18 



Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



2. St Andrews Bay 

 Plate I. 



In St Andrews Bay, the fishing grounds within the protected area were 

 tested on twenty occasions, and those in the open waters beyond on five. 

 As in the Firth of Forth, there was a general decrease in the catches, both 

 in the open and in the closed area. In the latter, the general average 

 per 'shot' for all kinds of fish was 286 in 1888, and 435 in 1887. But 

 while the very great increase of 1887 has not been maintained in these 

 waters, the average is still very far above what it was in 1886, when it 

 was only 177 '7. In the open area the same thing is observable. In 1887 

 the average catch was 309 ; in 1888, 221 j and in 1886 only 169. 



The diminution of the average in St Andrews Bay in 1888 was due, as 

 in the case of the Firth of Forth — but to a much greater degree — chiefly 

 to decrease in the numbers of flat-fish. In the open waters outside the 

 Bay the opposite condition prevailed, there being a great decrease of round 

 fish, accompanied by an increase of flat-fish. The decrease in the closed 

 area is shared by all the different kinds of fish, except whitings, which 

 increased considerably, and cod, which gave an average the same as in 

 1887. The average in all cases, however, is greater than it was in 1886, 

 and this is especially the case with plaice and haddock. In the open 

 waters there was an increase in plaice, dabs, cod, and especially whiting, 

 and a great decrease in lemon soles, flounders, and haddocks. While there 

 has been a general decrease within the restricted waters, there has been an 

 actual increase at some of the stations. At Station III., the increase was 

 participated in both by flat-fish and round-fish ; at Station IV., it was 

 limited to round-fish. As in the case of the Firth of Forth, the increase 

 in flat-fish when it occurred was made up entirely of plaice. 



3. Other East Coast Districts. 



As previously mentioned, new stations have been formed in the 

 neighbourhood of Montrose Bay and at Cruclen Bay. The station at 

 Cruden Bay is crescent-shaped, and begins about two and a half miles 

 south-east from Cruden Scars, curves in towards the shore, the course of 

 which it follows for about a mile, and then runs east by south. The total 

 length is about five and a half miles, the bottom consisting of sand and 

 shells, and the depth varying from 4 to 30 fathoms. At Montrose, 

 Station L begins off the mouth of the North Esk, at a distance of one 

 mile from the shore, and runs for a distance of two and a quarter miles 

 in a south-easterly direction. The bottom consists of sand, and the depth 

 varies from 4 to 13 fathoms. Station II. lies in Lunan Bay, and begins 

 at a distance of a mile from the shore at Redcastle, passes parallel with 

 the shore towards Bodden Point, and curves out south-east by east. The 

 total length is 4 miles, the bottom being composed of sand, and the depth 

 varying from 5 to 17 fathoms. These three stations were examined in 

 July, and the results are given in detail at pp. 97, 99. 



The old stations in Aberdeen Bay were also examined in July, and those 

 in the Moray Firth in May, the results being given at pp. 97, 100. 



III. SPECIAL STATISTICS OF FISH CAUGHT BY LINE 

 FISHERMEN AND BEAM-TRAWLERS. 



The statistics specially obtained for comparison with the results of the 

 trawling experiments of the 1 Garland ' relate to the amounts of fish 



