Fishery Board for Scotland. 



lxv 



numbers on all the coasts, and are regularly gathered for bait. 

 Razor-fish are rarely got except in the sands on the West Coast, 

 during low tide. They are sometimes very plentiful at Broad Bay, 

 in the island of Lewis, where they are used for food, and from whence 

 occasionally considerable quantities are shipped to other places. 



From what has been already stated, it will be seen that the Cross value of 

 aggregate value of both white fish and shell fish landed was g^eiiFfsii 1 

 £759,260, being a decrease as compared with the previous year 

 of £67,757. The values given are the amounts received by the 

 fishermen for their takes ; but, with reference thereto, it is of 

 importance to mention that the prices last year of all kinds of sea 

 fish were exceedingly low. 



The twenty-six fishery districts were, in the course of the year, inspection of 

 inspected and reported on as to the manner in which the duties ^JSa 

 of the officers had been carried on — those on the East Coast 

 by Mr George Reiach, general inspector, and those on the West 

 Coast by Mr James Low, assistant inspector. The Board gladly 

 bear testimony to the careful and efficient manner in which the 

 district officers discharged their several duties, and to the able 

 superintendence exercised by the inspectors. 



OYSTER, CRAB, LOBSTER, AND MUSSEL FISHERIES, 

 AND CLAM AND BAIT BEDS. 



It was stated in the last Report of the Board, that by the 11th Powers of 

 section of the Sea Fisheries (Scotland) Amendment Act, 1885, which as^thLe 

 had come into operation, all the powers and duties of the Board of Fisheries in 

 Trade, under the Sea Fisheries Act of 1868 and the Fisheries Acts transferred to 

 of 1877 and 1881, so far as they can be exercised in Scotland, in this Board, 

 respect to the oyster and mussel fisheries, the crab and lobster 

 fisheries, and the clam and and bait beds, had been transferred to 

 this Board, who were therefore in a position to receive and consider 

 any applications that might be made to them by persons desirous of 

 cultivating the oyster and mussel fisheries, and to afford every 

 facility for their doing so. The Board are also prepared to receive B ° s ^n°to iu 

 and consider applications for Temporary Orders to restrict or pro- receive and 

 hibit dredging for and taking oysters on certain banks or beds under consider 

 sections 5 and 6 of the Act of 1877; Temporary Orders to restrict regarding 118 

 or prohibit fishing for and taking of crabs and lobsters in certain ^J®^ 

 areas under section 10 of the same Act ; and Temporary Orders to lfe ierles ' 

 protect clam or other bait beds in certain areas from injury by any 

 beam trawl not being a dredge for oysters under the Act of 1881. 



Regulations have been made for the instruction and guidance of ^^ 1 ** i JJ s 

 persons applying for Fishery Orders under the provisions of the Fishery Orders 

 above mentioned Acts for the purpose of facilitating and system- can now be 

 atising their applications, to which are appended specimen forms a ' 

 of Orders. A copy of these regulations will be found in Appendix 

 I., and a separate print of them will be supplied on application to 

 the Secretary of the Board. 



It has been already stated that the quantity of oysters taken in 

 Scotland is very small indeed. The total number landed last year 

 only amounted to 2956J hundred; but it is to be hoped that the 

 passing of the above mentioned Act will have the effect of greatly 



