208
INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1897.
:
much shed- water contrasts most favourably with the three
:
hauls of a commerial trawl1 made on Smith Bank nearly on the,
same date in 1884, and resulting in the capture of 2711 shes,
or 903 per
haul.
In both cases the chief sh was the haddock,
-
604 per haul
Smith Bank in 1884 and 695 outside
?
the Frith in 1898, a fact which demonstrates that the dis—_
tribution of this species is' so wide, and its numbers so great,
…
that a thoughtful survey of the whole subject leaves little room
for doubt as to the wisdom
of removing all unnecessary
,
restrictions from fair shing.
The haddocks of 1884 on Smith
Bankhad fewer small in their ranks than those of 1898 in thé
open water, but it is probable that a special congregation of .
"
spawning shes had occurred, or, at any rate, had come in the
.
‘ _
way
of the trawl on that occasion.
The haddocks of 1898, just
beyond the enclosed waters, were more numerous by 91 per
haul, and of the total of 4173 only 42 were unmarketable,
.
though some of these would have been eaten at St AndreWs. ’
We know that haddocks
as
of old in the great
enclosedarea of the Frith, and extended far beyond it in the
'
numbers j‘ust indicated, but we fail to observe the slightest
7
trace of any
effect on this sh in or near the M0ray Frith by
the closure of the huge area against British trawlers.
Such a
step was never dreamt of in the cautions proposal to close the
‘
areas
of the Forth, St Andrews Bay and Aberdeen Bay for
6æperimental purposes,,—and yet it has been done Without any‘
clear evidence being produced to warrant its adoption.
by step every available argument has been examined, and itsÿ
facts duly Weighed or its want of facts exposed, but no scientic
-
basis remains on Which to uphold such a proposal. A
-
sideration of the cdndition of the haddock alone in this
and in 1898 dispels the fanciful notions of certain of
the sO—Called “practical _men,” who‘ are responsible for much
_'the confusion in sheries’ problems still lingering in our,
cOuntry.
No imaginary gures or theoretical percentag6s
:
with here, but facts resting on …pers0nal
The1e is no sign that the extensive shing-operations ‘in— the
My Frith. and;
its ghbhdhpd
…! ;Îth
of about—5lfeet,
:
INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1897.
:
much shed- water contrasts most favourably with the three
:
hauls of a commerial trawl1 made on Smith Bank nearly on the,
same date in 1884, and resulting in the capture of 2711 shes,
or 903 per
haul.
In both cases the chief sh was the haddock,
-
604 per haul
Smith Bank in 1884 and 695 outside
?
the Frith in 1898, a fact which demonstrates that the dis—_
tribution of this species is' so wide, and its numbers so great,
…
that a thoughtful survey of the whole subject leaves little room
for doubt as to the wisdom
of removing all unnecessary
,
restrictions from fair shing.
The haddocks of 1884 on Smith
Bankhad fewer small in their ranks than those of 1898 in thé
open water, but it is probable that a special congregation of .
"
spawning shes had occurred, or, at any rate, had come in the
.
‘ _
way
of the trawl on that occasion.
The haddocks of 1898, just
beyond the enclosed waters, were more numerous by 91 per
haul, and of the total of 4173 only 42 were unmarketable,
.
though some of these would have been eaten at St AndreWs. ’
We know that haddocks
as
of old in the great
enclosedarea of the Frith, and extended far beyond it in the
'
numbers j‘ust indicated, but we fail to observe the slightest
7
trace of any
effect on this sh in or near the M0ray Frith by
the closure of the huge area against British trawlers.
Such a
step was never dreamt of in the cautions proposal to close the
‘
areas
of the Forth, St Andrews Bay and Aberdeen Bay for
6æperimental purposes,,—and yet it has been done Without any‘
clear evidence being produced to warrant its adoption.
by step every available argument has been examined, and itsÿ
facts duly Weighed or its want of facts exposed, but no scientic
-
basis remains on Which to uphold such a proposal. A
-
sideration of the cdndition of the haddock alone in this
and in 1898 dispels the fanciful notions of certain of
the sO—Called “practical _men,” who‘ are responsible for much
_'the confusion in sheries’ problems still lingering in our,
cOuntry.
No imaginary gures or theoretical percentag6s
:
with here, but facts resting on …pers0nal
The1e is no sign that the extensive shing-operations ‘in— the
My Frith. and;
its ghbhdhpd
…! ;Îth
of about—5lfeet,
: