8 



Appendices to Twenty -seventh Annual Report 



economy of our salmon fisheries, if not to act as a warning that for 

 the conservation of our salmon supply we must contrive by legislation 

 to allow more grilse to become salmon. 



Keports from District Boards. 



I have received 33 reports from Salmon Fishery Districts. The 

 two districts from which I hoped for reports, but from which they 

 have not been received, are the Nairn and the Thurso. From the 

 former I very seldom have received a report. 



The fishing season of 1908 is reported as, in the majority of cases, 

 below the average. The exceptions are South Esk, Bervie (a coast 

 fishing only), Ness, where reduction of netting has recently taken 

 place ; Kyle of Sutherland, where nets are also not now so numerous 

 as formerly; Leven and Clyde, where serious pollutions are now 

 diminishing; Nith, where pollutions have also been treated, and 

 Annan. 



Approximate estimates of the actual number of fish taken are given 

 from Tweed, Ugie, Ness, the Sutherland river districts, Leven, Ayr, 

 Doon, Girvan, and in a few cases, such as Stinchar, Bladenoch, Cree, 

 Nith, and Annan, the catches by rod are given. In the majority of 

 cases no information can be obtained by the Clerks of Boards. 



With regard to rentals, I offer the following list : — 



£ £ 



Tweed 



■ 16,093 



Kyle of Sutherland 



3,333 



Forth - 



3,569 



East Sutherland - 



2,160 



Tay - 



23,508 



West 



1,317 



South Esk - 



3,674 



North 



1,300 



North Esk - 



6,474 



Skye - 



540 



Bervie 



910 



Lochy 



2,880 



Dee (Aberdeen) - 



18,893 



Awe - 





Don - 



3,945 



Ayr - 



159 



Ythan - 



1,352 



Doon - 



511 



Ugie - 



809 



Girvan 



533 



Deveron 



3,381 



Stinchar 



400 



Spey - 



9,243 



Bladenoch - 



326 



Findhorn 



3,661 



Cree - 



932 



Ness - 



3,532 



Dee (Solway) 



1,231 



Conon 



2,967 



Nith - 



506 



Alness 



455 



Annan 



2,947 



The total is £121,521, but this figure takes no account of the 

 Beauly, of the sporting value of the rivers in Sutherland not ascer- 

 tainable separately from shootings, and of the large number of small 

 West Coast districts where no Boards are established. 



In protecting the rivers, the number of watchers varies not on\y 

 according to the district, but also according to the season. In the 

 Tweed as many as 55 bailiffs were employed in November, the 

 number becoming reduced to 9 in June. Prosecutions were instituted 

 against 208 persons during 1907-08. The principal offences were 

 killing salmon by means of illegal nets, cleeks, and rakehooks, being 

 in illegal possession of salmon and engines for killing salmon, and for 



