xii 



Thirty-sixth Annual Report 



of things in which any very great satisfaction can be felt. As 

 compared with the last quinquennial average, the figures for the 

 three last years are, indeed, rather depressing. The average referred 

 to was 2056 tons. 



The declines for the three last years from the last average are : — 



In 1915, a decline of 348 tons. 

 „ 1916, „ „ 783 „ 

 „ 1917, „ „ 325 „ 



The chart of curves shows the condition from year to year, and the 

 downward movement may be said to be slowly progressing with an 

 occasional break upwards. 



The coast line has been divided into four sections as formerly 

 and from the figures it appears that the conditions found in 1917 

 were very generally distributed in each district. The summer was 

 extraordinarily dry in very many parts of the Highlands, and fish 

 were unable to ascend the rivers for a considerable period. The 

 coast nets, no doubt, reaped a certain advantage on this account. 

 But the West Coast totals have sunk now-a-days to an unfortunately 

 low level, the catch from the Clyde to the Solway being only 

 97 tons. 



We give a table which shows four quinquennial averages since 

 the year 1894, and the four last individual years. 





Average, 

 1894 to 1898. 



Average, 

 1899 to 1903. 



Average, 

 1904 to 1908. 



Average, 

 1909 to 1913. 



District. 





































Tons. 



* 

 O 



CO 



h 



& 





Tons. 



CO 



o 



t 

 & 



3 



Tons. 



CO 



* 



O 



CO 



h 

 & 



m 

 — 



Tons. 



CO 



45 

 P 



o 



2 

 & 



co 



aBerwick to 



Cairnbulg Point, 

 6 Cairnbulg Point 



to Cape Wrath, 

 cCape Wrath to 



Glasgow, . . . 

 d Glasgow to the 



Border, . . . 



1,206 

 900 

 403 

 260 



18 

 17 

 7 

 3 



1 



3 

 1 



2 



i 



6 

 21 

 6 



839 

 737 

 274 

 183 



1 



10 

 18 

 6 



2 

 3 

 1 

 1 



9 

 17 

 27 

 19 



887 

 608 

 209 

 160 



8 

 13 



3 

 9 



2 

 1 



3 

 3 



24 

 19 

 6 

 15 



1,015 

 664 

 205 

 171 



5 

 14 



2 



13 



3 

 k 



18 

 3 

 7 



3 



Totals, . . . 



2,771 



7 





6 



2,034 



17 



1 



16 



1,865 



15 



T 



8 



2,056 



15 



4 



3 





Year 1914. 



Year 1915. 



Year 1916. 



Year 1917. 



District. 













CO 

























Tons. 



en 

 O 



co 

 ■~ 



Of 





Tons. 



% 



o 



1 



i 



Tons. 



« 



o 



CO 



£ 



Tons. 



t 

 O 



m 



i 



aBerwick to 



Cairnbulg Point, 

 b Cairnbulg Point 



to Cape Wrath, 

 c Cape Wrath to 



Glasgow, . . . 

 d Glasgow to the 



Border, . . . 



1,030 

 710 

 161 

 74 



14 



\ 



6 



2 



1 



3 

 3 



7 



20 

 S 



847 

 575 

 198 

 86 



9 

 8 

 17 

 12 



0 

 1 



3 



25 

 24 

 10 



701 

 397 

 96 

 77 



2 

 19 



3 

 14 



3 

 2 

 3 



7 

 22 

 25 



922 

 497 

 215 

 97 



3 



3 

 4 



3 

 2 



1C 



1 



12 



Totals, . . . 



1,976 



5 





7 



1,708 



7 



2 



3 



1,273 





1 



26 



1,731 



11 



o 



1 



There has again been great difficulty in obtaining sufficient men 

 to work the various netting stations round the coast. As a result, 

 fewer stations have been fished, a certain selection and regrouping 

 of nets having become necessary. Nor does there seem any possi- 

 bility of this difficulty being materially overcome in 1918. 



