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CHAPTER V. 
Fishing Weirs—Fishing-Mill-Dams—Ordinary Dams—Newly Erected 
Weirs—Salmon Ladders or Passes—The Ballisodare Ladders— 
A Fishery created by Salmon Ladders—Other Forms of Salmon 
Passes—Salmon Passes versus Mills. 
IN dealing with the question of weirs, Parliament has 
drawn a wide distinction between those constructed wholly 
or partially for the purpose of catching fish, and those 
constructed solely for milling, manufacturing or navigation 
purposes. In the case of the former it has made their 
existence and use contingent on compliance with certain 
regulations designed to prevent them from completely 
cutting off the run of the fish. The latter are permitted to 
remain in the state in which they existed when the first of 
the present Acts came into force in 1861, provided the 
obstruction they then offered is not increased in any 
way. 
Thus no “fishing weir” extending more than half way 
across a stream can exist, unless it is provided in the 
centre with a “free gap” one-tenth of the width of the 
stream, and never less than three ‘feet wide, through which 
salmon can pass at all times. No compensation was made 
to the owners of these structures for this interference 
with their property, although this provision affected their 
catching powers to a considerable extent, and effectually 
took the sting out of them as impediments to the passage 
of salmon. 
Fishing-mill-dams, ze, dams used partly for fishing and 
