REASONS FOE THE DECREASE OF SALMON. 249 



to deposit their spawn unmolested, is also a matter of 

 great importance. In the great majority of instances, this 

 is put off until it is far too late. Fish are seldom in good 

 condition after the middle of August. The ova begins to 

 become large, and the fish is not in good order for the 

 table ; and therefore, if some period towards the middle 

 of August were fixed on for its commencement, the rivers 

 and the public would derive very great benefit from it. 



But it is needless to say that the close-time should be 

 rigidly kept and enforced, and any one found destroying 

 or molesting the fish during that period should be most 

 severely punished. At present, however, such is the 

 reckless disregard to it, that during the last close-season, 

 no less than 100 tons of fish — most of them in a spawn- 

 ing and all in a foul and unwholesome state — were ex- 

 ported to France alone. The fish are then unfit for food, 

 and therefore the sacrifice of tins unwholesome food, the 

 exportation of which is so destructive to our fisheries, is 

 not a very great one to ask. I believe that there are 

 some hopes, owing to the exertions of the society above 

 named, that this exportation will be prohibited. 



The other matters detrimental to salmon are mine and 

 mill refuse. These have been dealt with mildly in the 

 English Act, to which I refer the reader for regulations as 

 regards weirs and fry- killing, &c, which upon the whole 

 are reasonably good, save that netting should not be allowed 

 to be carried on in the immediate proximity of fish-passes, 

 or fish-passes will be rendered useless. 



