198
INVESTIGÀTIONS IN MORAY FRITH,’ 1896 AND 1897.
Spawning grounds
”
had, so far as these statistics showed, given
_
ne sign of success,and if they should be prolonged to 145 or even
.
to 40 years, it is unlikely that the arrangements of nature in
the open ocean would be materially
Even the laborious
collection of the statistics of the white shes caught by the
liners in the enclosed area do not improve the situation, for
instead of the
cwts. per haul of 1895, they show only
‘
cwts. in 1896.
They go far to demonstrate, however, that With
.
an efcient ship the Board’s returns might have been different,
though such might not have altered the conclusions to be
drawn from them.
_
-
On the enter stations (VII. to XVI.) the same number of
.
hauls took place—yielding a total of 3,869 shes, or 214, per
,
‘
haul, an increase of 14: over the previous year.
Of this number
2,4109, or 133 per haul, were saleable, and 1,460,or 81 per haul,
#
unsaleablel.
'
_
Here also the dabs surpass the others in numbers, a feature
seldom or never observed on board a commercial trawler, their —
average being 944 per haul, or nearly double that of the
year.
The saleable plaice reached only about 2 per haul,
lemon—dabs were fewer than in 1895, and so with long—rough
_
dabs and haddocks, which had an average of Æ3 per haul,
contrast with 2 per haul on the inner stations.
Gurnards
had increased (chiey in October) by 5 per haul.
One of the
_
,_
features of the Frith, in common with the neighbouring waters,
'
f _‘ f
was the frequent occurrence of hake, Which are seldom seen in - '
St Andrews Bay or in the Forth.
Witches or pole—dabs are
Ï »
also characteristic of thesofter grounds.
,
—
_
During 1897 tWelve hauls of the trawl took place .in the
months of June and November (six in each) on the inner
f
stations (I. to VI.), resulting ina total of 1,770 shes, or'14s7
per han], a considerable increase (61 per haul) on the
f '
year, 'which was the fourth
in a gradually diminishing series. ' ‘
The average is but a modem—te one, not half thatof 1893,Çand
-
about half that of 1892.
Of saleable shes there were
1 A few shes such as thé 'butté‘iiÿsh, dragonetand bogàe ai.é included ;but —_
.
their numbers are insignicant’äd have nomuence on
The angler ' f“ ' —
isdnlyoc‘casionay sold.
_
:
INVESTIGÀTIONS IN MORAY FRITH,’ 1896 AND 1897.
Spawning grounds
”
had, so far as these statistics showed, given
_
ne sign of success,and if they should be prolonged to 145 or even
.
to 40 years, it is unlikely that the arrangements of nature in
the open ocean would be materially
Even the laborious
collection of the statistics of the white shes caught by the
liners in the enclosed area do not improve the situation, for
instead of the
cwts. per haul of 1895, they show only
‘
cwts. in 1896.
They go far to demonstrate, however, that With
.
an efcient ship the Board’s returns might have been different,
though such might not have altered the conclusions to be
drawn from them.
_
-
On the enter stations (VII. to XVI.) the same number of
.
hauls took place—yielding a total of 3,869 shes, or 214, per
,
‘
haul, an increase of 14: over the previous year.
Of this number
2,4109, or 133 per haul, were saleable, and 1,460,or 81 per haul,
#
unsaleablel.
'
_
Here also the dabs surpass the others in numbers, a feature
seldom or never observed on board a commercial trawler, their —
average being 944 per haul, or nearly double that of the
year.
The saleable plaice reached only about 2 per haul,
lemon—dabs were fewer than in 1895, and so with long—rough
_
dabs and haddocks, which had an average of Æ3 per haul,
contrast with 2 per haul on the inner stations.
Gurnards
had increased (chiey in October) by 5 per haul.
One of the
_
,_
features of the Frith, in common with the neighbouring waters,
'
f _‘ f
was the frequent occurrence of hake, Which are seldom seen in - '
St Andrews Bay or in the Forth.
Witches or pole—dabs are
Ï »
also characteristic of thesofter grounds.
,
—
_
During 1897 tWelve hauls of the trawl took place .in the
months of June and November (six in each) on the inner
f
stations (I. to VI.), resulting ina total of 1,770 shes, or'14s7
per han], a considerable increase (61 per haul) on the
f '
year, 'which was the fourth
in a gradually diminishing series. ' ‘
The average is but a modem—te one, not half thatof 1893,Çand
-
about half that of 1892.
Of saleable shes there were
1 A few shes such as thé 'butté‘iiÿsh, dragonetand bogàe ai.é included ;but —_
.
their numbers are insignicant’äd have nomuence on
The angler ' f“ ' —
isdnlyoc‘casionay sold.
_
: