of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



7 



recovery of a full breeding stock takes years, but in 1908 an 

 increase equal at least to the number of fish previously taken by 

 nets should be secured, and from those fish the first returns should 

 begin to appear in 1912. As a trouting river the Deveron is 

 famous, but fears need not be entertained by trout fishers that the 

 increase of salmon will injure the trout stock. The excellent feed- 

 ing grounds of trout will be shared by the salmon par no doubt, 

 but there is no reasonable argument of which I am aware to show 

 that the presence of salmon is detrimental to trout. All proprietors of 

 salmon fishing in the Deveron will in time be beneficiaries by the 

 action of those who have successfully carried through the purchase 

 of the nets, and it is to be hoped that all will assist in furthering 

 the general interests of the district. In the Dee, in spite of the 

 material increase in value to all heritors, complaint has occasion- 

 ally been heard that the financial burden is not fully and 

 equitably distributed owing to one or two declining to bear their 

 shares, and it has been urged, with reason, that in an operation 

 which results in benefit to all, contributions pro rata should 

 reasonably be expected. As I have already stated, the recom- 

 mendations of Lord Elgin's Commission embody the suggestion 

 that in future District Fishery Boards should have powers to 

 assess in this manner. 



In the case of the Tay a very considerable reduction of netting Tay. 

 has already been brought about, first, by the agreement of pro- 

 prietors to desist from netting above the Linn of Campsie, and, 

 second, by the operations of the Tay Salmon Fisheries Company in 

 gaining control of almost all the lower water available for netting. 

 In those lower waters they do not fish so much as when competition 

 between various tacksmen obtained. In addition to this, the 

 Company cease netting between the Linn of Campsie and the Bridge 

 of Perth, i.e., in all purely fresh water, on 31st May each year, 

 and before 31st May they allow a weekly close time of 60 hours. 



In the Awe, while six nets are still at work, one in the river at Awe. 

 the mouth and the others in Loch Etive at short distances from 

 the river mouth, an agreement has been come to by w T hich netting 

 is confined to twelve hours during the day — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

 A 40-hours' weekly close time is, in addition, allowed from 6 p.m. 

 on Saturday to 10 a.m. on Monday. 



In the South Esk all river nets were removed some years ago, South EsU. 

 and last year this arrangement was continued for another period. 

 No netting is now carried on above Rossie Mill, in Montrose Basin, 

 two miles below the actual mouth of the river. Much injury to 

 the stock of fish has, however, been caused in the upper waters 

 by the use of dynamite in the hands of unscrupulous persons. 



In the Annan and the Ayr all sweep nets have been entirety Annan and 

 removed from the rivers. A y r - 



In the case of the Girvan and of the Doon the question of Girvan and 

 removing not only the river nets but the sea nets (fixed engines) Doon - 

 has been under consideration by the proprietors. I referred in my 

 last annual report to the peculiar conditions of the estuary of the 

 Doon in relation to the neighbouring bag nets, pointing out that 

 while the actual mouth of the river is slowly shifting northwards 



