of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxvii 



entirely by the Aberdeen and Granton trawling fleets) amounted to 

 61,248 cwts., as against 58,755 cwts. in 1911, the corresponding 

 values being £14,652 and £12,478. 



Hake receded slightly in price. The quantity landed in 1912 was 

 20,176 cwts., which realised £12,152, these figures being respectively 

 1188 cwts. and £1230 below the preceding year's returns. 



(b) FLAT FISH. 



As regards flat fish, the year's operations were not quite so satis- 

 factory as in 1911, although this remark applies mainly to the 

 quantity, as the value was second only to the record then set up. 

 The total catch amounted to 202,042 cwts., which realised £322,613, 

 these figures falling short of those of the preceding year by 15,829 

 cwts. and £1423 respectively. Both trawl and line and net caught 

 fish were involved in the decrease in quantity, but the deficit in value 

 occurred entirely in the latter, as the trawl catch, notwithstanding 

 that it fell short of the preceding year's total by over 9000 cwts., 

 realised nearly £2000 more. The quantity taken by trawl was 

 136,743 cwts., valued at £215,498, as against 145,954 cwts. and 

 £213,541 in 1911, while the catch by lines and nets amounted to 

 65,299 cwts., which realised £107,115, as compared with 71,917 cwts. 

 and £110,495 in the preceding year. The decline in the catch was 

 not confined to any particular species, but was fairly general through- 

 out the returns, megrims, witches, and brill being the only species to 

 show improved results. 



Flaice. 



Plaice figured most prominently in the flat fish returns, and the 

 total quantity of this species landed in 1912 was 50,238 cwts., valued 

 at £69,697, as compared with 55,772 cwts. and £72,916 in 1911. 

 About seven-ninths of the quantity and four-fifths of the value were 

 attributable to trawled fish, the actual figures being respectively 

 35,646 cwts. and £56,180, or 5916 cwts. and £2063 less than in 

 1911. The catch by line, which amounted to 11,161 cwts., valued at 

 £9730, improved to the extent of 2458 cwts. in quantity and £1594 

 in value, but against this has to be placed a decrease of over 2000 

 cwts. in the catch by nets, which amounted to 3431 cwts., valued at 

 £3787. 



Halibut. 



In point of quantity, halibut follow very closely upon plaice, the 

 catch of this species amounting to 49,696 cwts., valued at £107,795. 

 This represents a decrease from the previous year's catch of 5682 

 cwts., but this deficiency, while serious enough in itself, was fully 

 compensated for by the enhanced prices secured, the diminished 

 catch having realised £70 more than in 1911. About 80 per cent, of 

 all the halibut landed is taken by liners — principally steam vessels 

 — and as the weather experienced on the distant western grounds 

 from which the bulk of the supplies is drawn frequently compelled 

 these vessels to abandon fishing operations and run for slielter, it is 

 not a matter for surprise that practically the whole of the shrinkage 

 occurred in the line catch. 



