194 



THE SALMON. 



they so operate in a more injurious way than the similar 

 causes operating in rivers. When salmon are stopped or 

 frightened back within a river, it is, generally speaking, 

 only a matter of delay and return ; but in the sea, the 

 fish stopped by the standing nets, if they escape capture, 

 are driven out among their natural enemies the seals and 

 porpoises, who systematically wait outside for the chance. 

 Again, though affording less employment than the ordi- 

 nary nets, fixed nets are very costly to work, owing to 

 the great tear and wear of materials caused by the action 

 of the sea. Taking the average of known cases, it re- 

 quires at least three fish to be taken in these engines for 

 one taken by the ordinary methods, in order to produce 

 the same amount of rental or profit. One highly expe- 

 rienced lessee of salmon-fisheries stated before the Lords' 

 Committee that one small fixed-net fishery in his neigh- 

 bourhood, in order to the payment of a 12 rent, 

 required to kill a greater number of fish than he, fishing 

 within the river, required in order to the payment of a 

 650 rent. Partly in further explanation of such results, 

 and partly as exhibiting another evil, it may be men- 

 tioned that those nets, standing on the open coast, 

 seldom fish during those earlier months of the year whei 

 fish are in the highest condition and greatest demand. 



In what has been said here, the reference has 

 almost entirely to fixed nets on the sea-shore or any- 

 where else, not to cruives on the rivers. Legally an( 

 morally, cruives differ from stake and bag nets chiefij 

 in this, that the right to fish by cruives was 

 cially granted by charter, and has always been recog- 

 nised by law. Practically, there is also this differem 



