CONSIDERATION OF INDIVIDUAL FISH 63 



now reached a point in our statistics where the sources of the supply 

 of Scottish trawled fish can be seen plainly. The tables referred to 

 have been reduced to averages showing the catch of each species 

 of fish per voyage from each of the regions in each year ; and to 

 percentages showing the proportion of each species yielded by each 

 area. In the three years (1905-7) the number of voyages increased 

 by about 14 per cent and the total quantity of fish landed by over 

 20 per cent. Certain species were landed in greater quantity in 

 1907 than in 1905, e.g. ling, cod, haddock, halibut and lemon sole, 

 but plaice, whiting, witches and brill were diminished by from 20 

 to 30 per cent, and hake were reduced by more than half. During 

 this period there has been a steadily increasing tendency on the 

 part of the Scottish trawlers to fish at Iceland and Faroe, and also 

 on the west coast, rather than in the North Sea. The number of 

 North Sea voyages fell from 88 to 82 per cent, while those to Iceland 

 and Faroe rose from 3*9 to 7 per cent, from the west coast from S-i 

 to 10-8 per cent of the whole. The total catch from the North Sea 

 fell from 77-5 to 64-5 per cent of the whole, while that from Iceland 

 and the Faroes rose from 13-1 to 23-7 per cent. Within the limits 

 of the North Sea itself there was a tendency to resort more to the 

 northern region and less to the middle and south-eastern grounds, 

 including the Fisher Bank, but there was very little diminution 

 either in the number or in the catch of the vessels fishing in the 

 vicinity of the Scottish coast. While the number of voyages to 

 Faroe and Iceland was still comparatively small, the proportionate 

 quantity of fish derived from those regions was large and rapidly 

 increasing in the case of those fish that are more typical of northern 

 than British seas. The average catch per voyage gives a concise 

 series of figures which might be expected to furnish conclusions as 

 to a diminution or otherwise of the available supply. The problem 

 is, however, not so easily solved. In the first place the figures 

 fluctuate greatly, and there is no doubt that some years are less 

 productive than others. The average catch per voyage varied 

 enormously in the case of different species of fish. In the case of 

 plaice the average catch was 28 per cent less in 1907 than in 1905. 

 This may be due to some extent to the change to the more northern 

 fishing grounds. In a subsequent paper D'Arcy Thompson brought 

 the investigation of the statistics of the Aberdeen market up to the 

 end of 1911. The result of these and other statistical enquiries 

 tends to show that it is not easy to answer the simple question 

 whether the supply of fish on our fishing grounds is, or is not, 

 diminishing. It is complicated by the occurrence of seasonal 

 periods of greater or less abundance ; it is further complicated by 

 occasional and more irregular periods of increase- or decrease ; it 



