of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



21 



men. In the case of flat-fish, the line fishermen during five months of 

 the year landed a larger quantity than beam-trawlers. The total amounts 

 for the year are : — beam trawlers, 47,686 cwts., or a monthly average of 

 3973 cwts. ; line fishermen, 40,579f cwts., or a monthly average of 3381 

 cwts. 



Considering now the two sections together, that is to say, the whole of 

 the East Coast of Scotland, we find that the total amount of round-fish 

 landed by line fishermen last year was no less than 1,029,961 cwts. 

 (51,498 tons), or a monthly average of 85,830 cwts. (4291 J tons). Beam- 

 trawlers landed only 179,074 cwts. (8953 tons), or a monthly average of 

 14,922 cwts. (746 tons). Of the flat-fish landed on the whole East 

 Coast during 1888, line fishermen supplied 60,752J cwts. (3037 tons), or 

 a monthly average of 5062 cwts. (253 tons) ; and beam-trawlers 64,723f 

 cwts. (3236 tons), or an average per month of 5393 cwts. (269 tons). 

 Considering all kinds of fish together, then, these statistics show that 

 line fishermen during 1888 landed on the East Coast of Scotland the 

 enormous quantity of 54,535 tons of cod, ling, haddocks, whiting, and 

 other round-fish, and of flat-fish ; while beam-trawlers landed during the 

 same period only 12,209 tons. 



When these totals are compared with the statistics for the previous year, 

 it is found that the line fishermen landed in 1888 a much greater quantity 

 of fish than in 1887, while the amount landed, by beam-trawlers was 

 diminished. The total quantity of fish landed on the East Coast in 1888 

 was 4419 tons greater than in 1887; and since the amount landed 

 by beam-trawlers has decreased by close upon 2000 tons, it will be seen 

 that the line fishermen have landed over 6000 tons more fish than they 

 did in 1887. The increase in the case of line caught fish was made up 

 chiefly of round-fish, but also of flat-fish. The decreased amount landed 

 by beam-trawlers consisted in a decrease both of round-fish and of flat- 

 fish. It is interesting to compare how far the two sections of the coast 

 participate in this decrease of trawl caught fish and the increase of line 

 caught fish. In the southern section the increase of line caught fish in 

 1888, over the amounts landed in 1887, is naturally less than in the 

 northern section. In the southern section the increase was chiefly an 

 increase of round-fish, the increase in flat-fish being much less. In the 

 case of the general decrease in the fish landed by beam-trawlers the 

 same proportional diminution is not observable. In the northern section 

 there was indeed an increase of round-fish, but this was much exceeded 

 by the decrease of round-fish in the southern section. The decrease of 

 flat-fish in the southern section was also very much greater than in the 

 northern. 



In the Leith district alone, beam-trawlers landed in 1888 over 1300 

 tons less of round-fish and nearly 500 tons less of flat-fish than they did 

 in 1887. 



The very great increase in the quantity of fish landed by line fishermen 

 on the East Coast during 1888, might be supposed to be chiefly due to an 

 increase in the number of boats and men, but this is not the case. In 1887 

 there belonged to the East Coast 7691 boats, while in 1888 there were only 

 7535; in 1887 there were 27,106 fishermen and boys, while in 1888 the 

 number was reduced to 26,136. Thus there was a decrease of 156 fish- 

 ing boats and of nearly 1000 men and boys, and yet the increase in the 

 amount of fish landed by them was over 6000 tons. 



The above statistics, which indicate the relative quantities of round 

 and flat-fish landed by line fishermen and beam-trawlers in two successive 

 years along a great stretch of the Scottish Coast — from Berwick-on- 

 Tweed to Duncansby Head— are of great interest and importance, but 



