12 Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 





1894 



1895 



1896 



1897 



1898 



1899 



Large Boats 



7,082 



7,710 



11,915 



14,039 



10,330 



12,665 



Small Boats 



54,866 



50,643 



48,3 6 



48,836 



41,853 



42,808 





61,948 



58,353 



60,261 



62,875 



52,183 



55,473 



It will be observed that while the number of " shots " of the 

 small-line boats has declined over the period, the number of "shots" 

 of the great-line boats has increased. On the whole, however, 

 line-fishing in the Moray Firth has declined during the last two 

 years. 



As has been said, the fluctuations in the abundance of the fish 

 caught by line in the closed waters in the various years, have been 

 part of a general change along the coast, and cannot therefore be 

 ascribed to a special cause. At the same time it is evident that the 

 operations of the foreign trawlers, which have frequented the Firth 

 in considerable numbers during the past few years cannot be 

 without influence ; and their presence must materially interfere 

 with the results of the trawling investigations which were initiated 

 after the Firth was closed. 



The Hatching and Bearing of Food Fishes. 



As explained in last year's Eeport, it was found necessary to 

 continue the hatching operations at Dunbar during the season of 

 last year, since the construction of the large tank at the new site at 

 the Bay of Mgg had been suspended in the preceding September. 

 The work consisted, as in preceding years, in the hatching of the 

 eggs of the plaice, and the same methods were adopted. Adult 

 plaice to serve as spawners for the supply of fertilised eggs were 

 procured from trawlers in February and March, a little over 400 

 males and females being thus obtained. As in preceding years a 

 considerable number of the fishes subsequently died owing to 

 injuries received while being captured, and others remained in an 

 egg-bound condition. 



The collection of the fertilised eggs from the spawning-pond 

 commenced early in March, and continued until the end of April, 

 the total number procured being 18,700,000, from which 16,470,000 

 fry were obtained. These were transferred in batches to the upper 

 waters of Loch Fyne ,off Inveraray,at various dates in April and May, 

 and there liberated. 



The numbers of fry of the various species of marine food fishes, 

 whose eggs have been hatched at Dunbar siace the work was 

 commenced, are as follows: — 



