38 ENEMIES OF THE HERRING, 



taken by it, tins instrument should be prohibited in certain 

 localities at certain times. 



Dredging for shell-fish may also be injurious in raking 

 up the deposited spawn in certain places, and ought to 

 be used with caution. At certain seasons the fishermen 

 use nets with a small mesh, ostensibly to fish sprats, but 

 in doing so a great many of the young herrings are taken , 

 which must be pernicious to the herring fishery, and 

 therefore ought to be carefully watched, and prevented 

 when found to be destructive of the young fry. 



The cruive or wicker-basket of a particular form, fixed 

 in the tideway of some of our rivers and coasts, takes often 

 large quantities of herrings of all sizes ; even clear un- 

 baited hooks, also baited, and artificial flies, have often 

 been used successfully at the beginning of the season in 

 taking herrings. 



The circular nets enclose vast numbers of herrings, and 

 are often used on the coast of Ireland, and these nets are 

 of such size and strength on the coast of Norway that 

 several thousand barrels have been taken in one net at 

 one time in some of the bays and creeks in Norway. 



Some very able papers have been written by Mr Cleg- 

 horn of Wick, to prove that the shoals of herrings on our 

 Scottish coasts are diminishing in consequence of the 

 great number of boats and nets employed on our coasts in 

 fishing herrings ; but the reproductive nature of the her- 

 ring is so great, that, if due care is taken not to disturb 

 the spawn-ground by the above-mentioned destructive 

 trawling for flat fish, or by other means to drive away 

 the shoals, such as fishing during the day (as to which 

 the Legislature should give full powers to those having 

 authority), little fear need be entertained as to the future 

 prospects of the herring fishery. 



