of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



407 



Lochfyno fishing. These nets were dragged in the southern waters 

 between the island 'Vale Drivaad.' Though these drag-nets arc like the 

 beam-trawl, the waters in which they are used are so shallow that the effect 

 of their use on the fishing is important. 



The Commission of 1873, whose work formed the basis of the New 

 Fishery Law, proposed the prohibition of every kind of drag-net in the 

 southern waters of Denmark. This proposal was strongly resisted by 

 some, because it was alleged that excellent results had been obtained by 

 seine fishing. The opinion of most of the fishermen is that this mode of 

 fishing has done great harm. Though fishermen do not agree as to the 

 diminution of the quantity of eels, yet it is a fact that these are much 

 smaller than formerly, and besides the mesh of the net is now much 

 smaller than it was at the beginning of this mode of fishing. 



It is likewise believed that it has been detrimental in southern waters 

 by setting the whole mass of eggs and fry in the shallow depths in 

 motion. The great development of the different methods of fishing, by 

 seine net and fixed engine, has caused a diminution in the quality as well 

 as in the quantity of fish, but this deterioration is specially due to the 

 drag-nets. 



In the Cattegat it is somewhat different. There the plaice trawl-fishing 

 in the eastern waters has diminished very considerably, the plaice and 

 soles caught at certain seasons being fewer in number than hitherto, and 

 the valuable fish which are caught being very small. Nevertheless, in the 

 autumn, the fishing at times is very productive, probably because of the 

 migration of the fish that seek the shallower seas at this season. 



The following statistics show the average catch of plaice (in scores) per 

 day by 20 boats fishing in Aarborg Bay. 



1888 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 

 61 63 79 76 85 62 52 35 



The seine trawl fishing was begun in 1881, and till 1883 it was 

 productive. Since the latter date it has diminished. 



Most of the fishermen agree that the lines and nets do not catch so 

 many as the seine does, but they say that the quality of the plaice caught 

 by the first is superior to that of those obtained by the seine, and the 

 quantities are more constant. Consequently they desire restrictions on 

 seine-fishing, but a great part of the Cattegat is outside of the territorial 

 waters, to which the law can only be applied. Custom alone maintains 

 the continuation of seine-trawling in the Cattegat, as the price received 

 for trawled fish is very low, and custom prevents other methods of fishing, 

 till there is a general agreement among fishermen on the question. 



Practically, till now seine-trawling has been carried on without any 

 restriction (save in the Limfjord), and it is not yet absolutely forbidden. 

 The law of 5th August 1888 contains only the most necessary restrictions, 

 and prohibits in southern waters the use of trawls during March, April 

 and May, ?.e.,the time when most of the fish are ripe. In the Cattegat it 

 is prohibited from 1st June till 15 th August, when the smaller plaice are 

 found in the shallow water. 



The Danish authorities believe that the fisheries have suffered much up 

 to the present time because of the want of proper regulations, and they 

 point in proof to the Limfjord, where restrictions have been in force for 

 200 years, and where the fishing has been conserved and remains pro- 

 ductive. The law contains a number of other regulations on points 

 which are less interesting for the Scottish fisheries, such as the regulations 

 for Danish and Swedish subjects entitled to fish in certain localities, the 

 right of individuals to have certain ground marked off by buoys, mutual 

 regulations as regards drag-nets and fixed engines, the right of proprietors 



