10 



Part III. — Sixteenth Anmuxl Report 



there was an increase. The increase in the Wick district amounted 

 to 10,702 cwts., the average per 'shot' having risen from 5*40 cwts. 

 in 1896 to 616 cwts. in 1897; the quantity landed in the Lybster 

 district rose from 4241 cwts. in 1896 to 7192 cwts. in 1897, 

 the respective averages in the two years being 2*87 cwts. and 

 4*22 cwts. The rise in both these districts is probably chiefly 

 accounted for by the larger number of great-line boats taking 

 part in the fishing. In the Wick district, for example, the number 

 of 'shots' made by the large boats in 1896 was 2774, while last 

 year it was 3911; in 1894 the number was only 396. On the 

 other hand, the districts of Helmsdale, Cromarty, Findhorn, 

 Buckie, and Banff show a falling off, although the decrease in the 

 catch per ' shot ' is not as a rule large. But although the quantity 

 of fish caught by line in the Moray Firth was less in 1897 than in 

 either of the two preceding years, it was considerably greater than 

 in 1894, when the total only amounted to 218,494 cwts. 



Examination of the statistics with reference to the kinds of 

 fish which were caught by line shows that the diminution in 1897 

 was chiefly in the quantity of haddocks landed. The full details 

 for each year are as follows : — 



FISH. 



1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897. 





Cwts. 



Av'rage, 



Cwts, 



Av'rage. 



Cwts. 



Av'rage. 



Cwts. 



Av'rage. 



Cod 



32,571 



0-52 



47,646 



0-81 



64,663 



1-07 



79,731 



1-26 



Ling - - - - 



2,169 



0035 



2,937 



0-005 



3,868 



0-062 



3,544 



0-056 



Torsk . - - . . 



25 



0-002 



24 





94 





25 





Saithe 



6,120 



0-09 



5,083 



0-087 



10,636 



0-17 



11,761 



0-18 



Haddock .... 



153,529 



2-47 



178,370 



3-056 



156,703 



2-6 



126,031 



2-004 



Whiting .... 



5,845 



0-094 



5,114 



0-087 



4,836 



0-08 



3,319 



0-052 



Turbot 



5 









15 





16 





Halibut .... 



254 



0-004 



403 



0-007 



691 



0-011 



707 



0-011 



Lemon Sole - - . . 











19 





14 





' Flounder, Plaice, and Biill '* 



5,477 



0-088 



5,765 



0-09 



3,402 



0-056 



3,978 



0-063 



Conger . - - - . 



1,244 



0-02 



777 



0-013 



8-23 



0-013 



1,533 



0-024 



Skate, - ... 



3,281 



0-053 



3,014 



(1-051 



3,683 



0-061 



3,999 



0-063 



Other kinds of White Fish - 



7,976 



0-128 



9,456 



0-16 



7,483 



0-12 



6,663 



0-105 



* The fish included under this head comprise, tor the most part, plaice and dabs. 



It will be observed that the quantity of haddocks caught in the 

 closed waters was less last year by about 30,000 cwts. than in the 

 preceding year, and 52,000'cwts. less than in 1895, when this fish 

 was exceptionally abundant. The quantity of cod landed in 1897 

 shows an increase of 15,000 cwts. over the previous year, and of 

 47,000 cwts. over the quantity caught in 1894. Apart from 

 natural variation the fluctuations in the quantities of cod and 

 haddocks landed are correlated, on the one hand, with the increase 

 in the number of the shots of great-line boats, by which the former 

 are almost exclusively captured, and on the other with the decrease 

 ia the number of shots by the small boats, which for the most part 

 capture haddocks. 



The Hatching and Eearing of Food-Fishes. 



The operations at the Dunbar Hatchery for sea-fishes during last 

 yeai consisted in the hatching of plaice, and in experiments on the 

 rearing of plaice, turbot, and lemon soles. Adult plaice, to serve as 



