xxvi 



Tioenty -ninth Annual Report 



realise prices considerably in excess of those obtained for the fish 

 taken by line and net, owing to the fact that the former are landed at 

 ports where better facilities are afforded for ihe speedy dispatch of 

 the fish to market, and thus it happens that of the total value (£9066) 

 not more than 62 per cent, fell to the share of the line and net fisher- 

 men. Curiously enough, no flounders were landed at Aberdeen, which 

 figures so prominently where other fish are concerned, and the best 

 results were obtained by the sailing liners working from Stornoway 

 and off the stretch of coast from Findhorn to Wick and by nets in the 

 Firth of Forth. Comparing the results with those of last year, it 

 appears that there was a slight decline in the catch of 730 cwts. and 

 in value of £305, referable principally to trawled fish. 



Megrims and Witches. 



Megrims in 1910 were landed wholly by trawlers at Aberdeen 

 (where eight-ninths of the catch was marketed), (rranton, and Dundee. 

 The total catch amounted to 17,961 cwts., valued at £L3,564, these 

 figures representing increases of 61 per cent, and 52 per cent, respec- 

 tively upon the returns for 1909. Witches also are obtained only by 

 trawlers, and, like megrims, are landed almost wholly at Aberdeen. 

 The total catch and value during the year under review was 15,714 

 cwts. and £16,689, being a decrease in quantity of 1137 cwts., but an 

 increase in value of £718, as compared with the returns for 1909. 



Bobs and Brill. 



The total catch of dabs amounted to 13,670 cwts., valued at £4861, 

 these figures showing little variation from those of 1909. Eoughly 

 speaking, trawlers land three times as many dabs as liners, but the 

 line-caught dabs, which are taken chiefly on the East Coast from 

 Peterhead southwards, realised the better prices, owing to the fact that 

 in the markets which are supplied from tlie trawling ports dabs are 

 held in little esteem. Brill have never been plentiful in Scottish 

 waters, and last year they were scarcer than ever, the total landings 

 amounting to only 293 cwts., valued at £761, as compared with 700 

 cwts. and £1620 in the preceding year. 



Turhot. 



Turbot are landed almost entirely by trawlers, and the bulk of the 

 trawl catch (which amounted to over 96 per cent, of the whole) was 

 divided, in the ratio of 7 : 6, between Leith and Aberdeen. The total 

 landings amounted to 4987 cwts., valued at £17,681, as against 6346 

 cwts. and £20,740 in 190&, the major part of the deficit, both in 

 quantity and value, being referable to Aberdeen. This comparatively 

 scarce and highly-esteemed fish realised, as usual, higher prices than 

 were obtained for any other species, the average per cwt. being 

 £3 10s. lid., as compared with £1 18s. lOd. for halibut and £1 16s. 4d. 

 for lemon soles. 



