The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-25 00:00:00

SAL2IION FISHERIES OF ENGLAND.

During -the autumn a Royal Commission has
been inspecting the rivers of England and Wales,
and inquiring into the salmon fisheries, with the
view of increasing the supply of so valuable an
article of food ; and the report, with the evidence
taken, has just been published in a volume of con-
siderable: size and much interest. Not only has the
salmon fishery in England declined, but, unless
timely measures be adopted for its recovery, it is
threatened at no distant period with extinction.
One point to be considered is Me capture of fish
out of season. There is, unfortunately, a ready
market for cheap but unwholesome salmon in
France, where it is supposed the ingenuity of
cookery succeeds in making them palatable and
harmless. The commissioners recommend that, in
order to protect the salmon from capture or disturb -
ance throughout the breeding season, it be " close
time" from the Ist of September to the let of
February, except for anglers, to whom a few weeks
later may be allowed, but not for sale. But there
are other abuses to be dealt with. The law dis-
countenances monopoly, and holds with the natural
law of distribution, by which_ all, from source to
sea, get their' Ehare of the preduce of the waters ;
and, for the sake of the public interests, the law has
always set its face against artificial obstructions to
the free passage of the salmon ascending and de-
scending the raers in obedience to their natural
instinct, and such an obstruction was pronounced
by Lord Chief Justic.' Ellenborough a public
nuisance at common law. Accordingly, the com-
missioners make the following :ecommendations :
—That all fixed engines on the estuaries and
sea-coasts be suppressed by law ; ,1,7 scare
away the fish when coming in shoals seeking the
rivers ; they are of modern invention or they woulu
have been prohibited by the old statutes, as they
are opposed to the whole aim and spirit of the
fishing laws. That all fishing traps connected
with mills, or placed in mill streams, be also
suppressed, and that where there are mill or navi-
gation weirs (not combined with any trap for
taking fish), salmon ladders be put up as in Ire-
land, making the surplus water available for
enabling the fish to surmount the weirs. There is
more difficulty in the case of private fishing weirs
or traps, because they are of great antiquity, re-
cognised by ancient grants, and referred to in Acts
of Parliament ; but as they are at present of little
value, and belong mostly to men of wealth, intelli-
gence, and position, it is hoped that if they see
other hindrances to the production of fish removed
by law, they will not allow any privilege of theirs
to stand in the way of the general good, and, at all
events, these weirs should be placed under such
regulation and supervision as may guard against
abuses in the management of them, and against
any further encroachment on the public rights ; and
in order to prevent the weirs being used so as to
form, in violation of the intention of the law, an
absolute bar to the passage of the fish, the proprie-
tors should be required to leave what is called in
Ireland a " Queen's gap," or " Queen's share ;"
that is, an opening sufficient to allow the passage
of some proportion of the fish to the upper waters,
as the Irish Acts require. Further, it is recom-
mended, with the same object, that there bs a
weekly " close time," from Saturday evening to
Monday morning, during the open season. The
sale of salmon roe to be prohibited. The commis-
sioners recommend that some central authority,
whether a new board or an existing department,
be empowered to assist and control the local admi-
nistration of the fisheries, which might be carried
on by means of elected boards of conservators, the
requisite funds to be raised by a rate on private
fisheries and a license duty on engines of all kinds,
with perhaps, at first, some aid from local subscrip-
tions. The expense of the salmon ladders might be
defrayed from this fund where the weirs are of
above 20 years! standing. The central authority
might have some discretion to deal with the sub-
ject of poisoning by water from lead mines; at
least, so far as to require in the case of new mines
that efforts be made to neutralize or mitigate the

mischief by the application of mechanical means.
The commissioners are convinced that the sal-
mon fisheries are capable, under judicious manage-
ment, of supplying no inconsiderable amount
of valuable food for the consumption of
the people. That the improvement of these fisheries
is a matter which concerns the public at large far
more than any individual proprietor, but that
any sacrifices required at the outset from indivi-
duals will be found to be more apparent than real,
and to be amply compensated by the result in the
course of a very few years. Every fact elicited
during the inquiry bears witness to the conclusion
that an open river is the best for all, and a recur-
rence to the ancient policy of this country, by the
removal of obstructions, the sure and only road to
the restoration of the fisheries.