BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. 131 



as many as men ; attributes the decrease to the 

 non-protection of the breeding Jlsh and the fry, 



John Johnson again examined. — Salmon get bad 

 after being out of the sea ; get worse and worse ; 

 lose their bright colour and firm state ; get longer 

 and lighter, when in the fresh water ; the nearer 

 the sea the better the fish ; do not continue good 

 many days after being out of the salt water ; as- 

 cribes the decrease in the Tay to the non-protection 

 of the breeding fish ; to beginning too early to 

 fish ; to poaching fishing in close time ; to tJie de- 

 struction of the breeding fish, and of the spawn or 

 fry ; and to the want of efficient modes of fishing ; 

 sea-louse does not remain many days after the fish 

 come into fresh water ; they go off by degrees. 

 The breeding season is the same in all places, but 

 the fence days are not so ; thinks the fence days 



SHOULD BE THE SAME ALL THE KINGDOM OVER \ 



all fish find a market, bad as well as good ; but 

 the foul fish are very unwholesome \ people will 

 buy any thing that is cheap ; has seen the sea-louse 

 twelve miles up the rivers ; recommends the begin- 

 ning to fish on the 10th March, and to leave off 

 the middle of September, as a general rule ; 

 yet a few sound fish may be caught earlier in the 

 year ; the law is seldom enforced for the protection 

 of the breeding fish ; vast numbers offish killed hi 

 close time, in fact the fisheries are ruined for want 

 of protection ; spearing by torch-light is often prac- 

 tised ; laws not carried into execution ; the fluctu- 



k 2 



