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missioners having received various representations from fish-curers 

 throughout the kingdom, pointing out the depressed state of the trade, 

 principally owing to those foreign prohibitory duties which prevent 

 the transmission of British cured fish into several of the continental 

 states, and praying that measures may be adopted to obtain additional 

 markets for the produce of the British fisheries in foreign countries, or 

 a modification of the high rates of duties exacted, beg to bring this im- 

 portant matter under the consideration of the Government, and to 

 express an earnest hope that something may be done to relieve the 

 depressed condition of the herring fishery, produced principally from 

 the above causes." Most cordially do we express our full concurrence 

 in the wisdom of this suggestion. In 1823, one of the present Inspect- 

 ing Commissioners, then Inspector-General of the south coast, urging in 

 his report to the Fishery Board the importance of an abolition of the 

 salt duties, (page 43,) adds, "the advantages to the agricultural interests 

 would likewise be considerable, and a stipulation may be made with 

 the Government of Portugal, that in consideration of our receiving their 

 salt duty free, they shall receive our cured fish on the same terms; at 

 present the duty on importation into Portugal is nearly prohibitory, 

 and we are therefore deprived of a valuable market for any fish that 

 we may hereafter be enabled to export." To the above report there is 

 a note appended in 1824 by the Board's secretary: "In consequence 

 of a communication made by the Board of Fisheries to the Irish 

 Government, in January 1824, on the expediency of applying to the 

 Spanish and Portuguese Governments for a reduction of the duties laid 

 on the importation of British and Irish cured fish into both these 

 countries respectively, a representation was made to the Lords of Privy 

 Council for Trade, who returned for answer 'that frequent represen- 

 tations had been addressed to the Governments of Spain and Portugal; 

 but that owing probably to the state of those countries, these represen- 

 tations have not hitherto produced the desired effect.' " 



SALMON FISHERIES. The Inspecting Commissioners, in making their 

 report upon the salmon fisheries, feel it to be their duty to bring some 

 questions connected with this branch of the department under the 

 consideration of the Board, which they feel demand special and parti- 

 cular attention, as they relate to the duties imposed upon the Commis- 

 sioners by the Legislature. 



From the best information which we have been able to collect, we 

 regret to be obliged to report, that the salmon fisheries do not appear 

 to be in a state of progressive improvement. This must be attributed 

 to the want of protection to the breeding fish, in the close season, which 

 may ascend the rivers, as well as to a deficiency in the means required 

 for removing obstructions to their ascent, and some other important 

 matters to which we shall refer, connected with abuses of the law and 

 a failure in its administration. 



The Act of the last session of Parliament, 11 & 12 Vic,, c. 92, hav- 

 ing made provision for raising funds for protection, by assessment upon 

 engines employed in fishing, and rates upon the valuation of fisheries, 

 under the poor law, and which we hope may ultimately work well, 

 and be productive of much good ; however, as this Act practically 

 did not come into operation until the 1st of February last, (the com- 

 mencement of the open season,) and then only to the extent of collect- 



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