80 Part TIT. — Meventh Annual Report 





Caught within the 

 Closed Area. 



Ca\ight outside the 

 Closed Area. 



Total. 



Year. 











Haddocks. 



Whitings. 



Haddocks. 



Whitings. 



Haddocks. 



Whitings. 



















cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



1888 



18,419 



1,800 



17,862 



1,131 



36,281 



2,931 



1S89 



12,499 



1,972 



19,405 



1,645 



31,904 



3,617 



1890 



12,418 



1,994 



10,338 



1,595 



22,756 



3,589 



1891 



11,981 



1,577 



11,255 



1,244 



23,236 



2,821 



1892 



11,718 



936 



16,647 



862 



28,365 



1,798 



3. Buckhaven Haddock and Cod Line Fishing. 



The statistics of the cod and haddock line fishing of Buckhaven, 

 specially collected by Mr Mair, the Fishery Officer of the district, since 

 1884 are given in Table D. (p. 131) for 1891 and 1892. The number of 

 ' shots,' or visits to the fishing grounds in 1892 was less than in the 

 previous year; showing that the falling off, which began in 1887, still 

 continues. The number of 'shots' was 3,112 as against 3,296 in 1891, 

 and 7869 in 1886. Notwithstanding the fewer 'shots ' during last year 

 the average catch of fish diminished. In 1891 the average number of 

 cod per ' shot ' was 0*91, while last year it fell to 0'4. In haddocks and 

 whiting there was also a considerable falling off. In 1891 the average 

 number of large haddocks captured per ' shot ' was exceptionally high — 

 1 03*8 — while last year it was only 50*1 ; and among small haddocks and 

 whitings there was also a decrease, — from 92 - 8 in 1891 to 76*9. The 

 figures for the last nine years are as follows : — 





Total Number of 

 ' Shots ' during 

 the Year. 



Average Number 

 of Cod per 

 'Shot.' 



Average Number of 

 Large Haddocks 

 per ' Shot. ' 



Average Number of 



Year. 



Small Haddocks 

 and Whitings per 

 ' Shot. s 



' 1884 



4524 





0-34 





221 



38-3 



1885 



4542 





0-50 





23-4 



221-5 



1886 



7869 





0-32 





31-8 



147-0 



1887 



6270 





0-23 





42-8 



208-9 



1888 



5548 





0-45 





62-6 



228-4 



1889 



4535 





0-46 





80-1 



68-4 



1890 



3396 





0-72 





78-8 



130-5 



1891 



3296 





0-91 





103-8 



92-8 



1892 



3112 





0-44 





50-1 



76-9 



As in previous years the largest proportions of cod were taken in 

 December and January, and of small haddocks and whitings during the 

 summer months. 



Summary. 



The results of the trawling experiments of 1892 are of the same kind 

 as in the previous year, and show that a diminution and not an increase 

 in the abundance of fishes has taken place in the waters closed against 



