C. 1 8. Anno primo Georgii Regis. Stat. 2. A, D. 1714, CAP. XVIII. An A ift for the better preventing frefh Fifh taken by Foreigners being imported into this Kingdom; and for the Prefervation of the Fry of Fifh; and for the giving Leave to im- port Lobfters and Turbets in Foreign Bottoms; and for the better Prefervation of Salmon within feveral Rivers in that Part of this Kingdom called England. 1 I. VT7HEREAS notwithstanding the many good Laws made for the Prefervation and Improvement of W the Fifhery in that Part of this Kingdom called England, particularly an Act of Parliament j^Carii.c. 7. ' made in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of his late Majefty King Charles the Second, intituled, An Ac! sSCar. 2. c 2. ' j or f/-, e Encouragement of Trade; and one other Act made in the eighteenth Year of the Reign of his faid ' late Majefty, intituled, An A£f againft Importing Cattle from Ireland, and other Parts beyond the Seas, and ' Fijh taken by Foreigners, many Evafions have of late Years been invented and pradtifed, whereby that ufe-
- ful Defign has been very much obftructed, and more efpecially by the fraudulent Practices of divers Per-
- fons trading in Englijh Smacks, and other VefTels, who when they are off at Sea, buy great Quantities
' of Fifh caught by Foreigners, and import and market the fame in this Kingdom, to the great Difcou- 13 EJ, i.Jl. 1. ' ragement and Impoverishment of his Majefty's Subjects, and manifeft Detriment of the Fifhery and Na- "■47-^ : ■ ' vigation;' For Remedy whereof, Be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the ^m.'no'Fifo Advice an ^ Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament af- taken by Fo- fembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That from and after the twenty-ninth Day of September one reigners, except thoufand feven hundred and fifteen, no Herring, Cod, Pilchards, Salmon, or Ling, frefh or faked, dried Proteftants in- or bloated, nor any Grill, Mackarel, Whiting, Haddock, Sprats, Coal-nfh, Gull-fifh, Congers, nor any England "ft all ^ ort °^ ^lat-fifh, nor any other Sort of frefh Fifh whatfoever, fhall be imported into, fold or expofed to be^mpor'ted into Sale? in that Part of this Kingdom called England, which fhall be taken by, bought of, or received from this Kingdom, any Foreigner or Foreigners, or out of any Stranger or Strangers Bottom, except Proteftant Strangers in- habiting within this Kingdom, nor fhall any Perfon or Perfons give or exchange any Goods or other Things in exchange for any Sort of Fifh fo taken, as aforefaid. Every Mafter II. And be it further enacted, That every Mafter or Commander, for the Time being, of any Smack, &c of any Hoy, Yager, Boat, Ship, or other VefTel, in which any Fifh fhall be imported or brought to Shore, con- S ™ Q '*' &c -j, n trary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, being thereof lawfully convicted upon his Appearance,. ftaiT tainiport- or Default made after due Summons, before one or more Juftice or Juftices ®f the Peace of the County, ed* ffiallforfeit" City, or Place where the Offender fhall refide or be found, by the Oath of two or more credible Witneffes, 20'i. to be levied which Oath fuch Juftice or Juftices are hereby impowered and required to adininifter, fhall forfeit for by Diftrefs j every Offence the Sum of twenty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain, to be levied by Diftrefs and Sale of the Offender's Goods and Chattels, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal, or Hands and Seals of fuch Juftice or Juftices, rendring to the Party the Overplus, if any be; and in Default of Payment of erfufTer 12 the f a >d twenty Pounds, or fufficient Diftrefs, the fame Juftice or Juftices fnall commit every fuch Offen- Months impri- der to the common Gaol of fuch County, City, or Place, there to fuffer Imprifonment during the Space fonment. • of twelve Months. This A£b ftall III. Provided, That nothing herein contained fhall extend, or be conftrued to extend, to prevent the not extend to importing, buying, or expofing to Sale any Eels, Stock-fifh, Anchovies, Sturgeon, Botarge, or Ca- prevent the vear. E%° l &c! ' IV- And whereas of late Years the Breed and Fry of Sea-fifh has been greatly prejudiced and deftroy- The'Meftes of c ed by the ufing of Nets of too fmall fize or Meih, and by other illegal and unwarrantable Practices •' Nets to be of Be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That from and after the twenty-fifth Day of September one thou- theSizeof 3 f anc j f even hundred and fixteen, if any Perfon or Perfons fhall ufe at Sea, upon the Coaft of that Part of Kalffrom Knot Great Britain called England, any Traul-net, Drag-net or Set-net whatfoever, for the catching of any Knot, kind of Fifh (except Herrings, Pilchards, Sprats, or Lavidnian) which hath any Mefh or Moke of except for catch, lefs Size than three Inches and Half at leaft from Knot to Knot, or which hath any falfe or double Bot- ing of Herrings, tolTlj q & r Pouch, or fhall put any Net or Nets, though of legal Size or Mefh, upon or behind the ^ c " . ,. others, in order to catch and deftroy the fmall Fifh which would have paffed through any fingle Net of three Net thVof Inches and Half Mefh, all and every fuch Perfon and Perfons fo offending fhall forfeit all and fmgular fuch iegai Size, be Net or Nets, fo ufed contrary to the true Intent and Meaning hereof, and alfo for every fuch Offence the put behindano- Sum of twenty Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain, to be recovered and levied in fuch Manner and, ther, Form as the Penalty above inflicted upon the Mafter of any VefTel, wherein Fifh fhall be imported contra- Fortour^rhere- rv to tms Act, is above directed to be recovered and levied; and in Default of Payment of the faid twen- ef and aol. to ty Pounds, or of fufficient Diftrefs, the Offender to be imprifoned in like manner, during the Space of be recovered as twelve Months. above. _ y. And it is hereby further enacted, That all Penalties and Forfeitures mentioned in this Act, except ©ne Moiety to ]j ets f;]] e g a f or f a ]f e Bottoms, Cods or Pouches, as aforefaid, (all neceffary Charges for the Recovery the other to ' thereof being firft deducted) fhall be diftributed and difpofed of in manner following, (that is to fay,) one to* Poor.. Moiety thereof to the Informer, and the other Moiety thereof to the Poor of the Parifh wheje fuch Of- fence lhall be committed.. VI,
