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FISHERY PROSECUTIONS AT CARNARVON

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FISHERY PROSECUTIONS AT CARNARVON HON. F. ,G. WYNN FINIED., At the Carnarvon County Magistrates' Court on Saturday, the Hon. iF. G. Wynn, of Glyn- llifon Park, was summoned for a breach of the bye-laws of the Lancashire and Western Sea. Fisheries Committee, (by using a steamer for the purpose of trawling within the limits on two occasions, on the 11th and 12th September. The magistrates on the 'Bench were: 1). P. Williams, !Bsq., G. J. Huberts, Elsq,, R.. Ro- berts, Esq., J. Issard Davies, Esq., Sir W. H. Preeoe, A. Wynn Williams, Esq., A. W„ S. Williams, Esq., W. G.\ Thomas, Esq., and Dr. Aliiis Roberts. Mr. Randal" Casson, Portmadoc, prosecuted on be- half of the fishery authority, an<i Air. Charles A. Jones, Carnarvon, represented Mr. Wynn. Mr. Casson suggested uuit the two cases be taKen together. Mr. C. A. Jones said that he had no. objec- tion. Mr. Carson explained that the Western Sea I oil_ Fisheries District which embraced Carnarvon- shire, Merionethsiiire, Anglesey and Cardigan- shire, was amalgamated in 1900 with Lanca- shire. The Western District Committee had made bye-laws, and those bye-laws did not prom bit steam trawling within the limits of the district. But subsequently, after the amal- gamation, bye-laws were made, and bye-law No. 9 prohibited steam trawling within the limits. The bye-law read as follows:—" No person shall use in fishing for sea fish from any vessel propelled otherwise than by sails or oars, any method or instrument of fishing except hooks and lines." Mr. C. A. Jones: 1 do not admit the bye- laws. Mr. Casson I shall put them in. Proceeding, he said that the bye-law in question was word- ed in a technical way, but there was no ques- tion about what the law was. Mr. \\ynn could not be in ignorance of the bye-law. for he was a member of the fisheries committee till 1906. He was, in fact, chairman of a meeting of the committee held in September, 1905, when the bye-laws were discussed and approv- ed and ordered to be submitted to the Board of Trade for confirmation. One of those bye-laws —No. 9—prohibited steam trawling within the limits., On the 11th September Mr. Wynn was in his steam launch close to the Anglesey shore, near the Abermenai point, when he was seen to drag his trawl net. haul it up, and repeat the process. On the following day almost the same thing happened. CVlr. Wynn had taken a peculiar attitude with regard to the bye-laws. On the 6th September, 1906, he wrote as fol- lows to Capt. Robert Jones, fishery officer:- Dear Capt. Jones,—As soon as I know that the net you retailed for me is the regulation Western Fishery size mesh I shall go out into the bay and drop it close inshore, and I want you to come out also and see me do it, and then summon me for fishing with steam in prohibited waters-. I want to make a stir and get the bye-laws amended, as it is ridiculous and absurd to expect a gentleman, who wishes to put down a trawl net from a steam launch, a small yacht of 16 tons, let have to go out four miles outside the fishing fboats or big trawlers, and then for fish not for the mar- ket, and only for an hour or two in fine weather. I shall do it, and will let you know when, and, if legal steps are taken by the committee, my lawyers will fight it out. It will make the case public, and it will do good, and perhaps lead to the alteration of the bye-laws for yachts. Is not the line from Fort Belan flagstaff to Ty Catch out of juris- diction?—I remain, Capt. Jones, faithfully yours, 'Fred Wynn. Call in at Belan when passing. I would like to see you. In consequence of that letter, said Mr. Casson, Oapt. RoDert Jones called upon Mr. Wynn and handed him a copy of the bye-laws. They had a talk together, and Mr., Wynn said that the bye-laws were ridiculous. Capt. Jfines re- marked that if Mr. Wynn did fish in the way he said he would, he would have no option but to report him with a view to a prosecu- tion. From that day to this, Mr. Wynn never carried out the appointment with the officer, but left it to the fishery authority to find him out through the information of other people. I Whatever his position or his means, Mr. Wynn could not be allowed to take his own course in the face of the bye-laws, thus holding that there was one law for him and the class who I kept yachts, and as distinct for hardworking i fishermen, who were prohibited frojn trawling j within the limits by steam. Since the amal- i gamation of the Western District with that of ( Lancashire, a very large sum of money, amount- I ing to about .£6,000 a year, was spent in an effort to improve the fisheries, and the money was raised from the rates.. If the bye-laws were to be flouted by some, then they could not, of course, be enforced against poor fisher- men, whom the committee had reluctantly to prosecute sometimes. Edward Lloyd, fisherman, spoke to seeing Mr Wynn trawling on the 11th ult. close to Aber- menai point. He saw some fish being caught. Mr. C. A. Jones admitted that Mr. Wynn "I1id John Lloyd, brother of the last witness, gave corroborative evidence. .Edward Lloyd, 33, Williams-street, gave evi- dence with respect to the second day. The net was put down twice. The steam launch, liowever, took the ground. The net was hauled up, and the launch was taken to the moor- ings. Capt. Robert Jones, the fishery officer, said that he was in the neighbourhood: of the spot in question—viz., from Belan to Ty Caleh-a line within which trawling might take place, but on the occasion in question trawling was outside that line. Mr- C. A. Jones You have heard the place described where Mr. Wynn was seen drawing the net. Have you ever seen the net? The Witness I have seen all his nets. Have you seen this particular one?—I can- not say. Are there any fish in that neighbourhood?:— Ye*, flukes, soles, etc. What depth qf water is there?—It varies very much—from two to five fathoms. What sort of bottom is there between the black buov and the perch?—'Hard ground. Any fish there?—Yes. I have trawled there myseif and have caught fish. How often have you seen Mr. Wynn trawl- ing himself?—A few times. You never reported him?—I never saw him fish within the limits. Mr. C. A. Jones, addressing the Bench, sub- mitted that before they could be satisfied that there was a breach of the bye-law they must have regard to the object for which the bye- law was passed. The object undoubtedly was to protect fish in shallow water and give a sailing vessel a ,i>rior claim over a steam vessel r, take nsh but it was never intended that a little boat of 30ft. long; should come under th^ operation of such a bye-law. It would be a matter of impossibility to catch fish by means of the shrimping net u«ed' on these occasions, and, as a matter of fact, all that the defend-

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FISHERY PROSECUTIONS AT CARNARVON