136 



Appendices to Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



APPENDIX III. 

 SALMON FISHERIES. 



MR. CALDERWOOD'S REPORT. 



Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 Edinburgh, February 1921. 



I have the honour to submit my annual report, being for the year 

 1920, on the various points which appear to require special notice in 

 connection with the salmon fisheries of Scotland. 



On the general question of the productivity of the fisheries in 

 question, the records of weight of salmon carried to market have been 

 received since the year 1894. This enables us to show five quinquennial 

 periods and to compare these with the two last years. 



A glance at the accompanying chart of curves will show the steady 

 and, in my view, alarming drop in the 27 years. 



The fluctuations from year to year will be seen in the more detailed 

 curves dealing with four sections of the coast, contained in the Board's 

 section of the report (p. 58). The curve of averages, however, gives 

 a more concise view of the general decline, and speaks for itself. 

 The great rise in the price of salmon has made it possible for netsmen 

 still to obtain satisfactory financial results, but the chart speaks 

 eloquently as to the stock of fish. Looked at from the point of view 

 of rental, 8 of the leading districts may be compared as under : — 





. 1915 



1916 



1917 



1918 



1919 



1920 





£ 



£ 



£ 



£ 



£ 



£ 



Tweed 



. 16,104 



16,124 



15,686 



15,268 



15,309 



15,416 



Tay 



. 24,105 



23,622 



22,849 



21,599 



21,618 



21,618 



South Esk 



. 3,438 



3,36J[ 



3,356 



3,418 



3,443 



3,813 



Dee 



. 18,953 



18,641 



17,673 



17,405 



17,117 



17,491 



Don 



. 4,351 

 . 11,507 



4,205 



4,319 



4,214 



3,858 



4,047 



Spey 



9,844 



9,867 



9,793 



10,354 



10,354 



Kyle . 



. 4,545 



4,425 



4,353 



4,370 



4,452 



4,452 



Annan 



2 272 



2,262 



2,262 



2,124 



2,123 



2,125 





85,275 



82,484 



80,365 



78,191 



78,274 



79,316 



There is shown a recovery since 1918, but the last year still shows a 

 decline of £5900, from conditions at the beginning of the war. 



Practice of Net and Coble Fishing. 



I referred in my last annual report to the case which had been 

 decided before the Lord Justice-Clerk and three other judges of the 



