of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



15 



From this Table it will be seen that the percentages for the gross catch 

 of fish are 68 for the marketable and 32 for the unmarketable, and these 

 figures may be taken as fairly well representing the proportions in the 

 inshore waters referred to, although the ratio varies on different grounds 

 and at different times. 



The percentage of cod which were unfit for the market by reason of 

 their small size was small, and less than with any other round fish save 

 the catfish; it amounted to only 7 '4 per cent., the marketable, including 

 cod and codling, being 92 5 per cent. The proportion of unmarketable 

 haddocks was much higher, viz., 14, as against 86 per cent, marketable ; 

 but the proportion was found to vary very greatly in different cases. In 

 the hauls made in Burghead Bay in December, for example, about five- 

 sixths of the haddocks taken were too small to be marketable, while on 

 other occasions the proportion of these small haddocks was very slight. 



The proportion of unmarketable whitings taken was still greater, 

 amounting to 42 '4 per cent, of the total, the marketable being 57*3 per 

 cent. The unmarketable coalfish — of which, however, comparatively few 

 were caught — amounted to 8*2 per cent., while all the catfishes obtained 

 were of marketable size. Gurnards, which, as stated, are not always 

 taken to market, show a high percentage of the "unmarketable," partly 

 for this reason, 78*2. 



The proportion of round fishes of edible and saleable kinds which were 

 unmarketable was collectively 19 per cent., the marketable being 81 per 

 cent. 



With flat-fishes, apart from the long rough dab, which is never taken to 

 market, the highest percentage unmarketable were among the common 

 dabs, viz. 89, the marketable being only 10*9 per cent. This is owing 

 to the generally small size of this fish, and sometimes trawlers are not 

 very particular about it, when they are getting good catches of more 

 valuable kinds. The proportion of unmarketable plaice was also high, 

 30*3 per cent., and in this case, even more than with the haddocks, the 

 proportion varied greatly according to the depth of water and the season. 

 In some places, as at Burghead Bay, where the fishing was as a rule con- 

 ducted in water over seven fathoms in depth, comparatively few small 

 unmarketable plaice were caught, while in the Dornoch Firth, in from five 

 to eleven fathoms, in June, the majority of the plaice got were too small 

 to be marketable. In two hauls here, of a total of 9649 plaice caught, no 

 less than 6419, or 70*1 per cent., were unmarketable, 



The proportion of unmarketable flounders taken was comparatively 

 small, 8'2 per cent., no less than 91*6 per cent, being large enough to be 

 taken to market. The reason of this high proportion is that these 

 flounders were almost without exception spawning fish- which had 

 migrated out from the shallow waters near the beach for the purpose of 

 spawning, the smaller and sexually immature forms remaining inshore 

 beyond the reach of the trawl. The same reason no doubt explains the 

 fact that all the turbot and almost all the brill taken were also large 

 enough to be marketable. The number of turbot was not great, 23, but 

 of the 221 brill all but one were marketable, or a proportion of 9 9 "5 per 

 cent. The shape of both these fishes makes them eminently liable to cap- 

 ture in the trawl-net, if they are on the ground, and there is little doubt 

 that the smaller forms, under about nine or ten inches, are close inshore 

 on the sands. 



* Among the skates and rays 44 '8 per cent, were unmarketable, and 55*2 

 per cent, marketable, and the other unmarketable fishes were made up of 

 anglers, herrings, sprats, dragonets, and a few others. 



The number of hauls on the offshore grounds was comparatively small 

 last year, and the same contrast is therefore based on fewer results. Of 



B 



