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cutting down of shade trees, have all done their deadly work, and to add to the 

 general discontent, there is no reason to doubt that the seasons now set are not 

 universally approved of. 



The close season for one particular fish, in one particular district, appears to 

 be perfectly unsuitable to the same kind of fish in another pai't of tlie same dis- 

 trict. This is easily accounted for by the ditierentiation in the conditions of the 

 waters, some being deeper and therefore colder than others, and some containing 

 a lack of ]troper tish food. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion thnt the only satisfactory way in which 

 the fish seasons can be propcn^ly set is l)y the establishment of a permanent Game 

 and Fish Commission, whose members will give the matter special and thorough 

 study. This is a work which cannot be done in a day, and a vast work lies ahead of 

 such a Commission, but it is a work which can be made immensely profital)le for 

 the Province, and which will have the hearty sympathy of all classes of the com- 

 munity. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion that Pound nets should be entirely abol- 

 ished in the waters of the Province, and that no (Jill netting should be allowed ex- 

 cept by special permission from the Game and Fish Commissioneis. 



Careful attention should also be given to the matter of winter spearing in 

 land-locked waters. There are some waters in which no harm can possiUy re- 

 sult from this pastime, besides which many fishermen depend entirtdy for 

 their winter supply of food, on the fish taken in this manner. On the other hand, 

 there are many bodies of water, in which this piactice is most pernicious, and 

 detrimental, and this is a matter which should ]-eceive very careful attention. 



Your Commissioners desire to point out that many fish are destroyed by 

 camping and fishing clubs, for the mere sake of making big catches, so that the 

 number of fish taken are far in excess of what is required fur food purposes. By 

 such means as these, many of the waters of the Province are being depleted, 

 and your Conunissioners therefore recommend that a limit be placed upon the 

 size or weight of the fish allowed to be taken. Unless soir.e such step is taken, 

 the indiscriminate slaugliter which has been going on for years, will soon deplete 

 the waters of the Piovince entirely. 



In the meantime, pending the possible appointment of a permanent Commis- 

 sion, your Commissioners feel themselves quite unable to offer any suggestions as 

 to close seasitns, although they are of opinion that the present laws, for the rea- 

 sons above given, are not satisfactory. 



HARES OR RABBITS. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion that these animals should only be killed 

 from 15th September to 15th December, so that one general shooting season may 

 be observed. 



SQUIRRELS. 



Your Commissioners recommend that squii'rels should only be shot from 

 15th September to 15th December, in the proposed genera' shooting season. At 

 present the slaughter of these animals is indiscriminate, and the Black Squirrel 

 has almost disa^>peared from the Province. 



