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Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



period. In 1894 the total for the whole of the Moray Firth was 6120 

 cwts., the average per 'shot' being 0*09 cwts.; in 1895 the total and 

 average were somewhat less, namely, 5083 cwts. and 0*087, while in 

 1896 the total quantity landed was 10,636 cwts., and the average per 

 'shot' 0*17 cwts. In the districts of Wick, Helmsdale, and Buckie the 

 averages continuously augmented throughout the period, while they 

 diminished or fluctuated in the other districts. 



Both the total quantity and the average per 'shot' of whiting landed 

 decreased during the three years, a result which was also found to 

 occur in the Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay ; but this fish is not of 

 great importance. In 1894 the total for the whole area was 5842 cwts., 

 the average per ' shot ' being 0*094 cwts.; in 1895 the total was 5114 

 cwts. and the average 0*087 ; and in 1896 the respective quantities were 

 4836 cwts. and 0*08. Whiting were, for the most part, landed in the 

 Banff and Findhorn districts. 



The quantity of conger landed also diminished, but the totals are small. 

 Skate increased somewhat in amount, the figures for 1894 showing a total 

 of 3281 cwts. and an average of 0*053, compared with totals of 3014 and 

 3683 cwts. in 1895 and 1896 respectively, with averages of 0*051 and 

 0*061. The quantity and average of fish not separately enumerated 

 included under the heading of 'other kinds of white-fish 7 remained much 

 the same throughout, the averages for the three jears being 0*128, 0*16, 

 and 0*12 cwts. respectively. 



The figures given above, therefore, indicate, for the most part, an 

 increase in the abundance of round-fishes caught by line within the 

 closed waters of the Moray Firth during the last three years, a result that 

 one would expect from the reservation of these waters to line fishing. I 

 was desirous of ascertaining what relation the total quantity of fish 

 obtained annually from this area since trawling was prohibited would 

 bear to the total quantity in previous years when trawling was permitted, 

 but there do not appear to be statistics available on the point. It is 

 surprising that the quantity of fiat-fish caught in the Moray Firth should 

 have diminished since 1894, although trawling has been interdicted 

 during the whole time. 



The trawling stations in Aberdeen Bay, Montrose Bay, and at the 

 Orkney Islands were not examined during the year. 



The Firth of Clyde.. 



During last year the twelve trawling stations in the Firth of Clyde 

 were examined on two occasions, once in April and once in October ; and 

 a number of special hauls were made at other stations along selected 

 lines, in order to determine the distribution of spawning fish and of 

 immature fish at various parts of the area. As in the case of the Moray 

 F'irth, the examination of the stations selected with the view of ascertain- 

 ing the influence of the prohibition of beam-trawling on the fishing- 

 grounds, has been imperfect and insufficient to supply satisfactory infor- 

 mation on the subject. The particulars of each haul are given in the 

 tables appended to this Report (p. 55). 



Comparison of the results obtained in the various years when the 

 stations were examined shows that, taking all the stations together, and 

 all kinds of fish, the average per haul of the trawl has somewhat increased 

 over the whole period. In 1888 the general average was 109*7 

 per haul; in 1890 it was 99*5 per haul; in 1895 it was 113*4; and 

 in 1896, 120*7 ; showing, therefore, a diminution in 1890 as compared 



