Houses

SALMON

AND

FRESHWATER FISHERIES BILL.

Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of His Majesty.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY DARLING & SON, LTD., 34-40, BACON STREET, E.

And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
WYMAN AND SONS, LID., FETTER LANE, E.C.,
and 32, ABINGDON STREET, WESTMINISTER, S.W.;
or OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH;

or E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN.

1907.

[Cd. 3518.] Price d.

SALMON

AND

FRESHWATER FISHERIES BILL.

This Bill is introduced with a view to enable some of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Salmon Fisheries appointed in 1900 to be carried out by means of Provisional Orders in any district where those locally interested may desire it. In itself the Bill makes no change in the existing law. The most important of the recommendations of that Commission were :—

(1) That the Local Fishery Boards should have

increased powers of raising the funds necessary for
the protection and improvement of the fisheries;
(2) That for the better development of salmon fisheries
netting in narrow waters should be more restricted
than is practicable under the existing law; and
(3) That to maintain an adequate supply of salmon for
commercial purposes provision should be made for
authorising the Local Fishery Boards, under proper
restrictions, to set up fisheries on the sea coast by
methods which under existing law would be
illegal.

The Royal Commissioners emphasised very strongly indeed the See Cd. 1188, need for improving the incomes of Fishery Boards. They also pp. 11 & 12. reported that experience had shown that where the principles PP. 34 to 39. underlying recommendations (2) and (3) have been adopted they have been followed by a marked improvement both in the net and in the rod fishing, and they were of opinion that the general adoption of such principles would result in securing a fair distribution of fish in all parts of the rivers and in the building up of a considerable national industry on our shores. pointed out, however, that such an industry can only be properly developed if the fishermen are permitted to use the methods which are employed outside the limits of the estuaries in Scotland and Norway, viz., fixed nets.

They

In order to avoid the difficulties involved in an amendment of the law applicable to the whole country, it has been thought desirable to make provisions for dealing with each river or group of rivers by a separate Provisional Order, framed after all parties have had an opportunity of stating their views at a local inquiry, and the Bill is so drafted as to enable the Order to deal with the recommendations of the Royal Commission above referred to. 750 Wt 5173 5/07 D & S 8 28530