of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



41 



compared with the costs of larger deep sea trawlers, has led to an 

 increase of trawling in inshore waters and other prohibited areas, 

 especially in bad weather. The second reason is the great increase 

 in the use of the otter trawl by small motor fishing boats in shallow 

 inshore waters all round the coast, and especially on the East Coast 

 and in Luce Bay and the Clyde area. It has been the earnest 

 endeavour of the Board to suppress these illegal practices, and so far 

 as the resources at their disposal have permitted, they feel justified 

 in claiming that their efforts have been attended generally with 

 success. Nevertheless in certain areas the detection of offenders, 

 especially those using small motor boats, has become a matter of 

 considerable difficulty, and the Board are considering whether further 

 measures can be taken to ensure the due observance of the law. They 

 are, however, greatly hampered by financial considerations, and it is 

 with the utmost difficulty that the existing fleet can be maintained. 



Prosecutions for Illegal Trawling. 



During the year 38 prosecutions were instituted for illegal trawl- 

 ing (including seine flounder net fishing) round the Scottish coasts. 

 In 32 cases convictions were obtained. In 4 cases verdicts of 

 " Not Proven " were given, 1 case was dropped, and in the re- 

 maining case the diet was deserted simpliciter as there was only 

 one witness. No prosecutions of skippers of foreign vessels took 

 place. 



The fines imposed in the 32 cases of convictions amounted in the 

 aggregate to the sum of £1070 ; all the fines were paid, none of the 

 accused accepting the alternative of imprisonment. The fines 

 imposed ranged from £10 to £75, with an average of £33 for each 

 conviction. 



Prosecutions for other Offences. 



Prosecutions of masters of fishing vessels for offences other than 

 illegal trawling numbered 8, and in all cases convictions were secured. 

 Seven of the offences, 6 of which were committed in conjunction 

 with illegal trawling, related to the concealment of distinguishing 

 letters and numbers, the failure to exhibit the regulation lights to be 

 shown when trawling by night, and refusal to comply with the orders 

 of a Sea Fishery Officer. The fines imposed in the above cases ranged 

 from £5 to £20. The remaining case was a breach of the weekly 

 close time for herring fishing, in which instance a fine of 10s. was 

 imposed. 



Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention Act, 1909. 



The above Act, which was passed with a view to excluding 

 foreign trawlers from working in waters intra fauces of Scotland, 

 extended to the whole of the United Kingdom those provisions of 

 the Herring Fishery (Scotland) Act, 1889, which rendered illegal 

 the landing or selling in Scotland of any fish taken by trawlers in 

 prohibited areas. The administration of the Act is vested conjointly 

 in the Board and the Customs authorities. 



The Moray Firth is the largest and most important area coming 



