(1)For the purpose of protecting and developing stocks of salmon and trout the Scottish Ministers may—
(a)conduct inquiries and investigations into questions of practical or scientific importance to salmon and freshwater fisheries, and for such purpose 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)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 they may consider necessary, and require any proprietor or occupier of a salmon fishery to furnish them with such statistics relating to such matters in such form and at such times as they may determine; and
(c)publish such statistics in such manner as they think fit.
(2)Any proprietor or occupier of a fishery who wilfully refuses to comply with any requirement made in pursuance of this section, or makes any statement in relation to such a requirement which is false in a material particular, shall be guilty of an offence, and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.