20 



Part III. — Eighteenth Anmial Report 



year. The total weight of those landed in 1898 was 4169 cwts., as 

 compared with 5833 cwts. in 1899. Very few lemon soles are caught 

 by line, the total quantity last year amounting to six cwts., while in 

 1898 only one cwt. were landed. Turbot increased from 13 cwts. in 

 1898 to 60 cwts. last year, and halibut from 730 to 762 cwts., although 

 the average per " shot " remained the same. Among " flounder, plaice, 

 and brill," the increase was from a total quantity of 3425 cwts. in 

 1898, to 5005 cwts. last year, the respective averages being 0 - 065 and 

 0*09 ; and this increase took place almost entirely in the three districts 

 of Helmsdale, Cromarty, and Findhorn. The whole of the turbot 

 included in the returns were landed in the Wick district. 



The quantities of flat-fishes landed in each of the years and the 

 percentages of the total are as follows : — 





1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897. 



1898. 



1899. 



Cwts. - 



5736 



6170 



4127 



4715 



4169 



5833 



Percentage of Total 















Catch, 



• 





2-3 



1-6 



1-9 



2-5 



3-9 



The total quantity captured last year corresponds closely to the total 

 in 1894, but the percentage is considerably higher, and is the highest 

 in the series. The average weight per " shot," which was greatest in 

 1895 and lowest in 1896, has gradually increased since the latter year. 



When we compare the fluctuations in the quantities of the fish 

 caught by line in the Moray Firth with the corresponding statistics for 

 the whole East Coast, and the whole of Scotland, it is found that the 

 changes have been general, and not characteristic of the area named. 

 The diminution in the abundance of cod and haddocks was common to 

 the rest of the coast. The quantity of cod landed on the east coast of 

 Scotland in 1898 amounted to 263,838 cwts., while last year it was 

 232,922 cwts. — a decrease of 30,916 cwts. In the other districts on 

 the East Coast outside the Moray Firth the quantities were in 1898, 

 185,730 cwts., and in 1899, 160,321 cwts., or a reduction of 25,409 cwts. 

 For the whole of Scotland the corresponding figures are 390,589 cwts. in 

 1898 and 321,669 cwts. in 1899— a falling-off of 68,920 cwts. So also 

 with haddocks. In 1898 the quantity landed on the whole East Coast 

 was 240,306 cwts., as compared with 181,397 last year— a difference 

 of 58,909 cwts. In the districts on the East Coast south of the Moray 

 Firth, the quantity landed in 1898 was 156,330 cwts., and in 1899, 

 111,544 cwts., showing a decrease of 44,786 cwts. in the latter year. 

 On the whole coast of Scotland the decrease in the quantity of 

 haddocks landed last year amounted to 62,116 cwts. The same is true 

 in regard to saithe, the diminution noticed in the statistics from the 

 Moray Firth being common to other parts of the East Coast. With 

 respect to flat-fishes also, we find that there occurred a slight increase 

 in the quantity landed last year as compared with the year before, not 

 only in the Moray Firth, but on the other parts of the East Coast ; 

 although, in this case, the increase in the Moray Firth seems to be 

 relatively greater. The quantity landed in the districts to the south of 

 the Moray Firth in 1898 was 25,944 cwts., while last year the quantity 

 amounted to 26,184 cwts. — an increase of 240 cwts. Within the 

 Moray Firth the quantity landed from the closed waters was 4169 



