18 Appendices to Thirty-seventh Annual Report 



ties to prevent encroachments on the territorial waters by foreign 

 fishing craft, the enforcement of the national fishery laws and byelaws 

 was secured by means of two naval vessels specially set apart for the 

 purpose. Their commanders were described as Superintendents of the 

 Deep Sea Fishery and the Lochs and Coast Fishery respectively. The 

 former met the deep sea craft at a fixed rendezvous and secured that the 

 fishery was carried on according to the regulations, and also that order 

 was preserved among the persons employed, and that these and their 

 vessels were protected against enemies. The Superintendents were 

 appointed usually for a period of three years, and on reporting them- 

 selves to the Commissioners on appointment they signed a declaration 

 before one of the Commissioners. They were also paid a special 

 allowance in addition to their naval pay, and were thereafter under 

 the instructions of the Commissioners in so far as their fishery duties 

 were concerned. 



The Commissioners were first provided with a fishery cruiser of 

 their own, in addition to the naval vessels, in 1818, when the 

 Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty made over to them 

 " the ' Swift ' cutter, with her stores and rigging to be employed 

 permanently in their service." The services of the Deep Sea 

 Superintendent were dispensed with in 1821, and from that time 

 only one naval gunboat has been placed at the Board's disposal for 

 fishery superintendence (first H.M.S. Jackal for a long period of years, 

 and latterly and until the outbreak of war H.M.S. Ringdove). The 

 Lords of the Admiralty have on one or two occasions disputed the 

 right of the Board to have a gunboat placed exclusively at its 

 disposal, comparing its status with that of the local district fishery 

 boards in England and Wales, and questioning even its legal right under 

 the statutes, but as the result of a lengthy and exhaustive corre- 

 spondence on the subject in 1902, 1903, and 1904, the legal question was 

 submitted for the opinion of the Attorneys-General for England and 

 Wales and Ireland respectively (Sir E. B. Finlay, now Lord Finlay, 

 Lord Chancellor, and Sir Edward Caison), when they expressed the 

 view (on 20th June 1904) that the " Admiralty are bound to supply 

 a vessel if, and so far as, it is necessary to enable the Superintendent to 

 discharge his duties imposed on him by Section 9 of 55 Geo. III. c. 94." 

 In so far as Their Lordships are concerned there the position remains. 



The Board have, however, added to the single vessel originally 

 gifted to them by Their Lordships, and at the present moment 

 they own five fishery cruisers and one scientific vessel. This 

 has been rendered possible by the provision of a sum of £15,000 per 

 annum from the Local Taxation (Scotland) Account under an Act 

 passed in 1898 (61 and 62 Vic. c. 56). The vessels fly the blue ensign 

 of H.M. Fleet, with the badge of the Board on the Fly under Admiralty 

 Warrant. The officers of the vessels are appointed by the Board, 

 and after a month's probation the Commanding Officers are presented 

 to the Treasury for appointment as " Superintendents of the Fishery " 

 (vide Herring Fishery Act, 1860, Sec. 3), and all the Executive Officers 

 are appointed " Sea Fishery Officers " by warrant of the Board of 

 Trade. 



The only officer who holds a permanent post is the Board's Marine 

 Superintendent, and he only is entitled to a superannuation allowance. 

 It may be stated, however, that in 1911 a scheme of allowances for 



