126 ABSTRACT OF EVIDENCE 



James Bell, fisherman on the Tay. Fishery 

 decreased generally ; attributes the diminution to 

 the stake nets, killing the Jish In close time, and 

 destroying the fry ; there is a cruive dyke in the 

 Arne river that runs into the Tay ; the present 

 laws are not sitfficient for the preservation of sal- 

 mon ; stake nets are injurious to the fishery; can't 

 say when they were established, but the salmon 

 have decreased ever since they have been used ; 

 poachers fish with a net and use the spear in close 

 time; fish good on the 10th of December in the 

 Tay ; thinks the fishing should end on the last of 

 September, and open on the first of April ; thinks 

 the fish in different rivers vary, and that they 

 return to the rivers in which they were bred ; the 

 removal of the cruive dykes would allow the fish 

 to go further up ; it is all poaching in close time. 



William Bell, foreman to the former. Attri- 

 butes the diminution of the fish to a want of 

 attention to the close time, and to the stake nets on 

 the coast ; stake nets on the Tay established there 

 about twenty-seven years ago, removed about twelve 

 years ago ; an increase of fish immediately after. 



NOTES. 



Mr. James Bell. After attributing the decrease to the 

 causes before mentioned, this gentleman says, the fishing 

 should cease on the last of September, and open on the 

 1 st of April. That the removal of the cruive dykes would 

 alloiv the fish to go further up ; and that " it is all poaching 

 in close time" 



