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Apjjendices to Fourth Aii'/iual Meport 



trout and salmon locally known as ' scringing,' which has terribly 

 diminished the number of sea-trout all along the Avest coast, especially in 

 the vicinity of Oban, and among the numerous islands, divided by sounds 

 and indented by sea-locbs, where detection is difficidt and escape easy. 



A well-known tenant of Scalmon fisheries, he writes, who had been fined 

 several times for having leaders out during the weekly close-time, told the 

 writer that he did not object to being fined, as it paid him well to have his 

 leaders out. There is no one in authority to act in this matter at present, and 

 if no notice is taken of the weekly close-time, naturally, with such a deadly 

 engine as the bag-net, sooner or later, it must exterminate the salmon. It 

 would be advisable, therefore, to have coast guard stations at diff'erent points 

 along the coast lines where fisheries are prosecuted. Each station should be 

 provided with a powerful steam launch, in order that the nets may, from 

 time to time, be visited to ascertain if all leaders to bag-nets are, as the law 

 directs, taken on shore every Saturday evening until Monday morning. Should 

 the working of coast guard stations, or water police, be considered, impractic- 

 able, gentlemen's gamekeepers (or some other quahfied servant) along the 

 coasts where fisheries are prosecuted could, with the consent of their employers, 

 hold a commission either from the Crown or the Public Prosecutor, in order that 

 they may watch over the fisheries. Fishery Boards were appointed in different 

 districts, but few of them now exist. Their powers also were very limited, 

 and — a most important item — they were almost destitute of funds, as a rate 

 levied from the fisheries was found to be unpopular. Consequently, if an 

 individual wished to prosecute an ofi'ender, transgressing any of the fishery 

 laws, he had to prosecute the offender at his own expense, which was not 

 always convenient. Perhaps, the simplest manner of raising funds, especially 

 in poor districts, would be to levy a license (similar to that for killing game) 

 upon all fishers for the salmonida^, whether by rod or by any other engine. 

 Licenses should also be issued (similar to the one necessary for the sale of 

 game). Then make it punishable by law for any person or persons who are 

 not properly licensed to have in their possession for sale, or expose for sale, 

 any of the salmonidre. The law, as it stands at present, is very defective 

 with regard to the actual possession of salmonidse. For instance, an individual, 

 or a boat's crew, may have in their possession a boat-load of salmonidse ; you 

 are perfectly helpless to take legal proceedings unless you can swear to having 

 personally witnessed the capture of the fish. 



Again he writes about the difficulty of preventing 'scringing' : — 



How is it possible for one or two individuals to watch, along a beach 

 extending for several miles, some hundred boats scringing for herring or other 

 fish, and so ascertain that no salmonidse are captured, unless, of course, one 

 had an enormous staff of keepers, which would entail a great expense. Some- 

 thing must be done, and that quickly, or else salmonidse, which are yearly 

 decreasing, will be a thing of the past, unless the legislation is made more 

 stringent, and when in force, steps are taken to ascertain that the law is 

 properly carried out. It is done in England, Wales, and Ireland, why not in 

 Scotland, where the salmon fisheries are about the most important in the 

 United Kingdom 1 It is an indisputable fact that for every salmon and sea- 

 trout that is now seen along our coasts and in our lakes and rivers, one saw at 

 least a dozen 30 years ago. The Government should also encourage the 

 establishment of hatcheries for salmonidse all along our coasts, as this would, 

 in a measure, improve and increase the supply of salmonidse, for which there 

 is a great demand, both for consumption and sport, and, at present, there is 

 no doubt that the demand is greater than the supply. 



As the question of ' scringing ' is a vital question for the west coast 

 fisheries for sea-trout and salmon, I beg to repeat here what I had the 

 honour to report to the Board last year, when writing about the fisheries 

 in Argyllshire and the west coast of Inverness-shire, especially as my 

 inspection of Mull has only served to confirm the views which I then 

 ex])ressed. 

 



