22 



Part III. — Seventeenth Annual Report 



districts, being, however, most marked in the districts of Banff, Findhorn, 

 and Buckie. The quantity landed at Banff fell from 46,782 cwts. to 

 23,637 cwts. ; at Findhorn the decrease was from 33,860 cwts. to 

 19,772 cwts. The average per "shot" also fell from 2-0 cwts. in 1897 

 to 1*55 cwts. last year; and the diminution of the average was also 

 common to all the districts except Wick, where a slight increase was 

 experienced. The figures are as follows : — 



District. 



1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897 



1898. 



Wick, - 



0-54 



0-508 



0-22 



0-19 



0-27 



Lybstei, - 



1-63 



1-29 



0-69 



1-028 



0-77 



Helmsdale. 



2-16 



2-11 



2*2 



L-59 



1-33 



Cromarty, 



2-18 



1-96 



1-51 



1-54 



1-10 



Findhorn, 



3-31 



3-73 



3-32 



1-92 



1-34 



Buckie, - 



3-178 



3-19 



3-16 



2-62 



2-49 



Banff, - 



2-47 



4-07 



3-06 



2-82 



1-93 



The next most abundant line-caught fish is the saithe or coal-fish, and 

 it occupies a peculiar position in the returns, inasmuch as it is the only 

 round-fish which shows a substantial increase in the quantity caught in 

 1898, compared with the previous years. In 1894 the quantity taken 

 from the closed waters by line fishermen was 6120 cwts. ; in the following 

 year the total was 5083 cwts., since which period there has been a 

 gradual rise to 10,636 cwts. in 1896, 11,761 cwts. in 1897, and to 14,881 

 cwts. in 1898. The average M'eight caught per "shot" has also increased 

 from 0-08 cwt. in 1895 to 0'17 cwt. in 1896, 0*18 cwt. in 1897, and 

 to 0-28 cwt. last year. The quantity of saithe has therefore increased 

 just as haddock has diminished. Comparatively few saithe are caught by 

 the trawl. There was a general increase in the quantity caught by line 

 last year around the coast. 



During the five years there has been a continual decrease in the quantity 

 of whitings captured in the closed waters, and likewise a continuous 

 decrease in the average per "shot " of the line. In 1894 the quantity 

 amounted to 5845 cwts., and the average per "shot" to 0*09 cwt. Last 

 year the weight landed had fallen to 1535 cwts., and the average to 

 0-029 cwt. ; in 1897 they were, respectively, 3319 cwts. and 0-052 cwt. 

 The decrease was common to all the districts. 



The quantity of conger landed in 1898 was somewhat less than in the 

 previous year, as was also the average per "shot." There was also a 

 diminution in the total quantity of skates lauded, but the average 

 quantity caught per "shot" of the lines remained about the same as in the 

 previous year; the figures for the two years are respectively 3999 cwts. and 

 3273 cwts., and the average 0'063 and 0'062. Of " other kinds of white 

 fish " caught by line, besides those specially mentioned in the Tables, the 

 falling-off in quantity amounted to over 2000 cwts., and the average per 

 "shot" likewise fell from 0*105 cwt. to 0*087 cwt. 



When we compare the fluctuations in the quantities of the fish 

 caught by line in the Moray Firth with the statistics referring to the 

 whole East Coast, and the whole of Scotland, we find that the decrease 

 has been general. It has been shown that in the Moray Firth the 



