Tidal fishing in the Moray Firth
The tide fishing in the Moray Firth took place from the 17th to the 19th century in the muddy-sandy coastal zone of the inner Moray Firth in Scotland instead.
Tidal fishing was practiced mainly to catch salmon . Migratory salmon and sea trout swam through flow channels into the interior of the fjords . The fish traps were placed at right angles or at an angle to the canals so that the fish were prevented from moving. When the tide was out , they were crowded into the traps and could be caught with nets or gill nets . In the study area, 62 of over 70 fish traps were identified in cartographic sources from the period between 1817 and 1909. The sites are in protected areas in the Beauly Firth, Munlochy Bay and Cromarty Firth. There are no surviving remains on the rocky shores between these firths and bays that were mapped to be there. All locations are in poor condition. Three types of fish traps were recorded.
Yairs
Yairs are curvilinear stone or wood structures that form an arch at right angles to the coast. With some yairs, wooden pegs were woven with wickerwork. Other yairs have zig zag shapes to stop the fish during the ebb and flow of the tide.
Stake net traps
Stake net traps are lines of stone piles into which wooden pegs have been driven, between which nets have been raised.
Bag nets
The third group of fish traps are bag nets, made up of individual net lines with brackets at both ends. Evidence of these traps was found in individual mounds.
Web links
- Description (Engl.)