INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS OF FISHERIES ON THE HIGH SEAS. 87 
This, it seems to me, the taking over of the control of the fisheries on the Great 
Lakes by the federal governments—by the United States Government on our side, and 
the Dominion Government on the other side—is a great step, the greatest step that has 
ever been taken, I think, looking toward the proper conservation and the building 
up of the fisheries. 
The terms of the treaty are numerous, and if they are carried out—and the govern- 
ments are sure to do it, I think—we feel that the outlook for the fisheries in these inter- 
national waters is more encouraging than it has ever been. Thank you. [Applause]. 
Mr. A. Ketty Evans (Canada). I would like to amplify something that Doctor 
Evermann alluded to. — 
In speaking for the Province of Ontario, which virtually controls the major Canadian 
portion of the great inland fisheries, I should like to explain one point that Doctor 
Evermann has left out, as showing the great advantage accruing through this new 
treaty, and the matter being left in the hands of the commission. 
Unfortunately, it has been the practice in the past that persons at certain local 
points, governed by certain local political conditions, were able to place regulations 
upon the statute book which undoubtedly were very much against the conservation of 
the fisheries of the inland lakes. Having now placed the power in the hands of a commis- 
sion, it will be impossible, for instance,-for the local representative of one constituency 
to have his own way as has unfortunately often occurred. As an illustration, take a 
small body of water which it so happens occupies the position of the most favorable 
spawning ground for the fish of a very large body of water—for example, in Lake Ontario 
we have the Bay of Quinte, a small, narrow, land-locked bay in which most of the white 
fish of the entire lake spawn. At present some 300 or 400 net fishermen practically deter- 
mine a member for a constituency there and have been able to dictate terms to that 
member. Now that this matter is placed in the hands of a commission, you will see that 
the member representing that one constituency will have but little or no power over the 
regulations governing the fisheries, etc., and consequently the net fishermen, for their 
own temporary, selfish interests, will not be able to dictate the policy governing the 
fisheries of the Great Lakes. 
Unfortunately, the map that is exposed on the wall is rather broken off here [indi- 
cating] and it does not show a large portion of our Canadian fisheries to the right, and 
also owing to the coloration you hardly catch the immense coast line of these Great 
Lakes; but the coast line of the Great Lakes on our side in Ontario alone is much greater 
than your American coast on the New England seaboard. And these waters, which but 
a few years ago teemed with fish in masses that are almost unbelievable, at the present 
time have reached a point nearing depletion. In this smallest of the Great Lakes 
here, Ontario, but a few years ago as many as 90,000 whitefish have been taken in one 
haul with a net. To-day the whitefish fishery in this lake has practically ceased to 
exist; and I may say that the depletion of the whitefish of Lake Ontario is due very 
largely to the political influence of some 300 net fishermen in the little constituency of 
Prince Edward County. 
The same thing applies to other of our waters. That peninsula up there [indicating] 
in North Bruce is also the governing point of important breeding grounds for fish, and 
the net fishermen there can exercise direct political influence upon their member in 
parliament. The consequence is that in our country we have this anomaly, that to 
suit these local political exigencies actually we had an open season there [indicating] 
different from the open season here [indicating] and different from the open season 
there [indicating]. In other words, those net fishermen who could bring sufficient 
political weight to bear upon their member in parliament were enabled to have the 
fishing season extended into the dangerous breeding zone and otherwise influence the 
fishery regulations. Now, fortunately, these men, when they come to Ottawa asking 
for certain favors for their own particular constituency, will be swamped; and we do 
feel—and I take great pleasure in amplifying what Professor Evermann has said—we 
