to destroy a private right of fishing. Throwing down a weir whereby a fishery below is overflowed unduly and the fish driven away is a trespass (p). Nets and traps which may be lawfully used in a fishery must be such as will not injure the rights of others (q). The nets and engines which are lawful are now regulated by statute and by bye-law. The subject is dealt with later. The owner of a fishery has a right to have the fish come to his fishery in the ordinary course of nature, and any person doing any act which may interfere with such right may be restrained. Inhancing an ancient weir or doing any unlawful act which stops or hinders the passage of fish or causes damage to the upper fisheries is an actionable injury (r).

The Court of Admiralty at one time claimed jurisdiction over fisheries in tidal waters. Formerly numerous local Admiralty Courts exercised this jurisdiction, regulating the season, size of the mesh of nets, &c. Their proceedings were summary by bye-laws and fines, and in the case of nets of illegal mesh, the remedy was simple and practical; the officers of the Court burnt the net. It has, however, been decided as regards fisheries on the foreshore that they are within the county and are within the jurisdiction of the justices and not of the Admiralty, whether when covered with water or not (s).

In an action of trespass to a several fishery the defendant pleaded that it was an arm of the sea and issue was joined. It was held that the defendant was entitled to a verdict, because the plaintiff was bound to set up a claim to a several fishery in a replication (t).

In an action of trespass to a fishery, if the defendant does not justify under the owner of the soil, or set up some title adverse to

M. & G. 376; 19 Beav. 485; Bidder v. Croydon, (1862) 6 L. T. N. S. 778 ; Att.-Gen, v. Luton Local Board, (1856) 2 Jur. N. S. 180; Bostock v. North Staffordshire Railway, (1852) 5 De G. & Sm. 584.

(p) Courtney v. Collet, (1697) 1 Raym. (Ld.) 272.

(q) Warren v. Mathews (1703) 1 Salk. 357; 6 Mod. 73; Woolrych on Waters; Gould on Waters, sect. 186.

(r) Weld v. Hornby, (1806) 7 East, 195; 3 Smith, 244; 2 Roll. Ab. 142; Hamilton v. Donegall, (1795) 3 Ridgway, 267; Woolrych, p. 189; Leconfield v. Lonsdale, (1869) L. R. 5 C. P. 657; Rolle v. Whyte, (1868) L. R. 3 Q. B. 286; Callis on Sewers, 258; Vin. Ab. Nuisance, 3; Hale, De Jure Maris, c. 3, 5; Case of Chester Mill, (1609) 10 Rep. 138; Duke of Devonshire v. Hodnett, (1827) Hud. & B. 322; Duke of Devonshire v. Smith, (1833) Al. & Nap. 442; Williams v. Wilcox, (1838) 8 A. & E. 314; Lord Templemore v. Allen, (1845) 8 Ir. L. R. 199; Barker v. Faulkner, [1898] W. N. 69; Whelan v. Hewson, (1871) Ir. R. 6 C. L. 283; Prior of Rochester v. Molyns, Inq. p. m. 33 Edw. III. [2 Nos.] No. 84. The defendant erected five weirs in his Manor of Cherdesle on the Thames which injured the fishery of the Prior in his Manor of Hadenham. They were removed by the sheriff.

(s) Embleton v. Brown, (1860) 3 Ell. & Ell. 234.

(t) Crichton v. Collery, (1870) 19 W. R. 107.

the plaintiff's title, it would appear that the plaintiff need not show title but merely possession (u).

Ejectment, formerly laid for a fishery, where it was a fishery with the soil; but it should be brought for land covered with water (x). It is now recoverable in an action for the recovery of land.

(u) Holford v. Bailey, (1846) 13 Q. B. 426; 10 Jur. 822; Marshall v. Ulleswater, (1863) 3 B. & S. 732; Harper v. Charlesworth, (1825) 6 D. & R. 572 ; Jones v. Chapman, (1845) 14 M. & W. 124.

(x) Molineux v. Molineux, (1606) Cro. Jac. 146; Herbert v. Laughlyn, (1637) Cro. Car. 492; 1 Lev. 212; Sid. 416; 1 Roll. Ab. 789; 2 Bulst. 28; 3 Leon. 128; Style, 32; Waddy v. Newton, (1724) 8 Mod 277.

PART II.

STATUTE LAW RELATING TO FISHERIES.

CHAPTER I.

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION RELATING TO FISH AND FISHERIES.

THE Legislature has from very early times been watchful to prevent the undue destruction of fish, and also to keep open the courses of navigable rivers. In early ages weirs and fishing engines multiplied exceedingly in all the great rivers of the kingdom, and so encroached on the course of the rivers as to become serious impediments to the navigation and the cause of great destruction of migratory fish. The earlier legislation was directed primarily to the putting down these weirs as impediments to navigation, nothing being specially enacted as regards the preservation of fish; but of course, when the free course of the navigation was secured, passage was left for the fish, and incidentally these statutes had the effect of assisting to preserve fish, while they were effectual as to keeping open the course of the rivers for navigation. The statute of 12 Edward IV. c. 7, states that the legislation as to weirs was for the benefit of the navigation of rivers, and also in safeguard of all the fry of fish spawned within the same. Magna Charta enacts "that all weirs from henceforth shall be entirely put down on the Thames and Medway and throughout all England except by the sea coast." The charter had no special reference to fish, and did not make any direct enactments for its preservation. It is not until the early part of the reign of Edward I. that we meet with any instance of an attempt to fix a close season or regulate the use of nets in salmon rivers, viz., by the Statute of Westminster the Second, 13 Edward I., A.D. 1285. About seven years before the passing of that statute, viz., in 6 Edward I., A.D. 1278, we find in the Placita Coronæ for Cumberland an interesting example of orders made for the management and regulation of salmon fisheries by the men of the county with the approval of the Justices in Eyre. They relate to the Eden and Esk, in the county of Cumberland, and are made under the "Capitula Itineris." The articles to be inquired of at the Eyre by the grand jury are set out

