Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959

Construction of guiding walls appurtenant to fishing weirs and fishing mill dams.

114.—(1) In this section, the expression “guiding wall” means any spur or tail wall, leader or outrigger.

(2) (a) There shall not be attached to any fishing weir or fishing mill dam in a river any guiding wall (other than one connecting the boxes of such fishing weir or fishing mill dam with the bank of the river) of greater length than twenty feet measured from the upstream or downstream face of such fishing weir or fishing mill dam along the centre line of such guiding wall.

(b) There shall not be attached to any fishing weir any guiding wall which has the effect of narrowing up or preventing the ingress and discharge of water through or from the free gap in such fishing weir.

(c) If any fishing weir or fishing mill dam has any guiding wall in contravention of paragraph (a) of this subsection or any fishing weir has any guiding wall in contravention of paragraph (b) of this subsection, the following provisions shall apply—

(i) the occupier thereof shall be guilty of an offence under this subsection and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds and also a further fine not exceeding five pounds for every day during which such guiding wall is allowed to remain;

(ii) the Minister may cause such guiding wall to be altered or removed and, if he does so, the expenses incurred by him in so doing shall be recoverable from such occupier as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(3) If the occupier of a fishing weir or fishing mill dam in a river makes such use of any island or natural obstruction in the river as secures to him the advantage he would have obtained by attaching to such fishing weir or fishing mill dam a guiding wall contravening paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section, he shall be guilty of an offence under this subsection and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds and a further fine not exceeding five pounds for every day on which he makes use of such island or natural obstruction.

(4) If any fishing mill dam is used partly for the purpose of sustaining water for a mill or factory or for navigation, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to extend to such fishing mill dam so as to affect injuriously the necessary supply of water to such mill, factory or navigation.