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GIRVAN. been pretty well supplied with water at that time (January), but in the winter 

 the rains run off more quickly than in the summer. 



Net fishing should be continued later. Holds his fisheries on lease. Does 

 not know if the landlord would agree to an extension of the fishing season. 

 This would increase the value of the fishery. The result would be for the 

 general good. The upper proprietors only go in for rod fishing. The best fish 

 are in the sea, and the proper place to take them is in the sea. Does not know 

 if the upper proprietors would object to an extension of netting. The 

 extended close season has caused over preservation. 



Would extend the fishing season to the middle of October. 



There are seven obstructions on the Girvan. The dams have not been 

 made passable, but subsidiary dams are being made. There was a dam at Bridge 

 mill, and it is proposed to put up a subsidiary dam there. At Daily there is 

 another dam, but nothing has been done there. At Kilkerran and Kirk- 

 michael there has been no alteration. Passes should be made to enable the fish 

 to get up all through the season, instead of merely in floods. The pools are 

 empty because of the rapid fall of the river. 



The disease is new. Has always got fish spotted from wounds, or damaged by 

 nets or by enemies ; but never saw fungus on such sores. Thinks it a fresh- 

 water disease, and that the sea cures it. Badly diseased fish get cured if the} r 

 get down to the sea. 



Overstocking is the cause. 



The fish were not so plentiful in the winter of 1879 ; last year they were 

 more plentiful than ever before. 



Never cut up a diseased fish. There has been no netting in the river for 

 eight or ten years. Outside the river stake or bag nets are used. 



Thomas Alexander, tacksman of Lord Stair's fisheries near the Girvan. 

 — They are in the sea, outside the estuary line. Has been connected with 

 the river for nearly 50 years. The fisheries have greatly fallen off. There are 

 not now half the fish in the river that there were when he first knew it. 

 There has been a gradual falling off. 



Never heard of anything like the salmon disease before last year. Did not 

 see any fish taken ; but some diseased fish were taken. 



Net fishing in the river was stopped ten years ago, but never saw anything 

 like the disease then. Has no idea of the cause. Thinks only four or five 

 diseased fish have been taken. They were chiefly kelts. 



Does not agree that overstocking is the cause, or the disease would have 

 occurred before. Mr. Buckland calculated that the river would hold 1,000 

 fish for every one in it in 18/0. The dams may possibly cause a falling off, but 

 they were the same when he began as they are now. 



It is a new disease or it would have been seen before. 



Hugh Dickie, miller, Bridge Mill. — His mill is a quarter of a mile from 

 the sea. The weir is not very difficult for the fish to pass if there is any 

 water; but if there is no water they can't go up. Knows nothing about 

 the disease. Has seen little of it. First heard of it since January, and was 

 shown a fish. 



Was born on the banks of the river and has known it for 60 years. Formerly 

 it was much purer than now. The water could be used for all household 

 purposes except in floods. Now it is polluted. 



The volume of water is also much altered. Formerly it took 36 hours' rain 

 before the river was seen to rise; this was up to 15 years ago. Since then 

 three hours' sharp rain will cause a fresh in two hours afterwards. Even at its 

 purest, where he could formerly see it in the summer to the bottom, it is now 

 muddy. Attributes this to the change in the uplands and to surface drains. 

 The rain is carried off instantly, whereas formerly it filtered through. Pollution 

 is now at once carried into the stream. By pollution means vegetable matter in 

 a state of decomposition. The old gravelly pools are now covered by slimy mud. 



The uplands are sheep walks. There is decaying vegetable matter in all 

 grass lands, especially in summers like last summer, which was so wet. 



Knows of no remedy. The river must give way to the sheep walks. 



Nothing in the shape of pollution comes into the river different from what 

 has come in for 40 years past. The sewage may be a little worse. Thinks 

 no artificial manure is used, only on agricultural lands, and there the drains 

 are 4 feet deep, and the water would get filtered before reaching them. 



