Fishery Board for Scotland. 
xli 
It has been pointed out in foriuer reports rhiit tlie Board havc^ impossible to 
found it impossible to prevent trawling in the proscribed waters, ^Ifi^^ without 
mainly owing to their not having a sufficient staff of cruisers; and sufficient stafl" 
they regret to say that numerous complaints were received in the 
course of last year, of the confcinucjd infringement of the law by 
trawlers. They have, therefore, deemed it necessary again to draw 
attention to this matter; and their views are fully st.itad under 
'Marine Police and Fishery Superintendence/ on pages xxxvii- 
viii hereof, to which reference is made. 
The experiments instituted by the Board in order to ascertain Experiments 
the influence of beam trawline on the fish supply of the territorial to influence 
1 1 11- L^ -i^ 1 1 I- 1 ,. 01 trawling on 
waters have been contmued during the year. J^ull particulars or fish supply, 
this work will be founJ under Scientific Investigations, forming 
Part III. of this Report. 
Each of the complaints of trawling in the closed waters men- complaints 
tinned above was fully considered by the Board, and ^^^^never ^^g^^^^^t traw- 
it appeared to them that the evidence in support of a complaint iu^proIcribed° 
was well founded, the case was reported to the Procurator-Fiscal of waters, 
the county where the offence was committed, informing him at the 
same time that the Board were of opinion that, in the interest of 
the fisheries, the alleged offenders should be prosecuted. 
From Appendix E, No. IIL, which is a return of proB.^cutions Return of 
against beam trawl vessels last year for alleged infringement of the agaSliir^d 
bye-laws of the Board, or the provisions of the Herring Fishery offenders. ^^^^ 
(Scotland) Act, 1889, prohibiting beam trawling within certain 
waters round the coasts of Scotland, it will be seen that thirty- 
eight trawlers were tried for contravention of the bye-laws and 
Act referred to. Thirty-four of these were found guilty, and fined 
in sums varying from £1 to £30, and one not guilty, while three of 
the charges were found not proven. The nets were also forfeited 
in two cases. The total amount of the fines was £257. 
The Board would strongly recommend fishermen, when they see Fishermen 
a trawler fishing within the proscribed waters, to endeavour to ^^^^^^^^^^ s**^ 
such evidence of the fact as would lead to the conviction of the 
offender, and communicate the particulars of the case to one of the 
Board's officers or commanders of superintending cruisers, who will 
at once report it to the Board. 
HARBOURS. 
The state of the Harbour Works in progress, with which the 
Board are connected, during the year 1890, is as follows : — 
PORTKNOCKIE HARBOUR, BaNFFSHIRE. — The WOrks as contracted Poi-tknockie 
for by Messrs Morrison & Son, have been finished, and in addition ^^^^^j^^^J^j^^ 
a quay on the south side of the harbour has been erected, and the pieted! 
heights of some rocks near the entrance have been reduced. The 
Board also authorised a small additional expenditure in excavating 
some rocks outside of the harbour, which w<)rk will be carried out by 
the harbour authority as opportunities offer. The harbour has been Description 
built according to a design by Messrs D. & T. Stevenson, C.E., and thereof, 
consists of a pier about 400 feet in length with an L head 90 feet 
in length, extending into a depth of 12 feet at low water, and an 
d 
