moray Frith, and the number of boats, with a view of 

 noting the changes inaugurated by the closure. Seven districts 

 were chosen as fishing specially within the closed area, but 

 even though such were the case, the difficulties of an accurate 

 record are great, and it may be expected to show only the usual 

 variations from year to year characteristic of all fishing opera- 

 tions. There is small chance of any satisfaction being derived 

 from an accumulation of fishes due to the closure. This table 

 extended up to date (1897) is appended : — 



Captures in the Moray Frith by Line-Boats in cwts. 

 1894 



Cod 



Ling 



Torsk 



Saithe 



Haddock 



Whiting 



Turbot 



Hahbut 



Lemon-Dab 



Flounder, Plaice, Brill . . . 



Conger 



Skate 



Other kinds white fishes 

 Total 



Average haul or shot 



Large boats 



Small boats 



52571 



2169 



25 



6120 



153529 



5845 



5 



254 



5477 

 1244 

 3281 

 7976 



218495 



3-5 



7082 

 54866 



1895 



1896 



1897 



4403 



64663 



79731 



339 



3868 



3544 



6 



94 



25 



552 



10636 



11761 



65421 



156703 



126031 



3347 



4836 



3319 



— 



15 



16 



22 



691 



707 



— 



19 



14 



208 



3402 



3978 



49 



823 



1533 



177 



3683 



3999 



1967 



7483 

 256916 



6663 



78491 



241350 



4-77 



4-26 



3-83 



1107 



11915 



14039 



14930 



48346 



48836 



The work of the " Garland " on the inner stations (I. to VI.) 

 was carried on in 1895 in July, six hauls of the trawl giving 

 the meagre amount of 715 fishes, or 119 per haul, less than 

 half that of the previous year, a result by no means encouraging 

 with the stake at issue. The vast enclosed area with its 

 " extensive spawning grounds " did not in connection with 

 these stations indicate an improvement. Not even by such 

 a gigantic measure were the arrangements of nature in the 

 open sea to be altered to any noteworthy extent. The saleable 

 fishes were 380 in number, or 63 per haul, and the unsaleable 

 335, or 55 per haul. A great reduction had occurred in all the 



