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Appendices to Thirtieth Annual Report 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1911 was £533 10s. 



2. The assessment levied was £26 13s. 6d. 



3. One water bailiff employed. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follow : — There were 



three prosecutions for failing to observe the Aveekly close time. In one 

 case the fine was £30 and £1 of expenses, in another £6 and £1 of 

 expenses ; the third was abandoned, it being discovered that the 

 contravention was committed in a different fishery and by a different 

 tenant from the one libelled in the indictment. The prosecutions were 

 undertaken by the Fishmongers' Company of London with consent of the 

 Clerk to the Board. The fines were paid over to the funds of the Board 

 and the Fishmongers' Company paid the expenses of the prosecution. 

 The contraventions of the weekly close time referred to above were com- 

 mitted by certain lessees setting their leaders to sea nets in the small 

 hours of Monday mornings — a practice hitherto unsuspected. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



1. Dam dykes disused, built, or in prospect: — None. 



2. Are the bye4aws observed in every case ? — The bye4aws are fairly well 



observed in the district. 



3. Fish passes built or in prospect : — None. 



4. Natural obstructions not yet dealt with : — None. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are : — A certain amount of pollution still goes on 

 from the water percolating through the ground from a shut-down disused 

 coal mine which went on fire and was drowned out by the accumulating 

 water. This water is not so highly impregnated with sulphate of 

 iron and other noxious elements as at first, and though the effects of it 

 are still distinctly noticeable when the river is low, it does not now seem 

 to destroy fish life. In July, 1911, another source of pollution was 

 discovered in the Maybole Sewage Works owing to various serious 

 defects not only in the sludge pits and filtration beds connected with 

 the works, but also in the piping system leading to the tanks. It was 

 found that advantage was being taken of the overflows to allow crude 

 household and tan work sewage to find its way to the river by means of 

 an open burn. On one occasion the discharge was so bad that all the 

 fish in the Abbeymill Burn (a spawning tributary stream) were destroyed 

 — quantities of dead fish being taken out. This source of pollution is 

 in course of being remedied by additional works to be carried out by 

 Maybole Town Council under agreement with the riparian proprietors, 

 but only after the latter had taken opinion of Counsel and intimated 

 proceedings for interdict and damages. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. No disease. 



The Spawning" Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning late in November this year. 



2. The greatest number spawned in December. 



3. Spawning ceased about the end of December. 



4. As regards numbers of breeding fish, and state of the water, the past 



spawning season is regarded as average, though not so good as the last 

 two seasons. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in early April. 



2. As a smolt year 1911 was average. 



Note. — As on other occasions, Mr. Calderwood kindly offered his services to 

 the riparian proprietors in connection with the Maybole sewage pollution 

 before referred to, and they appointed him their arbiter m the event of negotia- 

 tions taking that course and a reference becoming necessary. 



