oj the Fishen^y Board for Scotland. 



59 



APPENDIX IIL 



THE OBSERVANCE OF THE WEEKLY CLOSE TIME. 



A Rbpout by Mr. W. L. Calderwood, Inspector of Salmon Fisheries 

 FOR Scotland, on an Examination of certain Coast Salmon 

 Fisheries. 



Complaints have frequently been received concerning the non-observance 

 of the weekly close time, more especially at distant or isolated parts of 

 the coast. It frequently happens that such portions of coast can only 

 be reached with great difficulty, by land — in the North- West Highlands 

 indeed, it frequently happens that there is no road within many miles — 

 so that local supervision is extremely difficult. Also the fact that a 

 certain amount of the wages received by bag-net fishermen is in the form 

 of fish-money is in itself an inducement for men in remote localities to 

 allow their nets to remain in position over the Sunday, with or without 

 the knowledge of the tacksman. 



In order to ascertain the actual conditions, in so far as these could be 

 learned from a surprise visit made to many points of coast during a single 

 close time, I arranged, with the consent of the Fishery Board and their 

 responsible officials, to obtain information by means of the four Fishery 

 cruisers and H.M.S. " Jackal," allocating a certain section of coast 

 to each vessel, and arranging that each should commence operations at the 

 same time. I myself acted as observer on board the cruiser "Vigilant." 

 Unfortunately a fog occurred on the Saturday on which observations 

 were to commence, and although this lifted in great measure, it continued 

 in certain localities to such an extent as to seriously interfere with the 

 work. On account of this fog the cruiser *' Minna " found it impossible 

 to leave her anchorage in Cromarty Firth. 



The reports from the four other vessels are as follows : — 



[Table. 



