of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



129 



V.— A REVIEW OF THE FISHERY STATISTICS FOR SCOTLAND. 

 By Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, F.R.S.E., Scientific Superintendent. 



Since the establishment of the Fishery Board in 1882, the annual 

 Reports have contained a large and important series of statistical tables 

 referring to the sea fisheries of Scotland. In the present paper those 

 which refer to certain subjects, namely, the quantity and value of the fish 

 and shell-fish landed in each year, have been collated and discussed, and 

 certain conclusions have been drawn from them as to the increase or 

 decrease of a particular kind of fish, in quantity or value, or in relation to 

 the methods of capture. The statistics are published in the Reports of the 

 Board in relation to the fishery districts — that is to say, the divisions of the 

 coast into areas according to the requirements of the fisheries in the 

 localities ; and. in dealing with them they have been arranged in the three 

 great divisions —the East Coast, comprising fifteen fishery districts, from 

 Eyemouth to Wide, and embracing the north as well as the east coast of 

 Scotland ; the West Coast, comprising ten fishery districts, including the 

 western islands; and the Orkney and Shetland Isles, which are grouped 

 separately. 



Some of the statistics go back to the year 1883, and those referring to 

 the shell-fish have been extracted and tabulated from that year. From the 

 year 1889 statistics were published giving the quantity and value of the 

 most of the fishes landed on each coast separately, and the aggregate 

 quantity and value, and it is from this year that the tables appended, 

 which deal with the fish as distinguished from the shell -fish, begin. A few 

 years later, in 1892. a further improvement was made, inasmuch as the 

 quantity and value of the fish taken, in the three great kinds of fishing — 

 line-fishing, trawling, and net-fishing — were separately recorded. From 

 that year, therefore, it has been possible to make a comparison as to the 

 development or retrogression of these various methods of fishing in relation 

 to Scotland as a whole and in relation to the different coasts. 



The main lessons to be drawn from a study of the statistics are that, 

 on the whole, very satisfactory progress has been made in exploiting the 

 sea fisheries ; that within the period a marked change has taken place as 

 to the relative positions of line-fishing and trawling with regard to the 

 supply of bottom or demersal fishes ; and that the great fishery for herrings 

 has, in late years especially, been very considerably developed. A gross 

 increase of 26 per cent, in the quantity of fishes landed in the second half 

 of the period covered by the statistics, compared with the first half, is very 

 satisfactory, and the value has increased in still greater ratio. The pro- 

 gress or development has, however, been much more marked on the East 

 Coast and the Orkney and Shetland group than on the West Coast, where, 

 indeed, although the value of the fish landed slightly increased, the 

 quantity diminished. 



It has to be borne in mind that in the period covered by the statistics 

 great changes have taken place with respect to the fishing grounds visited. 

 The quantities landed in different years by no means represent the yield of 

 the same grounds, since fishing vessels now visit distant quarters to obtain 

 their supplies of fish. Nor do the quantities in any particular year repre- 

 sent the same amount of fishing power expended. On both these points 

 special information in connection with the statistics is required, and is now 

 being obtained. 