in Fleta, lib. 1, cap. 20. Among them we find, § 18: "De purpresturis super Regem factis in terra in mari et in aqua dulci infra libertatem vel extra." §40: "De hiis qui piscantur cum kidellis." Under these articles presentments were made by the juries and orders promulgated, fixing close times for salmon from the 29th September till 30th October, and from the 1st May till 24th January, regulating the use of nets and bucks, ordering free gap through which a sow and her pigs can pass, and appointing conservators of the rivers in the county (a).

(a) The text is as follows: "Juratores de Lyth et Eskedale et Juratores de Cumberland et Allerdale presentaverunt quod magua distructio fit in aquis de Edene et Esk et in aliis aquis in Comitatu isto de salmonibus tempore quo salmones ascendunt ad friandum et similiter de salmunculis tempore quo descendunt ad mare ad magnum detrimentum totius Comitatus et omnium Comitatuum adjacentium, et petierunt ex parte totius Comitatus quod statutum et provisio fiat per quod predicta destructio decætero non fiat. Et ideo de consensu totius Comitatus tam militum quam aliorum liberorum hominum de Comitatu isto, nullo reclamante nec contradicente, statutum est et provisum quod a festo Sancti Michaelis (29th September) usque ad festum Sancti Andreæ (30th November) non trahatur aliquod rete vel ponatur ad gurgites vel ad stagna vel ad molendina vel ad exclusas molendinarum, et quod nullus piscetur infra predictas aquas vel alias aquas in Comitatu isto cum retibus sterkildis vel quocunque alio ingenio infra prædictum tempus vel sine ingenio. Statutum est etiam et provisum quod a festo Apostolorum Philippi et Jacobi (1st May), usque ad Nativitatem Sancti Johannis Baptiste (24th June), non ponatur aliquod rete vel wile sive borachia ad stagna vel molendina vel ad exclusas molendinorum in prædictis aquis, nec ponatur rete aliquod infra prædictum tempus ad gurgites nisi per custodes ad hoc deputatos sive deputandos; et quod maella retis sit ita larga quod salmunculi per medium transitum possunt habere, videlicet, quod sit de longitudine quatuor policium. Statutum est etiam et provisum quod quotienscunque piscator aliquis aut molendinarius vel aliquis alius contra istam provisionem deliquerit, et quotienscumque super hoc convictus fuerit, mittatur ad prisonam domini Regis, et non replegietur nisi de consensu custodum ad hoc provisorum vel providendorum. Et quia Juratores testantur quod Thomas de Multon de Gilleslaund, sicut et omnes antecessores ejus fecerunt a tempore a quo non extat memoria, capit emendas de omnibus retibus illicitis per aquam de Edene in quodam loco qui vocatur Pewburg per visum militum et aliorum ad custodiam aquarum deputatorum, ita tamen quod si ballivi domini Regis preveniant, tunc correctiones et judicia pro hujusmodi transgressionibus ad dominum Regem pertinere debent. Ideo inde loquendum. Statutum est etiam et concorditer consideratum quod omnes borachiæ ad omnia molendina in aquis predictis per totum Comitatum decætero deponantur super forisfacturam domini Regis xl. s. illius cujus borachia fuerit quotienscunque hujusmodi ingenium in aquis prædictis inveniatur et convinci poterit cujus illa sit. Et sciendum quod non debent esse in predictis aquis nisi tria minuta retia de consuetudine quorum maella cum nodo debet esse de longitudine trium pollicium ad capiendum lampredas et nullus debet piscari cum illis nisi a festo Sancti Andrea (30th November), usque ad quindenam proximam ante festum Sancti Johannis Baptiste (9th June). Et dominus Rex in Castro suo Karlioli habebit unum, Cives Karlioli aliud in stangno suo ad gardinum quod arentatur in firma Civitatis Karlioli pro xv. libris et in quo nullus piscari debet sine licentia eorundem Civium; et si plura retia inveniantur deponantur per custodes aquarum ad hoc deputatos. Et quia prædicti Juratores presentant et totus Comitatus queritur quod Prior de Sancta Bega habet duo ingenia que cupe vocantur ad capiendum salmones in stangno suo de Staynburne ad nocumentum totius Comitatus ubi temporibus retroactis non habebat nisi unam tantum, et altera levata fuit jam sex annis elapsis sine warranto et post ultimum iter Justiciariorum, ideo ipse in misericordia. Et præceptum est Vicecomiti quod altera cupa deponatur per visum Juratorum ad custus ipsius Prioris. Statutum est et firmiter injunctum quod in quolibet stangno aquarum de Edene, Esk et Derwent et in cæteris aquis ubi salmones