26 
Part III. — Tenth Annual Report 
All kinds of flat-fish diminished in numbers within the closed waters 
in 1891, but the decrease was especially marked among plaice. The 
average per 'shot' for this fish was 207'6 in 1890, and 48'3 in 1891. 
Cod, whiting, and gurnards also decreased, but there was a very slight 
increase in haddocks. In the open area there was a very large increase 
in common dabs and a considerable increase in plaice and cod ; while 
haddocks, whitings, and gurnards diminished in numbers. The decrease 
in flat-fish and round-fish was common to all the stations within the 
territorial waters. 
III. SPECIAL STATISTICS OF FISH CAUGHT BY LINE 
FISHERMEN AND BEAM-TRAWLERS. 
1. Relative Quantities op Fish taken by Line and by 
Beam-Trawl. 
A prominent feature in the statistics of the Scottish fisheries in recent 
years is the continuous increase in the quantities of fish landed by beam- 
trawlers, and a concurrent falling off in the white-fish landed by line 
fishermen. Table E. (p. 125) gives detailed statistics referring to this 
subject for certain important districts on the East Coast, and Table I. 
(p. 159) shows the relative quantities landed monthly along the whole 
East Coast by beam-trawlers and by line fishermen. 
The five districts from which special returns have been obtained 
(p. 125) comprise that portion of the East Coast between Dunbar on 
the south and Aberdeen on the north, including both these places. 
The quantity of fish landed on this portion of the coast last year by line 
fishermen and beam-trawlers was 759,440 cwts., compared with 739,071 
cwts. in 1890, or an increase of 20,369 cwts. This increase was 
principally in round-fish, but there was also a slight increase in flat-fish. 
In 1890 the quantity of flat-fish was 100,389 cwts., against 101,935 
cwts. last year, showing an increase in 1891 of 1546 cwts. The quantity 
of round-fish in 1890 was 638,682 cwts., against 657,505 cwts. in 1891, 
or an increase of 18,823 cwts. in the latter year. 
The . increase in the quantity of white-fish landed in these districts 
during 1891 was entirely due to the operations of beam-trawlers, a 
large falling off in the quantities landed by line fishermen having taken 
place. In 1890, line fishermen landed 28,170 cwts. of flat-fish and 
430,070 cwts. of round-fish, or a total of 458,227 cwts. Last year they 
landed 25,587f cwts. of flat-fish and 418,281 cwts. of round-fish, or a 
total quantity of 443,868| cwts. These figures indicate a total decrease 
in line-caught fish of 14,358 cwts. ; the decrease in flat-fish being 2582 
cwts. and in round-fish 11,776 cwts. 
On the other hand, the quantity of fish landed by beam-trawlers 
increased by 34,728 cwts. • the gross quantity in 1890 being 280,844 
cwts., compared with 315,571 J last year. In 1891, beam-trawlers landed 
76,347 J cwts. of flat-fish and 239,224J cwts. of round-fish, as against 
72,219 cwts. of flat-fish and 208,625 cwts. of round-fish in 1890, 
showing an increase last year of 4128 cwts. of flat-fish and 30,599 cwts. 
of round-fish. j 
The relative quantities of all white-fish- landed by beam-trawlers and 
line fishermen in the districts referred to during the last three years are 
as follows : — 
