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following from a report of the Scotch Fisheries Improve- 
ment Association, read and adopted at the public annual 
Meeting held at Edinburgh in May 1881 :— 
“There are seven counties in Scotland, with 32 rivers, 
which have ceased to be frequented by salmon ; owing, first, 
to dams built across the rivers, which prevent the fish 
getting up to spawn; and, second, to manifold pollutions 
from town sewage, bleach-fields, chemical works, and other 
manufactories. | 
“Tn eight counties with salmon rivers in them, ¢here 
are no District Fishery Boards. 
“In one of these counties, viz., Ross and Cromarty, there 
are no less than 32 salmon rivers, all without official pro- 
tection. 
“Tn Argyleshire, where there are about 30 salmon rivers, 
there is but one District Fishery Board, and its place of 
meeting (when it does meet) is in the Island of Mull.” 
There has thus been almost an entire collapse of the 
arrangements which were devised by Government, and 
sanctioned by the Legislature in 1868, for the protection 
and management of the Scotch salmon fisheries. 
In the year 1870, this fact became known to Government, 
through the reports officially made by the different county 
sheriffs, who had been appointed by the Act of Parliament 
to take steps for forming the District Boards. I must 
do the Government of that day the justice to say, that 
viewing the matter in a serious light, they lost no time in 
endeavouring to obtain the best information with a view 
toa remedy. The Honourable Mr. Bruce (now Lord Aber- 
dare) then Secretary of State for the Home Department, 
appointed two competent Commissioners, the late Frank 
Buckland and Mr. Archibald Young of Edinburgh, to 
visit the different counties in Scotland, and report, “ow 
far District Fishery Boards are an operation in Scotland, 
