32 



Part III. — Eleventh Annual Report 



with the last three years, a very considerable decrease has occurred in the 

 closed waters in the abundance of plaice, lemon soles and haddocks. 

 Gurnards have also diminished to a slight extent, and dabs have likewise 

 decreased in St Andrews Bay. The annual mean number of plaice 

 captured per 'shot' of the net in the closed waters, has fallen from 90-4 

 in the period 1886-1888 to 70'4 in the years 1890-1892, or a decrease 

 of 20 "0. Lemon soles have fallen from 15 "2 to 6 '3, or a decrease of 8*9 

 per 'shot' ; dabs have declined from 80*8 to 57'4, or a difference of 23*4. 

 On the other hand, flounders and witch soles have increased to a very 

 slight extent (0 - 15 and 0*2 respectively). Among round fishes, the 

 average number of cod caught has increased from 6*0 to 9*0, and of 

 whitings from 9 '7 to 20*8, but haddocks have diminished from 55*7 to 

 11*5, and gurnards from 20*7 to 18*0. The averages referring to the open 

 areas bring out similar results, with the difference that dabs have increased 

 and flounders slightly decreased in numbers. As has been said, a certain 

 and indefinite amount of natural fluctuation, due to variations in the 

 condition of the weather, &c, must be taken into account in considering 

 these trawling statistics. But it is improbable that this is the principal 

 explanation of the gradual and considerable decline in the abundance of 

 the food fishes which the figures disclose. And it must be borne in mind 

 that these figures refer to nearly 150,000 fishes captured in about 700 

 hauls of the net on the same grounds. It would rather appear that the 

 collective results of the ' Garland's ' observations point to general over- 

 fishing, especially, as was indicated in last year's report, in the extra- 

 territorial waters where the food fishes mostly spawn ; and thus the 

 normal supply of floating fish eggs and larval fishes does not reach the 

 inshore grounds. It is a noteworthy circumstance that although the 

 prohibition of beam-trawling in territorial waters must have served to 

 protect immature plaice (owing to their very special distribution) more 

 than the young of other fishes, this fish is diminishing in abundance 

 year by year. 



T. WEMYSS FULTON, 

 Superintendent of Scientific Investigations. 



