Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxi 



8s. 3d.; that the value of cod and ling cured was £132,800 ; of 

 other white fish sold fresh, £002,556 ; of shell fish, £73,287 ; and of 

 salmon, £280,884 — the gross total value of the sea and salmon Value of Sea 

 fisheries of Scotland for the year 1886 thus being £2,550,778, SiS° n 

 8s. 3d. 



It will be further seen by this Report that the number of Persons em- 

 persons employed in connection with the deep-sea fisheries last P lo y ed - 

 year was 97,612; that the number of boats and vessels engaged Boats and 

 was 15,344; and that the estimated amount of capital invested in -^e^ed. 

 boats and vessels, nets, and lines, was £1,794,957. 



BYE-LAW FOR CLOSING CERTAIN TERRITORIAL 

 WATERS AGAINST BEAM TRAWLING. 



The Bye-Law which came into force on 5th April 1886, regard- Bye-Law in 

 ing which full information was given in the Board's last Report, ful1 °P eratlon - 

 prohibiting beam trawling in the Firth of Forth, St Andrews 

 Bay, the Firth of Tay, and Aberdeen Bay, has been in full opera- 

 tion since that time. 



After it was passed, its provisions were publicly made known, its Provisions 

 and all persons warned of the penalties to which they were liable known, U and ly 

 if they infringed them. This was done by advertisements in the enclosed 

 newspapers, by placards posted up at the different districts along ]^ted Pr °" 

 the coasts of the prescribed waters, and by the fishery officers. 

 The closed area was protected in the first instance by the Board's 

 cruiser ' Vigilant,' under Captain M'Donald ; and on her services 

 being temporarily required for fishery superintendence at another 

 part of the coast, her place was filled during her absence by H.M. 

 cutter 'Active,' granted for the purpose by the Admiral Super- 

 intendent of Naval Reserves. The 'Active' was under the com- 

 mand of Mr William Sherlock. 



In the meantime a number of complaints were made that the Infringement 

 Bye-Law was being infringed. Into each of these complaints the B e ^ e " Lawby 

 Board made full inquiry, and on its being ascertained that several Trawlers, and 

 trawlers had been fishing in the closed waters on the Aberdeen- ^^ r a s n 5 rose " 

 shire and Forfarshire coasts, legal proceedings were taken against fined, 

 the masters in the Sheriff Court of Aberdeen, and the result 

 was that they were all convicted and fined. In consequence, 

 however, of further complaints being made that the Bye-Law was 

 disregarded, it was arranged that, as the ' Vigilant ' is a sailing 

 vessel, and unable to follow up any steam trawlers who might be 

 seen illegally fishing in the prescribed area, H.M. steam ship 

 ' Jackal ' be transferred from the West Coast to the East Coast, and 

 that the ' Vigilant ' take her place on the West Coast. It is hoped 

 that this arrangement will have the desired effect. 



In connection with this matter, ic may be here mentioned that * Garland ' en- 

 the steam tender ' Garland,' which, as stated in last year's report, had ? aged m ? iak " 



i i -iii-rw i i • ■ ■ n in S examina- 



been purchased by the Board to make systematic examination oftionofen- 

 the enclosed waters, with the view of ascertaining whether beam closed waters 

 trawling is an injurious mode of fishing, was fitted up with the 

 necessary appliances for this purpose, and that she has been engaged 

 in carrying on the work contemplated. Particulars regarding this 



