414 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



FIRTH OF FORTH. 

 (b) BUCCLEUCH FISHERY ORDER. 



20, Onslow Gardens, 2gth December, 1876. 



Sir, I have the honour to inform you that, in accord- 

 ance with your instructions dated the ist November, I 

 inspected the Buccleuch Oyster Fishery on the iyth of 

 that month. 



It is not altogether clear in what state the oyster fishery 

 was at the date when the Order was granted. For 10 years 

 previously it had been exposed to unrestricted dredging 

 and large quantities of brood had been taken from it by 

 the Newhaven fishermen for exportation to Holland. In 

 all likelihood, its condition was very similar to that of the 

 greater part of the oyster beds in the Forth, which were 

 then described by Mr. Pennell as being semi-exhausted. 

 Considerable quantities of oysters, however, were still being 

 fished. In 1867 the ground was let to Mr. Anderson, who 

 fished it with a steamer in 1869 and 1870, and with 12 

 smacks, each using four dredges, from that time to 1873. 

 In 1870 he appears to have taken as many as 390,000 ; 

 but in 1873 the number of oysters upon the ground 

 had so diminished that no regular fishing has taken 

 place from that time, and it is stated that not more than 

 50,000 in all have since been dredged. It would probably 

 not be unfair to Mr. Anderson to say, that down to 1873, 

 he continued the process of exhaustion to which the ground 

 had before been subjected, and that it was then reduced to 

 an extremely bare state. Subsequently, ha* has not attemp- 

 ted to work or clean it, but he has laid down 30,000 oysters 



