of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



1 1 



as to the results of the closure. In the Firth of Forth and St. 

 Andrews Bay it was found, after ten years' investigation, that the 

 most important change that occurred in the relative abundance of 

 the food fishes in the closed waters was a diminution of the more 

 valuable flat-fishes, plaice and lemon soles, which spawn offshore 

 and not in the closed waters, and an increase in the comparatively 

 worthless dabs, which spawn copiously in the closed waters. The 

 figures referring to these species are as follows :— 





No. of 

 Hauls. 



Plaice and 

 Lemon Soles 

 Caught. 



Dabs 

 Caught. 



Total. 



1st Period — 











1886-90, 



325 



29,869 



19,825 



49,694 



2nd Period — 











1891-95, 



466 



28,044 



29,483 



57,527 



Totals, 



791 



57,913 



49,308 



107,221 



It will be observed that in the second period of five years, while 

 141 more hauls of the trawl were made within the closed waters 

 than in the first period, the number of plaice and lemon soles 

 caught was less by nearly 2000, and the number of dabs caught 

 was greater by nearly 10,000. The same result was found whether 

 the whole year was contrasted in the two periods, or the cold 

 months against the cold months, or the warm months against the 

 warm months. 



Six Cold Months : November — April. 







Plaice and Lemon Soles. 



Dabs. 





No. of 

 Hauls. 



No. 

 Caught. 



Average 

 per 

 Haul. 



Per- 

 centage 

 of Total. 



No. 

 Caught. 



Average 

 per 

 Haul. 



Per- 

 centage 

 of Total. 



1st Period — 

 1886-90, 

 2nd Period— 

 1891-95, 



128 

 238 



6346 

 8735 



49-6 

 36-7 



69-3 

 52-0 



2808 

 8066 



21-9 

 33-9 



30-7 

 48-0 



Six Warm Months : May— October 



1st Period — 



1886-90, 

 2nd Period — 

 1891-95, 



197 



228 



23,523 

 19,309 



119-4 

 84-7 



58-0 

 47'4 



17,017 

 21,417 



86-3 

 93-9 



42-0 

 52-6 



