170 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



be. The objection to kettle-nets on account of their 

 obstructing the navigation is, however, the principal 

 reason, as we understand, for the interference of the 

 Board of Trade ; and we believe that no new kettle-nets 

 are to be fixed, or old ones renewed, without permission 

 from the authorities. 



Weirs. 



These contrivances are not much used along the 

 coast, and might be done away with advantage to 

 navigation, and but very trifling loss in the supply of 

 fish to the local market. We have had opportunities 

 of closely examining the construction and action of 

 these weirs in Swansea Bay, where they have long 

 been in use ; and although they have been the subject 

 of much local complaint on account of their destroying 

 small fish, it is a question whether the evil is of 

 sufiScient magnitude to call for their suppression for 

 that reason alone. They are constructed of stakes 

 driven into the sand, and wattled so as to form a fence 

 through which the water easily passes, but sufficiently 

 close to detain any fish which may come inside when 

 the tide flows over or round them ; for, unlike the 

 kettle-net, the weir is always covered at high water. 

 The two arms of the weir extend for a distance of 

 sometimes 200 yards each, and terminate near low- 

 water mark, at very nearly a right angle to one 

 another, in a closely-wo\'en conical basket, having a 

 mousetrap entrance facing the inner side of the weir. 

 For about 40 or 50 yards from the basket the two arms 

 are padded close to the ground, with a " cramming " of 

 bushes and matting, in order to retain some of the 

 water, so that when the tide has ebbed beyond the 



