Ivi 



Twenty -ninth Annual Report 



spermaceti, as against an average of only 14 tons for the seven 

 captured in 1909 — a circumstance which is explained by the fact that 

 the whale taken in 1910 was 62 feet in length, whereas the average 

 length of those captured in the previous year was only 47 feet. The 

 average value of each whale captured was £111, as compared with 

 £98 in 1909. 



PART II. 



SALMON FISHEKIES. 



During the past season, 1910, the take of salmon throughout 

 Scotland shows a decline of 316 tons as compared with the return for 

 the previous year. From the returns as to the weight of salmon 

 carried by the railways in Scotland, it appears that 1869 tons 10 cwt. 

 represents the total for the year. This practically corresponds with 

 the figure of the last quinquennial average, so that the improvement 

 reported last year has not been followed by a serious fall. As formerly, 

 the coastal area of the country has been divided into four sections, 

 viz. : — Berwick to Cairnbulg Point, at the entrance of the Moray 

 Firth ; the second, from this point to Cape Wrath ; then from Cape 

 Wrath to Glasgow ; and finally, from Glasgow to the limits of the 

 Annan district in the Solway. 



The following summary gives the three last quinquennial averages 

 and the total weight of salmon carried during last season, the details 

 being separated into the four districts already referred to : — 



District. 



Average, 

 1894 to 1898. 



Average, 

 1899 to 1903. 



Average, 

 1904 to 1908. 



Year 1909- 



Year 1910. 





Tons. 



Q 



t 



cn 

 .a 

 h-1 



Tons. 



Cwts. 







Tons. 



Cwts. 







Tons. 



Cwts. 





_] 



Total. 



Cwts. 





05 

 .D 



a Berwick to 



Cairnbulg Point, 

 b Cairnbulg Point 



to Cape Wrath, 

 c Cape Wrath to 



Glasgow, . . . 

 d Glasgow to the 



Border, . . . 



1,206 

 900 

 403 

 260 



18 

 17 

 7 

 3 



1 



3 

 1 

 2 



1 



6 

 21 

 6 



839 

 737 

 274 

 183 



1 



10 

 18 

 6 



2 

 3 

 1 

 1 



9 

 17 

 27 

 19 



887 

 608 

 209 

 160 



8 

 13 

 3 

 9 



2 

 1 



3 

 3 



24 

 19 

 6 

 15 



1,018 

 705 

 229 

 231 



10 

 18 

 15 

 13 



3 



2 

 3 



19 



22 

 26 

 6 



934 

 538 

 207 

 189 



2 

 8 

 8 

 11 



2 

 3 



1 



26 

 21 

 26 



Totals, . . . 



2,771 



7 





6 



2,034 



17 



1 



16 



1,865 



15 



3 



8 



2,185 



18 



2 



17 



1,869 



10 



3 



18 



In the accompanying chart of curves, the fluctuations of the annual 

 record are shown from the year in which detailed statements were 

 obtained (1894). 



From the chart, more than from the figures, it is seen that a more 

 uniform condition seems to prevail in the two West Coast sections 

 than in the East Coast sections, from which the great bulk of the fish 

 come. The West Coast lines are comparatively flat, yet it certainly is 

 the case that in one or two fishery districts a marked improvement 

 has taken place in the stock of salmon. Since, however, this improve- 

 ment has appeared in the particular districts in which nets have to a 

 great extent been taken off, the improvement does not show in the 

 returns. 



