REVIEW or TRAWLING REPORT OF 1884.
33
pass, but the area is wider, and the size of those captured
considerably larger.
No sh formed the subject of greater solicitude in the
Trawling Report than the plaice, both from its wide distribu—
tion and its great abundance, as well as from the supposed view
that this was a form specially destroyed by the trawl, which
had cleared out of St Andrews Bay, for example, all the
full—grown adults, and left only the smaller forms.
It
is
.
apparent, therefore, that during the past twelve years such
inshore waters have had sufcient time for recuperation—at
least to some extent—if these views can be maintained.
The
results of the trawling-work of the ‘ Garland’ up
to 1892 have
already been dealt with in this connection 1, so that other
obServations, and the statistics of shes captured by the liners
in this area, have only to be considered.
Without at present
going into detail, it is found that comparatively few full-grown
plaice are captured in the enclosed waters of St Andrews Bay.
Most of the large specimens that have occurred have been
either
diseased—e.g., blind or emaciated—or injured. An
enormous number of immature or half—grown plaice, however,
are reared in the area, and are captured by the liners, chiey
with lob-worm, their lines being buoyed and left in the water
for such periods as they please, relays of lines being often used.
The success with Which the local
ply their trade in
early spring amongst the plaice is indicated by the fact that a
single haul of the lines of a small “shing-boat in February 1894
produced a sum of £9, and that a larger ‘catch’ was procured
by the same boat within the week.
The closure of the inshore
waters, therefore, while it places the trawl—shermen at a
disadvantage, benets the line—shermen, and does not deprive
the public altogether of the supply of at shes from the
enclosed area.
It
does
not, however, produce many large
‘
flat shes, for as these get older they appear
to seek the deeper
waters outside the limit, either from a natural habit, or as the
_
result of constant interference by man.
This habit, indeed,
was noticed in the Report when dealing with the question of
the closure within the three—mile limit, thus :—
1
“ A Brief Sketch of the Scottish Fisheries,” 1882—1892, p. 6.
'
M. B.
3
33
pass, but the area is wider, and the size of those captured
considerably larger.
No sh formed the subject of greater solicitude in the
Trawling Report than the plaice, both from its wide distribu—
tion and its great abundance, as well as from the supposed view
that this was a form specially destroyed by the trawl, which
had cleared out of St Andrews Bay, for example, all the
full—grown adults, and left only the smaller forms.
It
is
.
apparent, therefore, that during the past twelve years such
inshore waters have had sufcient time for recuperation—at
least to some extent—if these views can be maintained.
The
results of the trawling-work of the ‘ Garland’ up
to 1892 have
already been dealt with in this connection 1, so that other
obServations, and the statistics of shes captured by the liners
in this area, have only to be considered.
Without at present
going into detail, it is found that comparatively few full-grown
plaice are captured in the enclosed waters of St Andrews Bay.
Most of the large specimens that have occurred have been
either
diseased—e.g., blind or emaciated—or injured. An
enormous number of immature or half—grown plaice, however,
are reared in the area, and are captured by the liners, chiey
with lob-worm, their lines being buoyed and left in the water
for such periods as they please, relays of lines being often used.
The success with Which the local
ply their trade in
early spring amongst the plaice is indicated by the fact that a
single haul of the lines of a small “shing-boat in February 1894
produced a sum of £9, and that a larger ‘catch’ was procured
by the same boat within the week.
The closure of the inshore
waters, therefore, while it places the trawl—shermen at a
disadvantage, benets the line—shermen, and does not deprive
the public altogether of the supply of at shes from the
enclosed area.
It
does
not, however, produce many large
‘
flat shes, for as these get older they appear
to seek the deeper
waters outside the limit, either from a natural habit, or as the
_
result of constant interference by man.
This habit, indeed,
was noticed in the Report when dealing with the question of
the closure within the three—mile limit, thus :—
1
“ A Brief Sketch of the Scottish Fisheries,” 1882—1892, p. 6.
'
M. B.
3