but at the drifter ports the influence of the share system adopted in herring fishing appears to prevail; and the expenses are variously allocated to the gross earnings, boat's share, &c., as noted under "Steam Drifters,' while the nett earnings are divided into three parts, for the boat, gear and crew respectively. At Peterhead the

allocation is six-seventeenths to the boat and to the crew, and fiveseventeenths to the gear, as when engaged in herring fishing. At Eyemouth, on the other hand, six-fifteenths go to the boat and to the crew and three-fifteenths to the gear. At Fraserburgh the proportion is exactly one-third to each.

At the Fife ports all working expenses, with the wages of the cook and half the wages of the engineer and fireman, are deducted from the gross earnings, and the balance is divided equally between the owners of the vessel on the one hand and the seven fishermen with gear on the other. The owners of the vessel accept responsibility for the other half of the wages of the engineer and fireman.

SEINE NET FISHING.

The use of mechanical power for hauling the seine net in fishing for white fish was introduced to Scottish waters in 1921. Seine net fishing by this method is prosecuted by means of steam and motor vessels of the drifter type, nearly all belonging to ports on the south shore of the Moray Firth, including Fraserburgh, and by smaller motor boats in inshore waters off the East Coast, around Shetland, and in the Firth of Clyde.

No method of division in the case of the larger vessels has yet become stereotyped, but at Buckie, which is their chief centre, nine-sixteenths go to the boat and net and six-sixteenths to the crew, while the remaining sixteenth is divided among the engineer, fireman and cook in addition to a weekly wage. A division approximately the same is also usual at Macduff. At Lossiemouth, and at Macduff in some cases, the nett earnings are divided equally between the boat and the crew, the cost of the gear-which requires frequent renewal-being borne by the boat's share. The custom of all ports is to charge all expenses except the cost of the gear against the gross earnings. Large motor boats engaged in seine net fishing belong chiefly to Fraserburgh, where their nett earnings are divided in the ratio of one-fourth each to boat and gear and one-half to the crew.

As regards the smaller vessels, the usual practice is to divide the nett earnings into six or seven equal parts, of which two go to the boat and gear respectively and one each to the four or five fishermen.

MOTOR DRIFTERS.

In the case of large motor boats engaged in drift net fishing for herrings, the division of one-third each to boat, nets and crew is followed approximately, although in no case exactly. This type of boat is acknowledged to be less efficient than the steam drifter, and a common system is to allocate only one-fourth to the boat against three-eighths each to gear and crew.

CLYDE SKIFFS.

In the Firth of Clyde area herring fishing is conducted by motor boats which operate in pairs by means of the large herring seine.

The most common method of division is to allow three or four shares to the two boats with their gear and one share to each of the fishermen, of whom there are four in each boat, with a half share to a boy, if one is carried in addition to the four men. Expenses, including the cost of food, are deducted from the boat's share. If boats are working singly at other fishings such as lining the system followed remains the same.

SAILING DRIFTERS.

Large sail boats are not now engaged in herring fishing to any extent except at Lerwick and Stornoway. At the former, where nets are provided by the owners in proportion to their share in the vessel, the nett earnings are divided equally or nearly so between the boat and gear on the one hand and the crew on the other. Running expenses, which are comparatively light, are either charged against the gross earnings before division or distributed variously over the gross earnings and the two shares; in any case the insurance of the boat and the upkeep of boat and gear are met from the boat's share, while the cost of food is charged to the crew. At Stornoway the balance of the earnings after deduction of all expenses is allocated in the proportions of one-fifth to the boat, twofifths to the nets, and two-fifths to the crew.

MOTOR LINE BOATS.

Small line fishing for haddocks, &c. is now mostly prosecuted by means of motor boats of medium size, ranging around 30 feet in length of keel, with a maximum of about 45 feet, and carrying a crew of four or occasionally five men, by whom the lines are supplied. The cost of bait is at the majority of the fishing creeks met by the men individually, but at others is charged to the gross earnings, from which in any case all other running expenses, with dues and commission, are deducted; and the balance is divided into five or six equal shares, of which one goes to the owners of the boat and one to each of the fishermen. The boat's share may be increased (e.g at Lossiemouth and also on the Fife coast to 1 times a man's share) in cases where the cost of bait is paid from the gross earnings, but even in such cases an increase is by no means general.

APPENDIX VI.

SALMON FISHERIES.

REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SALMON FISHERIES

FOR SCOTLAND.

I have the honour to report that in 1927 the Salmon Fisheries of Scotland were even more successful than in 1926. The catch sent to market amounted to 2,910 tons, a figure which has not been reached since 1896.

At the same time this remarkable rise was not experienced all round the coast, but was confined to the eastern seaboard between Berwick and Cairnbulg. The rise, as compared with 1926, in this section of the coast was 343 tons. In all other sections there was a decrease; on the west side between Cape Wrath and the Clyde a decrease of 58 tons.

