XX 



Tiventy-ninth Annual Report 



quantity and value are the highest on record for this class of fish. As 

 regards quantity, the greatest relative increase occurred in net-caught 

 fish, owing principally to the rapid development of cod-net fishing. 

 The quantity taken by line also shows an advance of about 5000 cwts. 

 upon the figures for 1909, so that the continuous decline which has 

 been going on in line fishing was last year temporarily arrested. This 

 was due to the highly satisfactory results achieved by the Aberdeen 

 fleet of steam-liners. The quantities taken by trawl, line, and net 

 respectivel}^ during the three years 1908-10 were as follow: — 



1910 

 1909 

 1908 



Trawl. 



1,898,014 cwts, 

 1,828,570 „ 

 1,910,038 „ 



Line. 

 603,196 cwts. 

 597,948 „ 

 639,333 „ 



Net. 

 108,903 cwts. 

 69,484 „ 

 31,613 „ 



Of the increase in value, trawling accounted for nearly 86 per cent. 



The increase in the total landings extended to every species of 

 round fish, with the important exception of haddocks, the returns 

 of which show a serious falling off. 



Haddoclis. 



Among round fish, haddocks have hitherto been the most important 

 contributor to the food supply, but in 1910, for the first time in the 

 annals of the fishing industry, the supplies of this fish fell below 

 those of cod, the total catch, which amounted to 922,639 cwts., 

 showing, alone among round fish, a decrease as compared with the 

 preceding year's returns of nearly 100,000 cwts. For this fallmg off 

 the Aberdeen trawl returns were wholly responsible, the landings by 

 trawlers at that port having fallen to the extent of 139,412 cwts., or 

 ^over 19 per cent. The Leith trawl returns, on the contrary, show an 

 increase, in round numbers, of 39,000 cwts., or 80 per cent.., upon the 

 preceding year's total. The falling otf at Aberdeen was due to the 

 scarcity of haddocks on the distant north-western grounds, where, for 

 the last 15 years, the principal supplies of prime fish have been 

 secured. The increase in the Leith returns was mainly due to the 

 unusual abundance of small haddocks on the nearer North Sea grounds. 

 The large proportion of very small haddocks in the trawl landings was 

 also a marked feature at Aberdeen during the autumn months, and 

 large quantities were at that time purchased by manure factories at 

 from Is. 2d. to Is. 9d. per cwt. for manufacture into fish food for 

 cattle. The scarcity referred to on the north-western grounds, 

 combined with the prevalence of immature fish, is considered by many 

 to be due to overtrawling, and the situation is regarded in trawling 

 circles with some concern. On the other hand, an opinion, born of 

 past experience, is current among trawl fishermen that heavy shoals 

 of small haddocks make their appearance at intervals of from five to 

 seven years, and the glut of small fish in 1910 was ascribed to this 

 cause. The total trawl catch amounted to 795,644 cwts., or 86 per cent, 

 of the total. Line fishing held its ground during the year, the total 

 catch of 126,995 cwts. being an increase of 1589 cwts. upon the figures 

 for 1909. The increase was entirely referable to the East Coast, the 

 catches on the West Coast and in Orkney and Shetland both showing 



