Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Protection) (Scotland) Act 1951

15 Power of Secretary of State to conduct inquiries and to obtain information

(1) For the purpose of protecting and developing stocks of salmon and trout the Secretary of State shall have power—

(a) to conduct inquiries and investigations into questions of practical or scientific importance to salmon and freshwater fisheries, and for such purpose to enter on and conduct such operations as may be necessary in any fishery, provided always that no damage shall be done to such fishery and that no interference shall be caused to the rights of the owner or occupier of such fishery;

(b) to collect such statistics relating to the number of salmon caught in any salmon fishery and the species, description and weight, and method and date of capture of such salmon as may be deemed necessary, and to require any proprietor or occupier of a salmon fishery to furnish him with such statistics relating to such matters in such form and at such times as he may order; and

(c) to publish such statistics in such manner as may seem to him proper so as to show the catch by—

(i) rod and line fishing,

(ii) net fishing within estuary limits, and

(iii) net fishing outside estuary limits,

in any district:

Provided that such statistics shall not be published in such form as to disclose the actual numbers of salmon caught in any one fishery within the period of ten years preceding such publication.

(2) Any proprietor or occupier who wilfully refuses or neglects to comply with any order made in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection, or makes any statement in relation to such an order which is false in a material particular, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.