viii 



Report on Salmon Fisheries. 



It is stated on good authority that the falling off in the Tay 

 rental for 1889 will be as great as that in 1888 when compared 

 with 1887 ; or £5000 in 2 years. But it must be kept in mind 

 that the Tay fishings have been made the subject of a good deal of 

 speculative bidding during the last few years ; and also it seems 

 not improbable that the extensive illicit traffic in salmon, which has 

 now been carried on at Newburgh and other places on the Tay 

 for many years, against which the existing Salmon Fishery Acts, as 

 interpreted by the decisions of the Courts, afford no protection 

 whatever, may at length have severely injured the regular and legal 

 fishing. 



Alteration of Afterthisseason, by Order under Secretary for Scotland's hand, the 

 the Tay? e ° n Tay will be includedin the largest and earliest group of Scotch Salmon 

 Rivers, and its fishing season will be from 27th August to 10th 

 February, with extension of time for rod-fishing until 31st October. 

 This year, the season commenced on 5th February, and will con- 

 tinue until 27th August. 



During 1888, the following rivers have also had their close time 

 altered by Order under the Secretary for Scotland's hand, published 

 in the Edinburgh Gazette, viz., the Helmsdale, Halladale, Strathy, 

 Naver, and Borgie (see Note I. to the Inspector's Eeport for 1888). 



Sparling Smacks on Tay. — Many complaints have been made 

 for a good many years past that the fishermen in the sparling 

 smacks on the Tay, while nominally fishing for sparlings, really 

 catch in their nets and appropriate and sell a great quantity of 

 salmon ; and the Board observe that an action, at the instance 

 of the Tay District Board, against a number of these fishermen, is 

 now in dependence before the Court of Session. The proprietors 

 and tacksmen of salmon fishing on the Tay contend that if 

 sparling fishing is to be permitted at all in salmon fishing waters, 

 there should be a close time for sparlings extending from February 

 until October. They also maintain that the sparling-nets should 

 be so constructed and used as to prevent the capture of salmon. 

 Some obstruc- Obstructions made passable on West Coast of Sutherland. — The In- 

 mended tobe spector's suggestions, made in former years, for opening up to sea- 

 removed have trout several lochs in the neighbourhood of Eiconich Inn, by clearing 

 been removed. Qut ^ c h anne i s 0 f the burns that connect them with the sea have 

 now been successfully carried out ; and, between Scourie and 

 Kylesku Ferry, the Falls on the Duartmore River have been made 

 passable, and several lochs above are now frequented in the season 

 by the migratory Salmonidm. (For details respecting these im- 

 provements, see the Inspector's Report of 1888 to the Board, 

 pages 31-2.) 



Salmon Fish- A Salmon Fisheries Consolidation and Amendment Bill was laid 

 L?gisiTw d before Parliament by the Secretary for Scotland in the end of last 



* There is also in dependence an action by the Tay Hoard against the use of 

 Hang-nets in the river Tay. These nets are included under the definition of ' Fixed 

 ' Engines ' in the interpretation clause of the Tweed Fisheries Act of 1857. But as 

 there is no definition of what constitutes a fixed engine in the Salmon Fisheries 

 (Scotland) Acts of 1862 and 1868, there may require to be a proof whether a hang- 

 net is, or is not, of the nature of a fixed engine. As to the destructive effects of 

 hang-nets on river fisheries, the English Inspectors point out, in their Fourteenth 

 Annual Report, that they, in a few years, reduced the annual yield of salmon in the 

 Tyne from 129,100 to 21,746 ; after which a bye-law was passed restricting the area of 

 their operations, since which time the Tyne Fisheries have very greatly improved. 



