of the Fishery Board for ScoilaMcl. 



9 



il- was 35, in 1895, 43-6, and last year 27*8. The increase of llat- 

 tislies ill the Clyde area was principally in witch-lloiiuders and 

 dabs ; plaice increased but slightly. 



The special statistics which have been collected during the past 

 four years as to the quantities of fish caught by line-fisliernien in the 

 closed waters of the Moray Firth are of considerable interest. The 

 following figures show the total quantity so taken, and the average 

 weight of fish captured per ' shot' of the lines, in each of the dis- 

 tricts for the four years : — 



District. 



1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897. 





















Cwts. 



Aveiage. 



Cwts. 



Avera<^e. 



Cwts. 



Average. 



Cwts. 



.Vverage. 



Wick, - 



19,008 



2-47 



23,009 

 3,977 



4-03 



31,556 



5-40 



44,258 



616 



Lybster, - 



4,408 



4-91 



3-77 



4,241 



2-87 



7,118 



4-22 



Helmsdale, 



15,826 



3-52 



16,669 



4-15 



18,360 



4-71 



17,148 



4-93 



Cromarty, 



21,346 

 60,074 



3-07 



19,193 



29-3 



15,317 



2-51 



14,736 



2-48 



Findhorn, 



4-04 



68,761 



4-86 



63,521 



4-46 



46,694 



2-66 



Buckie, . 



48,540 



4-21 



50,489 



4-66 



57,450 



5-05 



50,067 



4-77 



Banfi", - 



49,292 



2-94 



76,491 



4-77 



66,471 



3-82 



61,329 



3-701 



Total, 



218,494 



3-05 



258,590 



4-43 



256,916 



4-26 



241,350 



3-83 



When these figures are compared with the figures given in the 

 ordinary statistical Tables published in Part 1. of the Board s Re- 

 ports, showing the total quantities of white fish (exclusive of 

 herrings, mackerel, and sprats) landed in each of the districts 

 named, irrespective of the place of capture, it will be found that 

 over 80 per cent, of the total quantity landed is taken from the 

 closed waters of the Moray Firth. In the Wick district, which 

 contains only a small part of the coast of the Moray Firth, while it 

 comprises the northern coast of Scotland from Duncansby Head to 

 Cape Wrath, the total quantity of white fish landed last year 

 amounted to 88,440 cwts., of which 44,258 cwts., or almost exactly 

 half, were caught by line-fishermen in the Moray Firth. All the 

 line-caught fish landed in the districts of Lybster, Helmsdale, 

 Cromarty, and Findhorn are returned as having been captured in 

 the closed waters. In Buckie district, out of a total of 54,629 cwts. 

 landed, 50,067 cwts. were taken in the Moray Firth ; and of a 

 total of 61,476 cwts. landed in the Banff district, 61,329 cwts. 

 were drawn from the same area. 



The number of ' shots ' of the great line made in the closed 

 waters has considerably increased during the period indicated. 

 In 1894 they amounted to 7082, while last year they were 

 14,039, or very nearly double. The ' shots ' of the small-line boats, 

 on the other hand, have diminished in the same time from 54,866 

 to 48,836. 



With respect to the fluctuation in the quantities of fish taken 

 by line in the closed waters in the various years, it will be seen 

 from the figures quoted above that both the total quantity 

 captured and the average per ' shot ' of the hnes were less in 

 1897 than in the previous year, and that a diminution also occurred 

 in 1896 as compared with 1895. That observation refers to the 

 area taken as a whole. In two of the districts, Wick and Lybster, 



