22 



Part III. — Sixteenth Annual Report 



more than 50,000 cwts. under the catch in 1895. The average per * shot ' 

 did not decline in the same ratio. Those for the various districts are 

 shown in the following Table : — 





1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897. 



Wick, 



0-54, 



0-508 



0-22 



0-19 



Lybstei, 



1-63 



1-29 



0-69 



1-028 



Helmsdale, 



2-16 



211 



2-2 



1-59 



Cromarty, - 



2-18 



1-96 



1-51 



1-54 



Findhorn, - 



3-31 



3-73 



3-32 



1-92 



Buckie, 



3-178 



3-19 



3-16 



2-62 



Banfl^ 



2-47 



4-07 



3-06 



2-82 



These figures show a diminished average in all the districts. 



The next most abundant line-caught fish is the saithe or coal-fish, and 

 the figures show that a slightly increased quantity was landed in 1897. 

 In 1894 the total for the whole of the Moray Firth was 6120 cwts., with 

 an average per 'shot' of 0-09 cwts. ; last year the total was 11,761 cwts., 

 with an average of 0*18 cwts. per 'shot.' The average catch has also 

 increased, as a rule, in each year. 



Both the total quantity and the average catch per ' shot ' of whiting 

 landed has decreased in each of the four years as compared with the year 

 preceding. In 1894 the total for the whole area was 5845 cwts., with an 

 average per ' shot' of 0-094 cwts. ; in 1895 the total was 5114 cwts., with 

 an average of 0-087 cwts. ; in 1896 the total was 4836 cwts., and the 

 average 0-08 cwts., while last year the total quantity fell to 3319 cwts., 

 and the average catch to 0*052 cwts. 



The quantity of conger landed in 1897 showed a considerable increase 

 over that for the previous year, and the average also rose. There was also 

 an increase in the total quantity of skate landed, but the average catch 

 remained almost the same, the figures for the two years being 3683 cwts. 

 and 3999 cwts., and the averages 0*061 cwts. and 0-063 cwts. respectively. 

 Of other kinds of line-caught white fish not separately enumerated, the 

 figures show a falling-off" both in regard to quantity and to the average 

 catch per * shot.' 



The figures given above show that the increase in the quantity of white 

 fishes caught by line in the Moray Firth which occurred in 1895 has not 

 been maintained in 1896 and 1897. The latter year shows a falling-off to 

 the extent of 15,566 cwts. as compared with the previous year, and to the 

 extent of 17,240 cwts. as compared with 1895. On the other hand, the 

 total catch last year exceeded that of 1894 by 22,856 cwts. The variation 

 has been caused for the most part by the fluctuations in the quantity of 

 haddocks landed. 



2. The Firth of Clyde. 



During last year the twelve trawling stations in the Firth of Clyde were 

 examined on three occasions, in April, May, and September; and a num- 

 ber of special hauls were made at other stations along selected lines, "^in 

 order to determine the distribution of spawning fish and of immature fish at 



