xxxii 



Thirtieth Annual Report 



chiefly at Mallaig and Stornoway. The total quantity landed was 

 34,042 cwts., valued at £12,076 — an increase of 7526 cwts. and of 

 £1175 upon the returns for 1910, steam and sailing liners dividing 

 practically the whole of the catch and value in the ratio of, roughly, 

 2:1. The greater part of the increase in the landings occurred at 

 Mallaig, which is rapidly increasing in importance as a centre for 

 steam line-fishing. 



Gurnards, Cat-fish, Monks {Anglers), and Hake. 



Monks, cat-fish, and gurnards are not much appreciated as articles 

 of diet, and their value is in consequence considerably lower than that 

 of the more palatable species. The total quantity of these fish landed 

 in 1911 (almost wholly by the Aberdeen and Granton trawling fleets) 

 was 55,099 cwts., valued at £12,139, which gives an average price per 

 cwt. of 4s. 5d. Compared with the preceding year's returns, the catch 

 shows a decrease of 3078 cwts. in quantity, and in value of £410. 

 For a short time during the course of the year, monks, whose average 

 price was 4s. per cwt., commanded 12s. per cwt. for export to Germany, 

 where it is surmised they were used for some special purpose which 

 has not, however, been disclosed. 



Hake are in better demand, and during 1911 21,178 cwts., valued 

 at £13,336, were marketed, as against 15,224 cwts. and £11,580 in 

 the preceding year. 



(b) FLAT FISH. 



An examination of the flat-fish returns shows the year's operations 

 to have been attended with very satisfactory results, for, as regards 

 value, the record made last year was improved upon to the extent of 

 2 A per cent., while the aggregate catch has only twice previously been 

 surpassed, and that to a very slight extent. In all, 210,178 cwts. 

 were landed (this quantity being only 606 cwts. less than that of 1910, 

 and 1356 cwts. less than the record catch of 1909), the value of which 

 was £317,885, or £7410 more than in the preceding year. This 

 satisfactory state of matters is ascribable entirely to the line fishermen, 

 who improved appreciably upon their previous year's results, whereas 

 trawlers failed to maintain their position. The quantity taken by lines 

 and nets was 71,91 7 cwts., valued at £110,495, or 7070 cwts. and £15,317 

 more than in 1910, while the trawl catch amounted to 138,261 cwts., 

 valued at £207,390, or 7676 cwts. and £7907 less than in the preceding 

 year, the percentage of the total catch and value contributed by 

 trawlers being thus 65*8 and 65*2 respectively, as compared with 69*2 

 and 69 3 in 1910. Both the improvement in the line and the decrease 

 in the trawl returns occurs mainly in the figures relating to halibut. 



Plaice. 



The total quantity of plaice landed was 53,368 cwts., which realised 

 £71,220, these results showing an increase upon those for the pre- 

 ceding year of 2073 cwts. and £148. These fish are taken by all the 

 three methods commonly employed, viz., trawl, lines, and nets, but the 

 first named is by far the most effective, and its contribution to the 



