Fifth Annual Report of the 



In view of 

 importance of 

 reliable 

 Statistics 

 being pub- 

 lished, 



Parliamentary- 

 Power got to 

 enforce 

 returns. 



Result 

 satisfactory. 



Returns 



published 



monthly. 



inserted in the Board's Annual Reports the statistics which were 

 collected. 



The Board, however, had no statutory power to compel parties 

 who might possess it, to give the necessary information, and their 

 fishery officers had sometimes considerable difficulty in getting 

 the particulars required, indeed occasionally they were refused any 

 information whatever ; although, altogether, the Board considered 

 the result as correct as could have been reasonably expected. 



In the circumstances of the case, and in view of the great im- 

 portance of reliable statistics being regularly published, the Board 

 deemed it extremely desirable that they should get statutory 

 authority to enforce the necessary returns being made. This au- 

 thority was conferred upon them by the 6th section of the Sea 

 Fisheries (Scotland) Amendment Act, 1885, under which they can 

 require all persons belonging to British sea-fishing boats, and fish- 

 curers, catching or curing sea fish in Scotland, or in any part of the 

 sea adjoining Scotland, to make returns, in such form and at such 

 periods as they may prescribe, with the sanction of the Secretary for 

 Scotland, of all sea fish caught or cured by them respectively. 

 Thereafter, as authorised by the Act, suitable forms were prepared 

 for the collection of the statistics, and issued to the fishery officers 

 who get the returns made; and full publicity was given to the 

 powers conferred upon the Board by printed notices posted up in 

 conspicuous places along the coasts. In a few cases, persons, to 

 whom application was made to supply returns, declined or delayed 

 doing so ; but on the provisions of the Act being explained to them, 

 and it being stated that there was no intention on the part of the 

 Board to make known the quantities of fish landed by the dif- 

 ferent boats respectively, or cured by individual persons or firms 

 the object being only to publish the aggregate quantity landed and 

 cured at the creeks, the officers experienced no difficulty in getting 

 the returns. As early in each month as possible, a statement has 

 been published of the total quantity and value of the different 

 kinds of white and shell fish landed during the preceding month, 

 distinguishing the respective quantities landed in each district and 

 the value thereof ; and a copy of this statement was regularly sent 

 to the Board of Trade for publication in their Monthly Journal. 



I. White Fish. 



White Fishin°- ^ tne tnree divisions into which the twenty-six fishery districts 

 most prose- ° are grouped in Appendix C, viz., East Coast, Orkney and Shetland, 

 Coast -°reSons an( * West Coast, the white fishing continues to be prosecuted with 

 therefor. eaSOnS the greatest energy in the first. This is in no small degree owing 

 to there being better facilities on the East Coast for getting the 

 takes sent quickly to the different markets, than in either of the 

 other divisions, so that they can be consumed fresh ; and the 

 returns show that the largest quantity of white fish was captured 

 on that coast. 



Large quanti- Large takes of white fish continue to be landed by beam trawl 

 i ieS d°db ish vesse ^ s - Tne number of these vessels employed last year belonging 

 BeamTrawier£ to Scotland was 109, and they fished for the most part in the districts 

 of Leith and Aberdeen. In 1885 the number was 105, and in the 



