EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 



LORD BALFOUR of BURLEIGH, 



Her Majesty's Secretary for Scotland. 



Office of the Fishery Board 



for Scotland, 

 Edinburgh, \bth April 1900. 



My Lord, 



In continuation of our Eighteenth Annual Keport 

 we have the honour to submit — 



PAKT II— KEPOET ON SALMON FISHEEIES. 



The fishing season of 1899 appears, from all available sources Returns of 

 of information, to have been below the average of recent years, and 

 The returns furnished by the Scottish Eailway Companies and steamship 

 Steamship Owners as to the weight of salmon forwarded by them Companies, 

 from all parts of the country show a total of 2092 tons. This 

 figure, although slightly above the total given for 1898, is lower 

 than the average, as given in last year's report, by 638 tons. The 

 slight improvement on last year's returns is due, we believe, to the 

 large run of grilse which obtained during the summer months, and 

 which saved many tacksmen from serious loss. Adult salmon 

 appear to have been comparatively scarce. 



We subjoin a Table which shows the totals for the four divisions 

 of the coast usually adopted in dealing with these returns, and 

 which embraces the six last years, and the average for the five 

 years from 1894-1898. 



