Fishery Board for Scotland. 



Ixiii 



got 5302 cwts. Nearly the whole catch of these three districts was 

 forwarded to market in ice. The districts of Inveraray, Eothesay, 

 and Greenock yielded no halibut ; and only a few were caught at 

 Fort William, Cromarty, Helmsdale, and Lybster. 



Sole (Lemon Sole). — Soles are found only in a few districts in The Sole 

 Scotland. The total catch last year amounted to 7573 cwt., valued ggJJ£ S ° lc) 

 at £9372, being greater than that of 1885 by 1675 cwts., and 

 £1886 in value. More than one-half of the whole catch, as had 

 been the case in the previous year, was landed at Aberdeen. Leith, 

 Montrose, and Fraserburgh were fairly successful ; but scarcely any 

 soles were got in the other districts. 



Flounder, Plaice, and Brill. — The total quantity of flounders, The Flounder, 

 plaice, and brill landed last year was 81,164 cwts., valued at Brm^ishery. 

 £50,198, being less than in the previous year by 2646 cwts. and 

 £2667 in value. Aberdeen district was the most successful, and 

 landed one-third of the aggregate catch. Leith district also made 

 an excellent fishing ; and the districts of Montrose, Findhorn, 

 Ballantrae, and Fraserburgh were fairly successful. 



Eel. — Eels are not found in abundance on the coasts of Scotland. The Eel 

 The gross quantity landed was 1308 cwts., valued at £728. Last y ' 

 year they were only caught in six districts, viz., Wick, Montrose, 

 Peterhead, Shetland, Leith, and Buckie. Wick got more than one- 

 half of the total catch. 



Skate.-— Skate are found on all the Scottish coasts. The total The Skate 

 quantity landed last year was 52,046 cwts., valued at £10,519, Fishcry ' 

 being about one-half of the catch of the previous year, and less 

 valuable by £5246. Stornoway, as was also the case in 1885, had 

 the most successful fishing, and after it, the districts which con- 

 tributed the largest quantities were Aberdeen, Orkney, Leith, 

 Buckie, and Wick. 



Other Kinds of White Fish.— The other kinds of white fish, other white 

 of which returns are given in Appendix C } include bream, gurnard, Flsheries - 

 hake, and cat-fish. The total quantity landed was 76,887 cwts., 

 valued at £25,126, showing an increase over the catch of the 

 previous year of 2664 cwts., and of £1650 in value. The largest 

 quantities were landed at Leith, Montrose, Buckie, Aberdeen, and 

 Wick districts. 



II. Shell Fish. 



The total quantity of shell fish landed last year was much larger Quantity and 

 than in the previous year, but the value was £15,906 less. The ^landed 611 

 greatest increase was in mussels and clams, and the principal de- in 1885 and 

 crease in lobsters and crabs. The value of all the shell fish taken 1886, 

 was £73,287. Some particulars will now be given of the quantity 

 and value of the different kinds of shell fish landed. 



Oyster. — The whole oyster fisheries of Scotland yielded in The Oyster 

 1886 only 2956J hundreds, valued at £1295, being an increase Fishery ' 

 over the quantity landed in the previous year of 754| hundreds, 

 and £486 in value. This fishery was prosecuted in seven districts, 

 but only to a very limited extent, except in Leith, Ballantrae, and 

 Stornoway. Ballantrae yielded nearly three-fourths of the total 

 quantity taken in the year. 



Mussel. — The total quantity of mussels landed in 1886 was The Mussel 

 261,262 cwts., valued at £14,864, being an increase over the take Flsher y- 



