James Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland facts for kids

Sir James Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland, 4th Baronet (born March 29, 1848 – died November 9, 1897) was a Scottish expert in fish farming. He spent his life experimenting with how to raise fish. He became well-known for his work and received many awards.

His Early Life

James Maitland was born on March 29, 1848. His father was Sir Alexander Ramsay-Gibson-Maitland. His mother was Thomasina Maitland. James also had two brothers, William and Keith.

James went to St Andrews University. Later, he attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He joined the army and became a Captain. However, he left the army after just one year. In 1869, he married Fanny White near Nottingham. They moved to Craigend in 1873. James and Fanny had two daughters.

The Howietoun Fishery: A Scientific Approach

The Howietoun Fishery was started in 1873. Before this, James Maitland had another experimental site. But that place often flooded, and fish would escape. Howietoun was a much better location. It had a good water supply from Lake Coulter and fresh spring water.

Maitland believed that fish could be raised like farm animals. This idea is called animal husbandry. He thought it could work well for fish too. Maitland used a scientific method for his experiments. He would only change one thing at a time. Then, he would guess why the results happened.

Fish Breeding and Care

Through his experiments, Maitland learned important things about breeding fish. He found that breeding young fish made weak offspring. Instead, he realized that older fish should be used to get strong baby fish.

He discovered that female fish eggs and male fish milt should be collected in October. He then designed special boxes to hatch the live eggs. After the tiny fish, called fry, hatched, they moved to rearing boxes. From there, they went into bigger ponds. Maitland wrote down everything carefully. He documented every change he made. This included changes in the fish's diet, how they were transported, and how he chose fish for breeding. He even drew pictures of the tools he invented to make raising fish easier.

What Fish Ate

Maitland also experimented with what trout and salmon should eat. He found that if trout ate horse spleen, they could become blind. He tried different foods. He finally decided that horsemeat, shellfish, and eggs were the best food for trout and salmon.

Sending Fish Eggs Around the World

One of Maitland's most important experiments was finding ways to transport many live fish eggs. At that time, eggs were often packed tightly. Most of them did not survive the journey. Maitland tried three times to figure out how to keep the eggs safe. He learned how to insulate the packages. This kept the temperature steady. Thanks to his special boxes, successful shipments of fish eggs were sent to places like Wellington, Dunedin, and Otago.

Awards for His Work

Maitland's work at Howietoun Fishery earned him many awards. He received several diplomas for fish culture. He also won two gold medals. These were given in 1883 and 1885 at the International Fisheries Exhibitions in Edinburgh.

His Legacy Lives On

Maitland died on November 9, 1897. His daughter, Mary Steel-Maitland, and her husband, Arthur Steel-Maitland, took over the fishery. Howietoun Fishery later joined the Northern Fisheries Company in 1914. The Maitland family sold it in 1969. In 1979, it became part of the University of Stirling Aquaculture Institute.

Today, most of the brown trout used for restocking in Scotland come from the Howietoun Fishery.