In general terms it may be said that on the East Coast the season was a very wet one, and that on the West Coast the season was dry and fine. The deduction is possible that, given a sufficient stock of salmon in the sea, a wet season with full rivers and frequent floods results in large numbers of salmon being attracted to the coast and into the rivers. But the bag net fishermen also set great store by the prevalence of along-shore winds and freedom from bright sunlight, which not only shows up the nets in clear water but also augments to a marked degree the growth of fine floating weeds, which clog the meshes of the nets so that both traps and leaders do not fish." A wet season is thus beneficial owing to the absence of sunshine.

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It usually happens that, if the salmon catch is good on the East Coast, it is good also on the West Coast. Weather conditions, however, do not usually show the contrasted conditions of 1927. Normally the rainfall in the West Highlands is greater than on the East Coast, but since the great majority of the streams are relatively small in the west, having quick drainage from steep and rocky hills, this only enables these small streams to offer entrance to migratory fish in a slightly better degree than otherwise would be the case.

With the steady improvement of recent years in the total catch it is of some interest, since the section from Berwick to Cairnbulg near Fraserburgh is invariably the most productive, to compare the totals of this section since the records began.

At the opening of the season most rivers of any size were very well stocked with salmon, and as a result both nets and rods did remarkably well in the spring. It was reported from the Don that the nets, on the opening day, had about 3,000 fish. Towards the end of the season anglers fishing the lower reaches had exceptional sport. Eight rods killed 77 fish in three days and 166 in the week. The Tay, Dee, North Esk, Findhorn, Ness, and the rivers of Sutherland, all experienced a good year. I understand that the Helmsdale rods killed 2,773 fish. Many of the smaller rivers fished poorly in the middle of summer, and, strange as it may seem to those resident in the south of the country, the rivers of the northwest Highlands suffered from lack of rain in a season which will be remembered by many people as one of the wettest on record. The "back end" fishing in the Tay was disappointing, and the tendency for the bulk of the fish to run early was again seen in many districts. It is reported, however, that in the Tweed, where the angling season is exceptionally late, the rods had good returns at the end. The Ness had the best season for many years. The little Ullapool river in West Ross-shire had a catch fully three times more than the average.

HEAVY FISH.

A number of heavy fish have been taken both by net and rod in the season, although no quite exceptional weight has been recorded. One angler had the good fortune to kill two fish of 40 lbs. in the same day in May in the River Lochy. A list of fish of 40 lbs. and over may be given:

The year 1927 was noticeable for the great amount of discussion which centred round this question, and for the appointment of

two official bodies to deal with it. In March 1928 a third body was appointed.

The Water Pollution Research Board was appointed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Later an Advisory Committee was set up, jointly, by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The third body is also an Advisory Committee on Rivers Pollution Prevention, but has special reference to Scotland, being appointed by the President of the Scottish Board of Health. The Research Board is concerned with constructive schemes for purification and with the preservation of the purity of water, a subject which in England is now a pressing The two Advisory Committees are concerned with remedial measures which are already possible for known pollutions.

one.

It may be recollected that when the Sewage Disposal Commission recommended a central authority, they stated that one of the duties of such a body would be to carry on research into certain problems of purification which had not then been solved. The Water Pollution Research Board will be able to satisfy this recommendation as regards research. It is very generally admitted that a very great amount of pollution which exists might be avoided. Wastes may be reduced in volume, or may be altered in character, and some may even be transformed into minor products. But manufacturers, in order to discover how such modifications may be brought about, require to employ time and money which might be used for their advantage industrially. Municipalities are generally rather more favourably situated in this respect as regards sewage disposal, and do in fact carry on most valuable research in certain

cases.

At the present time new industries such as sugar beet manufacture and artificial silk manufacture require very special attention in order that new and most serious pollutions may be avoided.

Apart altogether from methods of purification, there is one aspect of this question which, in my opinion, should not be lost sight of, viz., the possibility in some cases of discharging pollutions into the sea instead of into rivers.

It has been too freely taken for granted, in the past, that a flowing stream is the inevitable channel into which effluents, whether treated or not, must be discharged. Even in the case of towns at the mouths of rivers, the flowing stream or tidal estuary, rather than the sea, has received all impurities. There are not a few rivers which are grossly polluted only at their mouths, because towns are there situated. We have also cases such as Edinburgh and Leith, and Aberdeen, where new systems of drainage have been introduced in order to remove all sewage from river to sea. With the great cost which now accompanies the introduction of modern sewage treatment, this alternative seems well worthy of fuller consideration by certain municipalities.

The inception of the Edinburgh and Leith scheme began as long ago as 1864, and in 1885, owing to the extension of both cities, further action was found to be necessary. Also Leith harbour had become so foul as to be a public nuisance. In 1889 the Water of Leith Purification and Sewage Act was passed, and a Commission representative of both Edinburgh and Leith was created to carry out the complete scheme which has since existed, and which is now in the care of the Corporation of Edinburgh. By this