24 



Part III. — Thirteenth Annual Beport 



These are given for each month of last year in Table H. (p. 115), and they 

 are being continued. They show that a surprisingly large quantity of 

 (ish are caught by line within the waters of the Moray Firth ; and if the 

 totals given for each district in the table referred to are compared with 

 the gross totals of all line fish landed in the respective districts, wherever 

 caught, it will be found that in moat of them the great bulk of the catches 

 are got within the closed area. No returns have been collected in 

 Fraserburgh district, owing to the difficulty there would be in differen- 

 tiating the quantities caught within the line from Duncansby Head and 

 Kattray Point, from the quantities caught outside it ; this district lying 

 at the southern extremity of the Firth, partly within it and partly 

 without it. It was therefore thought better to exclude it. At the 

 opposite extremity of the Firth this difficulty does not arise, aud the 

 fishing stations on the Moray Firth coast of the Wick district have been 

 included. The total quantity of fish caught by line within the closed 

 waters during last year amounted to 218,495 cwts., or an average of 

 3*5 cwt, per shot. The number of "shots" of the line made by large 

 boats was 7,082, and of small boats 54,866, or a total of 61,948. By 

 far the larger quantity of fish caught consisted of haddocks, which 

 amounted to 153,529 cwts; only about 5,737 cwts. of flat fish were 

 captured. Comparison of similar statistics of the quantities of fish 

 caught, and the number of shots of the line in future years, will 

 furnish valuable information respecting the results of the closure of this 

 important area. 



Summary. 



The results of the trawling experiments in the Firth of Forth and 

 St Andrews Bay areas in 1894 indicate a considerable increase in flat- 

 fishes and a slight decrease in round-fishes within the waters from which 

 beam-trawling is prohibited, and a similar, although less noteworthy change 

 in the open waters outside. On examination of the figures relating to the 

 different kinds of round-fishes it is apparent that the decrease is largely 

 accounted for by the falling off in the abundance of haddocks. Last year 

 it was pointed out that a special feature of the year 1893 was the 

 enormous numbers of haddocks which were obtained on the east coast. 

 Although the averages for this important food fish were much lower in 

 1894, they were still considerably above the averages of recent years. 

 Cod and whiting, on the other hand, were caught in increased 

 numbers. 



Turning to flat-fishes, we nad that they were caught in greater numbers 

 in 1894 than in the year before, both in the closed and open waters, and 

 in the Firth of Forth, as well as in St Andrews Bay. The increase is not, 

 however, comparable to the abuudance of these fishes which marked the 

 years following the closure of the waters. But the average last year, in 

 the closed area, ranks above the average of four of the preceding eight 

 years. In the Firth of Forth it was 144 3, compared with 120*5 in 1893 ; 

 in St Audrews Bay it was 155-4, against 102*8 in the previous year. In 

 the closed area the average for 1894 was greater than in three of the 

 preceding eight years. 



The statistics of the 1 Garland's ' trawling experiments during the 

 last nine years in the combined areas of the Firth of Forth and 

 St Andrews Bay are as follows, the figures indicating the average 



