6 



Appendices to Twenty -fifth Annual Report 



circumstance that private sporting interests should combine to 

 secure the end aimed at in the Commission's recommendation. 



In my last report I referred at considerable length to the 

 Deveron, and pointed out that, in my opinion, the two reasons for 

 the backward condition of the river's fisheries were the unusually 

 obstructive bar at the mouth, and the netting. The bar not only 

 prevented the easy ascent of salmon but materially reduced the 

 influence of the fresh water upon the sea in the bay, a great 

 amount of percolation through the extensive gravel bar taking 

 place, and the concentrated flow of the river being seriously 

 reduced. On 13th June I again visited the river mouth, and on 

 this occasion found that the lagoon behind the bar no longer 

 formed a part of the river channel to the sea, and that the current 

 now flowed in a direct line from Banff Bridge into the sea, thus 

 affecting a marked improvement. A storm having injured the 

 retaining wall of Low Shore Street in Banff, the Town Council had, at 

 trifling cost, dug a direct mouth for the river so as to affect repairs. 

 Already, by the constant action of the sea, the old river mouth was 

 completely closed up. The lagoon behind the bar was also in great 

 part filled in, and the general appearance of the river mouth was 

 completely altered. The intention of the Town Council originally 

 was to reopen the old mouth, but owing to prospective changes in 

 the ownership of the netting rights in the neighbourhood and an 

 altered policy in regulating the same, the artificially-cut mouth 

 has been allowed to remain. In spite of several winter storms, the 

 new mouth retains its position at the time of writing. If, as 

 suggested in my last year's report, it is not found possible to 

 permanent establish the mouth by the erection of some suitable 

 breakwater, I am of opinion that the District Fishery Board, or 

 the heritors, would do well to counteract at intervals the silting 

 action and to maintain the direct run into the sea. 



With regard to the question of the removal and regulation of 

 the netting in the district, I may state that through last 

 summer negotiations have been in progress with the object of 

 securing to the proprietors a complete control. In my visit to the 

 district in June, I had the opportunity of meeting with the various 

 proprietors interested and of discussing the merits of this question. 



I am now able to report that early this year negotiations were 

 successfully completed by which all netting in the river and in 

 Banff Bay, inside a line between the towns of Banff and Macduff, 

 will be suspended in future. The proprietors who have combined 

 with the object of securing a better stock of salmon in the district 

 have bought all the netting rights in the locality referred to. 

 They have then sold the sea fishings outside of the line mentioned, 

 and are to convey the river fishings to their original owner with 

 the condition attached that rod and line fishing will alone be 

 employed. During the present fishing season netting will continue 

 as formerly, but from 27th August onwards the river and the Bay 

 of Banff will be free of nets. With the complete purchase of these 

 nets the prospect of an increased stock of fish is certain. The 

 increase will not appear at once in the form of a great multiplication 

 of salmon, for the breeding stock is at present much reduced, and 



