of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxiii 



former years, and below the total for 1915, when 13,399 cwts. were 

 taken. The following shows the monthly catches, in cwts., last year : — 



January 

 February 

 March 

 April . 

 May . 

 J une . 



Cwts. 

 28 



14 



66 



July . 



August 



September 



October 



November 



December 



Cwts. 

 416 

 108 

 815 



2071 

 626 



1619 



It will be seen that in the latter part of the year, especially in 

 October and December, considerable catches of herrings were ob- 

 tained. The Fishery Officer reports that at the end of September the 

 Lochfyne fleet working north of Skipness, between Laggan and the 

 Kerry shore, had a successful fishing, it being " the first shoal of 

 importance operated on, well into Lochfyne, for several years back." 

 In his weekly report on 21st December, he says that " not for the 

 past seventeen years have the shoals of herring penetrated so far 

 into Lochfyne as during the past week. From reports to hand, about 

 1000 baskets were landed at Ardrishaig. The fishing-ground was 

 between Otter and Lochgair. The herrings were of mixed size and 

 quality." Earlier in the month the fishermen reported a good appear- 

 ance of herrings in Lochfyne, but the fish were " of small size." 



It is to be hoped that the presence of great numbers of small 

 herrings, so far up Lochfyne, at the close of last year, is a prelude 

 to the return of the shoals to the Loch and the re-establishment of 

 the Lochfyne herring fishery. 



Fluctuations in the herring fishery, especially in fjords or arms 

 of the sea, are not infrequent on the coasts of other countries, and 

 have been attributed to a variety of causes. In Lochfyne a series of 

 temperature observations are made at different levels, and collections 

 of the floating food secured, and it is proposed to continue these 

 investigations until the herrings return to the Loch in their former 

 abundance, so that comparison may be instituted between the observa- 

 tions taken in the period of scarcity and those taken in the period of 

 abundance. 



Fishery Investigations in the North Sea. 

 Trawling and other Investigations. 



The reduced staff have been kept busily engaged in working at 

 the collections of various lands, which were obtained in previous 

 years, and also in dealing with the records of the observations and 

 the statistics. During the year the publication of scientific papers 

 and reports, except those of an urgent nature, was suspended at the 

 request of H.M. Stationery Office. A report on the marking experi- 

 ments, migrations, and growth of the plaice is now at press. 



Other work on which the scientific staff have been engaged, and 

 in regard to which Reports have either been completed, or are in course 

 of preparation, includes the following : — The influence of herring- 



