of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 25 



number of fishes obtained in each haul of the net in each of the years 

 mentioned : — 



Year. 



Closed Area. 



Open Area. 



Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 



Total. 



Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 



Total. 



1886 



1311 



79 6 



213-9 



70-6 



54-6 



128-5 



1887 



2706 



115-9 



390-1 



109*0 



148-3 



261-0 



1888 



163-9 



80-5 



248-7 



90-4 



93-5 



186-2 



1889 



148-2 



34-5 



187-1 



94-8 



49-2 



147-5 



1890 



201-9 



80-9 



288-0 



41-7 



110-1 



154-2 



1891 



112-2 



43-7 



161-6 



156-3 



34-7 



196-5 



1892 



95-1 



53-9 



156-4 



46-6 



63-3 



112-5 



1893 



129-0 



149-0 



282-4 



49-4 



173-5 



225-8 



1894 



147-3 



113-0 



265-4 



58-0 



138-4 



199-8 



In order that comparison may be made between the results obtained in 

 the few years following the prohibition of trawling, and those obtained in 

 the last few years, tbe numbers of fishes captured have been reduced to 

 averages for the two periods, each comprising four years. They are as 

 follows : — 



Years. 



Closed Area. 



Open Area. 



Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 



Total. 



Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 



Total. 



1886-1889 

 1891-1894 



178-5 

 120-9 



77-8 

 89-9 



260-0 

 216-5 



91-2 

 77-6 



86-4 

 102-5 



180-8 

 1837 I 



These figures show that the average number of round-fishes captured 

 during the last four years excoeds the average number taken during the 

 first four years ; a result due to the unusual numbers of small haddocks 

 which characterised the rishiug of 1893, and their great abundance in 

 1894. On the other hand, notwithstanding the increase last year and in 

 1893 in the quantity of flat-fish taken, the average for this group is 

 considerably less for tbe latter of the two periods than for the first. 



In regard to the closure of the Moray Firth to beam-trawling, the 

 information is as yet insufficient to show to what extent it is likely to 

 be followed by an increased abundance of the food fishes in the closed 

 waters. The sixteen trawling stations within the limits of the Firth 

 were examined twice last year. When the averages of the 37 hauls 

 made in 1893 are contrasted with those of the 35 hauls last year, it 

 appears that a considerable increase in the abundance of the food fishes 

 took place. In the former year, the general average for all species was 

 257*9, while last year it was 292-1. An increase occurred both in 

 round-fishes and fiat-fishes ; the average of the former rising from 106*3 



