of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
399 
Cliief Inspector of Fisheries, a series of the Annual Reports of the Depart- 
ment have been sent to the Fishery Board. The Fishery Commissioners 
are five in number, Dr J. C. Cox being President, and the staff numbers 
thirty-seven persons. There is a Chief Inspector (who is also the 
Secretary), two Divisional Inspectors, a Travelling Inspector, eleven 
Assistant Inspectors, ten Acting Assistant Inspectors, and three Assistant 
Inspectors for Inland Waters. In the last-published Report* it is stated 
that the efforts at fish-acclimatisation have met with considerable success, 
especially in introducing trout-fry. It is proposed to introduce some of 
the American Salmonidae. In New South Wales the oyster industry has 
received considerable attention. Almost all the coast waters are oyster- 
bearing ; but the largest beds are at Port Stephens, the Hawkesbury, 
Clarence, and Clyde rivers. In 1883 the Fisheries Commissioners drew 
up a Bill for the Development and Regulation of the Fisheries, and the 
Preservation and Culture of Oysters — the Fisheries Act then in force 
being considered imperfect. By this Bill powers were given to the Com- 
missioners to institute close-times, to regulate the mesh of nets, &c., to 
prevent the sale of immature fish (the minimum standard being a certain 
weight — not a measurement — for the various kinds of fish), to issue licenses 
to fishermen engaged in fishing for lobsters, crabs, or prawns (as in 
Canada), Szc. In regard to oysters, it was provided that plans should be 
prepared of all estuaries and creeks, and that a system of crown leases 
for oyster culture should be established. By the ' Oyster Fisheries Act, 
* 1884,' the indiscriminate dredging of oysters (under licence), which was 
working great havoc, was ^topped, and a system of leasing the oyster- 
bearing areas was substituted, ' the Crown, on its part, affording to the 
' lessees such an absolute control over their leased areas, and such com- 
* plete protection against trespass,' that the Commissioners were warranted 
in expecting increased supplies. Within five months from the Act 
becoming law, 700 applications were made, the area applied for represent- 
ing 505,000 lineal yards of foreshore ; by the end of the year, 1831 leases 
were applied for. The lesees hold their areas at a nominal rental of 20s. 
for every 100 lineal yards of foreshore, and as these areas extend into 
deep water on an average quite 800 yards, and sometimes 600 yards, the 
area leased for this sum represents from 6 to 12 acres. Up to December 
1887, a royalty of 3s. on each bag of oysters was collected, but this 
royalty was then abolished. 
It appears that these measures of the Government have not been suc- 
cessful. The yield of Colonial oysters, and the imports for the five years 
1885-1889, are as follows :— 
Yield of Native 
Beds. Imports. 
1885, . . 12,801 bags 
1886, . . 14,774 „ 4,906 bags 
1887, . . 9,864 ,, 4,768 „ 
1888, . . 9,184 „ 13,318 „ 
1889, . . 6,914 ,, 11,261 „ 
The imports are almost exclusively from Xew Zealand and Queensland 
The falling off in the production of native oysters seems to be due partly 
to improvidence of many lessees, partly to unfavourable weather, and 
partly to the ravages of disease. There has been a decreased revenue 
from oyster leases, and the lessees are in arrears to the Government to the 
extent of £1990. In 1889 the revenue derived under the Fisheries Act 
and the Oyster Fisheries Act was £3247, lis. 5d. ; of this sum £2492, 
* * Fisheries of the Colony of New South Wales.' Report of the. Coramisd<yners of 
Fisheries for the Year ending Zlst December 1889, Sydney, 1890. 
