8 



Part III. — Sixteenth Annwal Report 



this circuiiistauce it lias been scarcely possible to extend the en- 

 quiries to the off-shore waters, so as to ascertain the position and 

 limits of the breeding grounds of the food fishes, and the biological 

 and physical conditions of the great fishing banks in the North Sea. 

 It is in this direction and to this area that we must look in future 

 for the greatest advances in the scientific knowledge of fishery 

 problems. 



It is anticipated that the concentration of the scientific staff at 

 Aberdeen, to be presently referred to, will facihtate the acquire- 

 ment of this knowledge, inasmuch as that port possesses a large 

 number of steam fishing vessels frequenting all parts of the North 

 Sea, which may be in some measure utihsed for the purpose. But 

 it is obvious that without a suitably equipped steamer, under the 

 direct control of the Board, to be systematically employed in the 

 manner indicated, such investigations must continue to be both 

 tardy and imperfect. 



It may be stated that the Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee 

 are in possession of a steamer, superior to the * Garland,' which is 

 exclusively employed in fishery work, and that the Government of 

 the Cape of Good Hope have had a high-class trawler built and 

 specially equipped for conducting scientific investigations in con- 

 nection with the fisheries of the Colony. 



The Influence of Trawling. 



The results of the trawling experiments carried on in 1897, to- 

 gether with the various Tables embodying the results of the 

 observations, are given in a special report (p. 17). In 1896 the 

 trawling investigations were suspended in the Firth of Forth and 

 St. Andrews Bay, since which they have been conducted in the 

 Moray Firth and the Firth of Clyde. For the reason previously 

 referred to, the examination of the stations in each of these areas, 

 especially those lying off-shore, has been necessarily imperfect, and 

 sufficient information has not yet been acquired to enable a definite 

 statement to be made as to the results, or the position and extent 

 of the breeding grounds and habitats of immature fishes within 

 their limits. 



So far as the observations go, they show that in the Moray Firth 

 the average number of flat-fishes taken in each haul of the trawl in- 

 creased from 1027 in 1896 to 149*0 last year; the increase being 

 principally in dabs, but also in plaice. The general average for 

 round-fishes, comprising cod, haddocks, whiting, and gurnard, 

 diminished from 49*4 in 1896 to 32-8 last year, the decrease having 

 occurred chiefly in haddocks and gurnards. In the Firth of Clyde 

 the trawling experiments show that the average number of flat- 

 fishes captured in each haul of the net increased in almost each 

 successive year since the observations were begun. In 1888 the 

 general average was 61*2, and it was the same on the next occasion 

 when all the stations were examined, namely in 1890; in 1895 the 

 average was 64*7, in 1896 it was 75-5, while last year it rose to 

 84'8. Amongst round-fishes greater fluctuations took place in the 

 average number captured. In 1888 it was 447, in 1890 and 1896 



