xxiv 



Tiventy -ninth Annual Report 



these figures representing increases of 6 per cent, and 23 per cent, 

 respectively upon the totals for the preceding year, and the much 

 greater increase in value relatively to the catch would imply that the 

 demand for these fish was much better in 1910 than in 1909. 



Gur/iards, Cat-fish, Monks {Anglers), and Hake. 



Gurnards, catfish, and monks are still of comparatively little im- 

 portance as contributors to the food supply, although during the year 

 under review they- were in better demand than usual. The aggregate 

 catch of the three species (landed almost wholly at Aberdeen by 

 trawlers) in 1910 amounted to 58,177 cwts., valued at £12,549, as 

 compared with 50,810 cwts. and £9521 in 1909. Hake (which is also 

 landed almost wholly by trawlers at Aberdeen) is held in more esteem, 

 and the quantity landed in 1910 (15,224 cwts., as against 13,372 cwts. 

 in 1909) realised £11,580, or £3652 more than in the preceding year. 



(h) FLAT FISH. 



The quantity of flat-fish landed varied little from that of the pre- 

 vious year, the total catch, which amounted to 210,784 cwts., being 

 only 750 cwts. less than the return for 1909, which, it may be re- 

 marked, was the highest ever recorded. As regards value, however, 

 high-water mark was reached, the total sum realised for flat-fish 

 amounting to £310,475, or £16,890 more than in the preceding year. 

 Liners were not quite so successful as in 1909, the catch by this method 

 showing a falling-off of 1721 cwts., or 2 6 per cent., whereas trawlers 

 improved upon their catch of the preceding year to the extent of 971 

 cwts., or -7 per cent. The increase in value was fairly evenly divided 

 between liners and trawlers, but liners were able to point to the fact 

 that their catches had, relatively to the prices realised in 1909, in- 

 creased in value considerably more than those of tlie trawlers, the 

 amount realised for the former showing, in spite of the decline in the 

 catch, an increase of £9026, whereas trawlers, with a slightly greater 

 catch than in 1909, earned only £7864 more than in the preceding year. 

 As a matter of fact, the average price per cwt. of line-caught flat-fish 

 increased from 25s. lid. to 29s. 4d., whereas the average for trawled 

 fish (29s. 6d.) was only lid. more than in 1909. The high average 

 price of line-caught fish was quite exceptional, being, in fact, fully 3s. 

 above the normal figure, and was due entirely to the greatly improved 

 prices realised for the halibut brought in by the steam liners belonging 

 to Aberdeen. The greater value of trawled fish thus indicated is ex- 

 plained by the fact that trawlers capture a much greater proportion of 

 the more valuable classes of flat-fish (such as turbot and soles) than do 

 liners. Towards the total catch and value trawlers contributed 69*2 

 per cent, and 69 '3 per cent, respectively, as compared with 68-5 per 

 cent, and 707 per cent, in the preceding year. 



Plaice. 



Among flat-fish plaice are the chief contributors to the food supply, 

 and in 1910 the total quantity landed amounted to 51,295 cw^ts., 

 valued at £71,072, these results showing a decline from those of the 



