THE LAW AS TO SALMON-FISHING 231 



1870 to inquire into the subject. The Board of 

 Trade now exercises all the powers conferred by the 

 Salmon Fishery Acts upon the Home Office, and 

 the appointment of inspectors has been continued 

 from time to time by various Acts of Parliament. 



By the Act of 1861, certain modes of taking fish 

 were prohibited, and the minimum si/e of the mesh 

 of nets to be legally used was fixed at two inches 

 from knot to knot, or eight inches measured all 

 round, when wet. Fixed engines were prohibited, 

 close seasons established, fish passes were ordered to 

 be erected in obstructions, and free gaps in certain 

 instances made. 



Two years later the Act of 1863 made the export 

 of salmon illegal from any part of the United King- 

 dom if caught during close time in any district. 



The year 1865 saw some very important changes 

 in the law, not the least of which was the forma- 

 tion of fishery districts and boards of conservators 

 for the protection of the fish. These matters 

 were further dealt with by the Act of 1873, and the 

 present state of the law with regard to them is as 

 follows : 



The county council of any county can apply to 

 the Board of Trade to form into a fishery district or 

 districts all or any of the salmon rivers lying wholly 



