68 Mr R. Douglas on Acts relating to the Tweed, &c. 



a practice of fisliing for salmon, &c., within the mouth of the 

 river^ and by setting of bob-nets and other nets therein 

 did intercept and obstruct the free progress of the fish, 

 (which at certain seasons of the year are known to make in 

 shoals to the fresh water,) and by such means drawing many 

 of them from the coast to the detriment of the proprietors 

 thereof; and for that of 1807, " that it had been found by 

 experience, that the penalties for killing fish within the 

 periods prohibited by the said Acts had, from the increased 

 price of Jish, hecovae totally inadequate to the purpose in- 

 tended, and it was therefore expedient that the amount of the 

 penalties should be increased." These Acts continued in 

 force until 1830, when the Act, which was recently repealed, 

 was passed. The preamble states, " that it had been found by 

 experience that the said Acts had become inadequate to the 

 purposes intended, and that for several years past the salmon 

 had rapidly decreased, and there is every reason to appre- 

 hend that a progressive decrease would continue to take place 

 unless eifectual measures be resorted to for the preservation 

 of the breed of salmon ; " and in 1836 an amendment Act was 

 passed for the same repeated reason, " the great decrease in 

 the value of the Salmon Fisheries." 



These Acts were repealed in 1857, when the present Act 

 was passed, and by it, and the amendment Act passed in 

 1859, the Tweed is now regulated. The principal alterations 

 and improvements contained in these may be shortly stated to 

 be the following, which were keenly opposed by the lower 

 or commercial proprietors of Fisheries against the upper or 

 rod-fishing proprietors, at an expense to both sides of not less 

 than £7000 :— 



" The entire abolition of bag, stake, and other fixed nets of 

 every description in the river, and the restriction and regula- 

 tion of stake nets on the sea coasts. 



" The entire prohibition of leistering. 



^' A slight increase of the weekly close time, which is now 

 from 6 o'clock on the Saturday night to 6 o'clock on the 

 Monday morning, and an increase of the annual close time 

 for nets by 4 weeks, which is now from the 15th September 

 to the 15th February. 



" The extension of rod-fishing for a longer period, which 

 is now allowed the whole year, except from the 1st Decem- 

 ber to 1st February. 



" And the absolute prohibition of killing unclean fish 



