of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



xxxi 



the landings by English herring drifters, who engage in hand -line 

 fishing while lying at their nets. The only decrease of any importance 

 occurred in Stornoway district, where the catch declined to the extent 

 of 5104 cwts., or 18 per cent. The falling off in the trawl returns 

 was referable wholly to Aberdeen. 



These fish did not realise so much as in 1910, the total value 

 (£67,414) being less than in that year by £3655. 



Whitings. 



Since the introduction of trawling, that method of fishing has 

 gradually been supplanting line-fishing in the capture of whitings, 

 and the disparity between the contributions of the two branches has 

 annually become more marked. During the year under review, 

 however, this movement received a check, the catch by lines having 

 increased by 1815 cwts., or 13 per cent., while the trawl catch fell off 

 to the extent of 10,633 cwts., or 8 per cent. The total catch amounted 

 to 142,081 cwts., valued at £55,411, of which the share contributed 

 by trawlers was 126,609 cwts., valued at £47,682. The quantity 

 taken by line was all secured by small sailing vessels working close 

 inshore. 



Saithe, Torsk, and Conger Eels. 



As in the case of whitings, the returns of the saithe taken show a 

 slight increase in the quantity caught by line, along with a decrease 

 in the trawl catch. The total quantity landed amounted to 187,564 

 cwts., valued at £26,163, or a decrease from last year's figures of 

 23,725 cwts. in quantity and £6243 in value. Of the quantity, 

 113,781 cwts. is referable to trawlers, 58,355 cwts. to lines, and 

 15,428 cwts. to nets, the corresponding totals for 1910 being 139,860 

 cwts., 49,737 cwts., and 21,692 cwts. As 95 per cent, of the trawl 

 catch was landed at Aberdeen, the decrease in the quantity so taken 

 is naturally referable to that port. The increase in the quantity 

 taken by line was due to the heavier landings by steam liners at 

 various places round the coast, the exceptional success attained by the 

 Peterhead sailing-liners, and to the increased landings in Shetland 

 district, although these increases were largely neutralised by a some- 

 what serious falling off in the quantity landed at Stornoway. As has 

 been the case during the last two years, more than half of the quantity 

 taken by nets was landed in Orkney district, dense shoals of sillocks, 

 or young saithe, having again found their way into Stromness and 

 Kirkwall harbours during December. About 400 tons were landed, 

 the fish meeting with a ready sale for manuring purposes at 10s. per 

 ton. 



The value referable to each method of fishing was respectively 

 £15,920, £9100, and £1143. 



Of torsk, 21,934 cwts., valued at £6117, were landed, as compared 

 with 18,180 cwts. and £5493 in the preceding year. This species is 

 landed chiefly by steam liners, and about two-thirds of the increase 

 fell to be credited to the Aberdeen fleet, Shetland accounting for the 

 remainder. 



Conger eels are taken principally on the West Coast, and are landed 



