224 IMPROVEMENT OF THE FISHERIES. [CHAP. v. 



river ; arid if this be overpassed and the capital stock be 

 broken upon, it is clear that a decrease will at once begin, 

 and that the production must annually become weaker, till 

 the fish are in course of time completely exterminated. Con- 

 sidering the constant enormous waste of fish life, there ought 

 at least, I think, to be twice as many fish left in a river as 

 are taken out of it. A care as to this would in time have a 

 good effect. 



An evident anxiety to improve the salmon-fisheries is now 

 apparent, and the problem to be solved is how to restore the 

 status quo, and obtain a supply of salmon equal to the demand. 

 There are but two ways to a solution of the question. The 

 experience of the Tweed, though still imperfect, shows that 

 the decay of that river has been arrested, and that large 

 salmon of some age the best and surest breeders now 

 abound in its waters, and that this result is in the main to be 

 attributed to improved legislation. The first thing therefore 

 to be done is to extend our legislation for all our salmon 

 rivers in the same direction that has been so successful on 

 the Tweed ; in other words, to eradicate, as soon as may be, 

 those dams, engines, and fixed nets still really left untouched. 

 The other, and as it seems to me the principal field for im- 

 provement, is the adoption of artificial culture wherever it can 

 be carried out. Why should we not cultivate our water as 

 we cultivate our land ? Few measures could be more effectual 

 than some check on the annual destruction of grilse ; but, 

 especially on the rivers in the hands of many proprietors, 

 such as the Tweed, it is not easy to say how this can be 

 practically effected ; but might not artificial breeding supply 

 the deficiency caused by this slaughter of the innocents? 

 By means of pisciculture the French people have recreated 

 their fisheries ; why should not we try what they have done ? 

 Let us by all means clean our rivers by removing im- 

 purities of all kinds. Let us do our best to prevent poaching ; 



