of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



29 



to support this view. There is now a considerable body of evidence 

 referred to in papers later on in this part of the Board's Report which 

 goes to show that most fish as a rule do not spawn generally within the 

 territorial zone. They appear to congregate at offshore grounds ; while, on 

 the other hand, the young fish appear in large numbers close inshore. 



A large number of experiments with a shrimp trawl net have been made 

 recently in the Firth of Forth for the purpose of determining the propor- 

 tional abundance of young flat-fish in different part of the inshore waters. 

 These experiments are still in progress, but in many cases the results 

 already obtained are of much interest. At Station I., out of a total of 

 277 fish obtained, 228 were flat-fish, and of these 60 per cent, were 

 under 3^ inches in length, 50 per cent, were under 3 inches, and 33 per 

 cent, under 2 inches. At this station the immature fish were almost 

 entirely common dabs. At Station II., of 271 flat-fish obtained, 48 per 

 cent, were under 3 J inches and 27 per cent, under 3 inches. In this case 

 the small fish were almost entirely long rough dabs. At Station VIII. 

 the flat-fish numbered 175, and 90 per cent, were under 3 J inches, none 

 being under 2 inches. At Station IX., of 162 flat-fish obtained 72 per 

 cent, were under 3J inches, and none were under 2 inches. At these two 

 stations the small fish were almost entirely long rough dabs. 



Comparison has also been made as to the capture of small fish by 

 different forms of trawl nets, some having wide meshes and others having 

 small meshes. It is generally stated that the capture of small fish bears 

 little or no relation to the size of the mesh owing to the drag on the net, 

 as it passes along the bottom, closing the meshes, especially at the cod- 

 end where the fish collect. The experiments which have been made with 

 a trawl net having meshes of half an inch, and with the ordinary trawl net, 

 show that this is not the case, and that the wider-meshed net catches far 

 fewer small fish than the finer-meshed net. 



Trials were also made with some of the trawl nets specially designed to 

 allow of the escape of small fish. In one of these the cod-end consisted 

 of a rigid frame covered with netting made of iron rings, similar to an 

 oyster dredge. It seems, however, that this part soon got blocked up 

 with fish, some of which were bruised by the iron netting, and that fish 

 quite as small as those retained by the ordinary trawl net were caught. 

 Another net, having a form very similar to the ordinary trawl net, but with 

 a somewhat different arrangement of the meshes, was tried, but the result 

 was much the same as with the ordinary trawl net. A third net, con- 

 structed on a plan different from that of the ordinary trawl net, was also 

 tested. This net is oblo»g in shape, without the usual cod-end, and 

 having arrangements for keeping the meshes to a large extent open. 

 Several trials of this net were made in various depths of water and on 

 different grounds, but in no instance did it on reaching the surface 

 contain any small fish. 



J. COSSAR EWART, 



Convener. 



T. WEMYSS FULTON, 



Secretary. 



J. R.-G.-MAITLAND. 



