92 



THE SEA FISHERIES 



Two Scottish reports have recently been published which deal 

 with, inter alia, the statistics of haddock landed in the Aberdeen 

 market. The first report deals with the trawl fishery for the period 

 1901-6 ; the second for the years 1908 to 1911 inclusive. In the 

 first report tables are submitted showing the average quantity of 

 each species of fish caught, and in the case of haddock the various 

 sizes distinguished in the market returns, per 100 hours' trawling, 

 within each of the numerous areas of the North Sea, off the west 

 and north-west of Scotland and at Faroe and Iceland. 



A study of these statistics shows clearly that seasonal variations 

 are markedly periodic, each species having its annual seasons of 

 scarcity and abundance more or less constant in each area, more 

 or less diverse in the different areas. At the same time the degree 

 of relative scarcity and abundance in the different seasons varies 

 with the species. Underlying these annual fluctuations well-marked 

 differences sometimes exist between one year and another ; there 

 are years of scarcity and years of plenty. At this stage the statis- 

 tical investigations fail to give a definite answer to the apparently 

 simple, but really difficulty question whether the supply of any 

 species of fish is or is not diminishing. 



The statistics show that 30 per cent more haddock were landed 

 in 1907 than in 1905. When mean values for three consecutive 

 years are compared (1905-7 ; 1906-8, etc.), it is found that the 

 decline in haddock for the whole period, comparing 1905-7 with 

 1909-11, is 20 per cent for large, 21 for medium, 29 for small and 

 24 per cent for the total quantity of haddock landed. On the other 

 hand, extra small haddock increased by 64 per cent. Most of this 

 increase is probably caused by fish being saved which in former 

 years was thrown away. 



The detailed English statistics go back to the year 1906. During 

 the period 1906-1913 the average catch of haddock for steam 

 trawlers in the North Sea shows a startling diminution : — 



North Sea Haddock 



Average per day (cwts.) 

 Number of days' absence (steam 

 trawlers) .... 



Average per day (ewts.) 

 Number of days' absence (steam 

 trawlers) .... 



147.301 



The following table shows how serious is the decline, not only in 



