204 FISH CULTUEE. 



" But while I speak of herrings, I cannot allow 

 this opportunity to pass without condemning a Board 

 which has for its object the protection of the herrings. 

 The Fishery Board was instituted at the beginning 

 of this century, when all Europe was at war, and 

 when the difficulty of manning the navy was much 

 felt. A bounty of four shillings a barrel was paid 

 the fishermen for every barrel of herrings cured ; 

 and in 1821 the Board disbursed 72,000?. for that 

 object, which, with'expenses (12,000/.), make 84,000?. 

 as a bounty, or rather, I should say, as a bribe, for 

 men to become sailors. Since 1830, the Government 

 bounty has been withdrawn, and the operations of the 

 Board have virtually ceased ; but in courtesy to the 

 Honorary Commissioners, it has been allowed to exist. 

 So great has the demand been for fresh fish, and so 

 inactive has become the Board of Fisheries, that the 

 fishermen openly violate the laws by the use of illegal 

 nets, at the risk of all consequences. You are all 

 aware that last summer a bill for the better protection 

 of the herring fisheries was brought into Parliament 

 by the Lord Advocate and the Board of Fisheries, 

 without anyone practically connected with the trade 

 being consulted on the subject. The then existing 

 law, which was never enforced, prohibited trawling, 

 and the use of any other net than the regular inch 



