Report on Salmon Fisheries. 
XI 
1 end of which has boon that a good many of thoni have been 
' detected and convicted of fishing illegally during the weekly close 
k time and also during the annual close time, after the fishing 
1 season lias closed on 26th August. That is my knowledge 
' of this hang-net fishing. All that the Fishery Board receives 
1 for protecting the fish so as to give a supply of salmon to 
' upwards of 100 men during that time is some £2, 19s. a year 
' from four proprietors of fishings where hang-nets are used below 
' Alloa. Since these nets have been so extensively used a number 
' of the fishings have been falling in rental every year. I may 
' mention one very important fishing that used to let at £1100 or 
' £1200 and is now let at £725. Now that is a great sweep off the 
' assessment for protection purposes, and undoubtedly will tell, 
' because if che assessment is not kept up, it is impossible the 
■ watching staff can be kept up, and if it suffers the whole fishings 
' will suffer. Lord Dunmore only gets £8 a year rental for all 
' this great damage. There are four proprietors. Tulliallan, I 
' think is let at £10. The assessment of £2, 19s., which is 10 per 
' cent, represents a total rental of £30.' 
It certainly does seem a monstrous thing that the lessees of the 
fishings of these four proprietors, who pay altogether a rental of 
only £30 a year, should be entitled to sublet to an unlimited 
number of men and boats, a right to fish for salmon with hang-nets 
in such a way as practically to bar the passage of the fish to the 
waters above; to materially reduce the value of the upper fisheries; 
and to cripple the income of the District Board by the utterly in- 
significant sum which they contribute for the protection of the 
river. What has happened in the Forth may happen in many other 
rivers in Scotland, with effects equally disastrous to the salmon 
fisheries.* 
During the summer and autumn of 1889, Mr Young, Inspector Mr Young's 
of Salmon Fisheries, inspected several of the rivers on the east ^^oast 1 ° 
coast of Scotland and met the Clerks of the Tay and Dee and Don rivers. 
District Boards with the view of ascertaining their opinion regard- 
ing the clauses that would be required in the event of a Bill being 
brought in to prevent the illicit traffic in salmon from Scotland to 
English and foreign markets ; there being more traffic of that kind 
from these districts than from any other Fishery Districts in 
Scotland. The following clause was approved of by the Tay 
District Board on 4th October 1889: — Every person who, in any 
District of Scotland during the extension of the time for rod-fishing 
in force therein, sells, or offers, or exposes for sale, or, not being an 
owner or having the authority of an owner of fishings, has in his 
possession any salmon or part of a salmon, shall be liable to a 
penalty not exceeding £o, and to a farther penalty not exceeding 
£2, for every salmon or part of a salmon so sold, or offered, or 
exposed for sale, or found in possession; and any salmon or part of 
a salmon so sold, or offered, or exposed for sale, or found in posses- 
* Lord Trayner, after proof taken, on the 23rd May, 1890, in the case of ' The Earl 
of Wemyss and Others v. The Earl of Zetland and Others,' assoilzied the defenders 
with expenses, holding that the case was ruled by the decision in the case of 
'Masters of Allan's Mortification v. Thomson,' in which the legality of using hang- 
nets in the Forth was affirmed. A Reclaiming Note has, however, been lodged 
against this decision. 
