Fishery Board for Scotland 



xiii 



provided a ship of war to assist in the work of superintendence, and Scientific 

 in 1815, a cutter was obtained for use in the Firth of Forth. This Investi g ations - 

 cutter was afterwards made use of at other parts of the coast. Fishery 



The various officers were instructed, amongst other duties, fco Cruisers ; 

 enforce the regulations as to the size of the mesh of the nets ; and {Jl^f 0118 to 

 ' to take account of the quantity of salt, nets, barrels, and other 

 ' stores, and of herrings landed, of barrels of white herrings branded 

 ' for the bounty of 2s. per barrel, of repacked white herrings shipped, 

 ' to be carried coastwise for exportation, and of white herrings 

 ' shipped for exportation.' 



It is claimed in the Eeports of the Commissioners, as the result Results of 

 of many undersized nets being • seized, condemned, and publicly ^j[ 1 ^ 1 s lllcr ' 

 ' burned,' that the size and quality of the herring found in the market 

 were greatly improved. What influence the Commissioners had in 

 improving the supply of fish, and in developing the fisheries, cannot 

 well be estimated, but there can be no doubt that in collecting 

 statistics they rendered, as is now universally recognised, an 

 immense service. As a matter of fact, the statistics of the Scottish Value of 

 herring fishery were, until recent years, the only reliable statistics gJatfstics 

 in existence, and now they are admitted to be of sufficient value to 

 have justified the existence of the Board of Fisheries, even if the 

 other work performed were left out of consideration. From the 

 statistics collected, a valuable chart (Appendix A, Table VIII.) has Chart showing 

 been prepared by Mr Robertson, one of the clerks of the Board, ^Jjg' &c ' 5 of 

 which shows at a glance the barrels of herring cured, exported, and since 1809. 

 branded from 1809 to 1882. 



In 1820 the fishery officers were instructed to take the cod and Cod and Ling 

 ling fishery under their charge; in 1821 the bounty for encourag- -^nSes re- ' 

 ing deep sea fishing was withdrawn; and in 1830 all the bounties pealed, 

 were repealed, and a portion of the money set aside for the erection 

 of piers and harbours. In 1839 the Secretary of the Board of 

 Manufactures was appointed Secretary of the Fishery Com- 

 missioners. Soon after this the Commissioners were led to depart 

 from their routine work, and direct their attention to some of the 

 too long neglected scientific problems connected with the fisheries. 



In 1836 the sprat fishing in the Firth of Forth greatly increased, Beginning of 

 and the small nets used led to complaints being made that the scientlfic work - 

 herring fishing was being destroyed. The Commissioners wisely 

 appealed to Dr Knox, in order to learn if sprats were, as was 

 asserted, young herring. Dr Knox having reported that sprats Nature of 

 were distinct from the herring, the Commissioners at first decided 1^^^. 

 not to interfere; but when in 1837 there were more herring than 

 sprats in the Firth, they at once with the aid of a gunboat put a 

 stop to the sprat fishing. This question led the Commissioners to 

 take an interest in the young herring, and in 1842, influenced 

 by the facts that reached them regarding the natural history of 

 the herring, they felt the necessity of taking steps to protect the Protection of 

 herring fry, and to prevent small herrings being caught as sprats. Hemil 8" F r y- 

 By way of gaining some definite information about the growth, 

 food, and habits of the herring, Mr Henry Goodsir made arrange- 

 ments to carry on investigations in the Firth of Forth. With 

 this object in view, Mr Goodsir spent what time he had at his inquiry by Mr 

 disposal, during 1843-4 on the Island of May. From the observa- ^ r eury Good_ 



