60 



Appendices to Fifth Annual Report 



prohibited in the Forth or for some other reason, small haddocks were 

 more plentiful in 1886 than they were in either 1884 or 1885. The 

 difference between 1884 and 1886 is most marked. During April, May, 

 June and July of 1884, with practically the same number of boats fishing, 

 2423 shots yielded 137,984 small haddocks, while during the same months 

 of 1886, 2991 shots (i.e. 568 shots more than in 1884) yielded 614,784 

 haddocks, more than four times the number taken in 1884. It will be 

 extremely interesting to note the takes during the present summer, to see 

 if the improvement of 1886 will be maintained during 1887. 



Table E. gives the total amount of fish taken in the Forth and St 

 Andrews Bay and landed in the Anstruther District. It will be interest- 

 ing to compare the take during the present year. 



The Table (F.) showing the number of fish taken by certain east coast 

 fishing boats need not be considered until additional statistics of a similar 

 nature have been obtained for comparison. 



Table G. shows not only the quantities of fish landed at the east coast 

 fishing stations but also admits of a comparison being made between the 

 quantities of fish caught by the line and net fishermen and the beam 

 trawlers during the months of December 1886, and January, February, and 

 March 1887. 



Table H. shows that a larger quantity of fish has been landed in the 

 Leith district since trawling was prohibited in the Firth of Forth. In 

 the next Report, it may be stated, it will not be necessary to give the 

 statistics in so great detail. 



In concluding this, our preliminary report, it is only necessary to add, 

 that although only a year has elapsed since the bye-law was passed providing 

 for a limited form of protection for the waters referred to, there is already 

 some signs of improvement both in the number and size of the less 

 migratory flat fish, and in the number of young round fish which visit 

 the territorial waters for long or short periods. 



The fishermen of the Forth and St Andrews Bay state they are already 

 obtaining better takes of flat fish and that they believe in a few years the 

 in-shore grounds will have recovered to a considerable extent their former 

 richness. Mr Mair, the fishery officer who takes charge of St Andrews 

 Bay, in a letter dated the 29th March, 1887, reports that ' in the month of 

 1 January last year 89 cwts. (of flat fish) were caught, but none in February, 

 ' while during January and February of the present year (1887) 1368 cwts. 

 ' were landed, the largest take during these two months that has been 

 ' recorded for ter or twelve years. 



