16 



POLLUTION OF THE TYNE. 



BY A. MEEK, 



In the last report I drew attention to the effects of the pollu- 

 tion of the Tyne in the esulj summer of 1917. I hav^e now to add 

 to the record which I gave then a few particulars as to the desti no- 

 tion caused by the pollution this spring. Word was brought to 

 me from time to time of kelts being taken out of the river, and on 

 May 10th Mr. J. A. Williamson, Clerk to the Tyne Salmon Con- 

 servancy, wi^ote to me as follows : — 



" During the last few days there has been about 5 inches of 

 fresh water in the river Tyne, which, unfortunately, caused many 

 smolts to take to the tidal water. Hundreds have been j)oisoned, 

 and are being taken out of the river below the Team and Redhcugh 

 Bridge by children ; the gulls have had a rare feed too." 



Mr. Williamson sent me six smolts taken on May 10th from 

 the river, and at the meeting of the Conservancy next day, 1 

 obtained a further sample of thirteen, or nineteen in all. These 

 were found to consist of fourteen salmon smolts, measuring 13-3 

 to 18-2 cm., and five trout smolts, meauring 16-0 to 20-8 cm.. The 

 scales were examined, and it was found that eight of the salmon 

 had two winter areas, the rest having one winter area. The trout 

 consisted of two which had spent two wmters in fresh water, 

 and three which had spent only one winter before migrating. The 

 smaU sample indicated that the trout smolts of the Tyne are about 

 25 per cent, of the salmon smolts, and this is just about the pro- 

 portion the fishermen catch of the older stages in the river and in 

 the neighbourhood of the river, that is to say, in the Conservancy's 

 district. 



I hope on another occasion to have an opportunity of analys- 

 ing the statistics of the salmon and trout fisheries, for they appear 

 to show that the young stages of the trout especially are becoming 

 steadily less numerous, and that both salmon and trout are sadly 

 declining in numbers. In the meantime I must be content with 



