28 mussel culture 



The Inverness and Beauly Firth Beds. — 

 The story concerning the beds in this district is 

 decidedly sad. In this large area, where numerous 

 mussel beds, favoured by excellent natural advan- 

 tages, exist, the shell-fish have been wantonly 

 squandered and the beds left barren. The fisher- 

 men of the locality seem to be alone responsible 

 for this condition, no bed being safe from their 

 constant depredations. 



The Corporation of Inverness^ in 1883, ceased 

 leasing the town beds, and took up the care of 

 their own mussels, giving attention more especially 

 to those on the shore between the mouth of the 

 Caledonian Canal and Kessock Ferry. The result 

 seems to be uncertain, and the opinion of the 

 Mussel Commission was that sufficient care had 

 not been given to the matter. 



The Munlochy beds are claimed by the Avoch 

 fishermen, and, like similar beds in the Cromarty 

 Firth, are fished out and left to nature. 



The Redcastle beds are leased from the Crown,^ 

 but are rendered of little value through poaching. 



The beds in the upper reaches of Beauly Firth, 

 owned by Lord Lovat, are reduced by the same 

 cause. 



^ Micssel Coi)iniissio7i Report, loc. cit., p. xiii. 



