of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



11 



of other fishes (owing to their very special distribution), this fish is 

 diminishing in abundance year by year. 



Special Fishery Statistics. 



In considering the influence of beam -trawling on the fish supply, 

 it is desirable to bring into comparison with the results of the 

 trawling experiments certain statistics relating to the productive- 

 ness of the territorial waters and the quantities of round- fish and 

 flat-fish captured by line and trawl in the districts where the 

 trawling experiments are carried on. These will be found in the 

 special report referred to. The districts from which such detailed 

 statistics have been obtained comprise that part of the coast ex- 

 tending between Dunbar on the south and Aberdeen on the north, 

 including both these places. On this portion of the coast the 

 quantity of fish landed by line-fishermen and beam-trawlers in 1892 

 amounted to 804,451 cwts., as compared with 759,440 cwts. in 

 1891, or an increase of 45,000 cwts. This increase was entirely due 

 to beam-trawling. Beam-trawlers landed 56,645 cwts. more fish 

 in this area last year than they did in the previous year, while line 

 fishermen landed less by 11,634 cwts. Of the total quantity, 

 698,281 cwts. were round-fish and 106,170 were flat-fish; an in- 

 crease over the quantities landed in 1891 of 40,776 cwts. of round- 

 fish, and 4235 cwts. of flat-fish. The increase in flat-fish is entirely 

 due to an increased quantity of skates and halibut caught by line- 

 fishermen. Beam-trawlers landed 61,937 cwts. more round-fish and 

 5292 cwts. less flat-fish than they did in the previous year, that is 

 to say, an increase of 25*8 per cent, in the catch of round-fish, and 

 a decrease of 6*9 per cent, in the catch of flat-fish. 



The statistics of the quantities of fish caught by line-fishermen 

 in the territorial waters of the East Joast, from North Berwick 

 on the south to Skateraw, a few miles south of Aberdeen, on the 

 north, have also been tabulated for comparison with previous years, 

 and the monthly and yearly averages per ' shot ' of the line given. 

 The figures show that in the territorial waters referred to there was 

 a decrease last year in the number of * shots/ or visits to the fish- 

 ing grounds— from 37,928 in 1891 to 32,543 in 1892, There was 

 also a decline in the quantity of fish caught, both absolutely and 

 in proportion to the number of shots, the average per ' shot ' for 

 the year being 1*94 cwt. as compared with 3*43 in 1891. The 

 statistics indicating the number of ' shots ' in the territorial waters, 

 the quantity of line-caught fish obtained, and the average quantity 

 per 1 shot,' for the last five years are as follows : — 



Years. 



Total Trips or 



Quantity of Line- 



Average Quantity 



Shots. 



caught Fish, 

 cwts. 



per Shot, 

 cwts. 



1888, 



43,077 



109,396 



2-539 



1889, 



42,898 



107,029 



2-494 



1890, 



34,501 



83,692 



2-425 



1891, 



37,928 



92,469 



2-438 



1892, 



32,543 



63,420 



1-94 



The falling off in the quantity of fish caught in the territorial 

 waters was common to all kinds, the decrease in haddocks and 



