﻿CVI 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  That 
  a 
  uniform 
  wysfceui 
  of 
  regulations 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  entire 
  extent 
  of 
  each 
  body 
  of 
  

   water 
  along 
  the 
  houndary 
  line 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  insure 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  its 
  resources, 
  

   is 
  fully 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  conditions 
  which 
  wo 
  have 
  found 
  to 
  exist 
  in 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  them, 
  

   ■ 
  whether 
  bordered 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  State 
  or 
  by 
  several 
  

   States. 
  The 
  failure 
  to 
  secui'e 
  adequate 
  results 
  in 
  that 
  direction 
  has 
  naturally 
  been 
  

   due 
  to 
  the 
  diversity 
  of 
  legislation, 
  but 
  it 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  large 
  part 
  from 
  the 
  general 
  

   lack 
  of 
  accurate 
  informatiou 
  regarding 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  fishes 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  a 
  

   basis 
  for 
  intelligent 
  action. 
  While 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  establish 
  some 
  important 
  

   facts 
  respecting 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  commoner 
  market 
  species, 
  much 
  more 
  

   remains 
  to 
  bo 
  accomplished 
  in 
  that 
  regard, 
  and 
  the 
  subject 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  due 
  

   prominence 
  in 
  the 
  future. 
  

  

  All 
  questions, 
  outside 
  of 
  navigation, 
  with 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  had 
  to 
  deal 
  have 
  been 
  

   considered 
  solely 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  of 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  fisheries, 
  

   and 
  we 
  have 
  endeavored 
  in 
  each 
  instance 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  liberal 
  amount 
  of 
  

   fishing 
  which, 
  in 
  our 
  judgment, 
  is 
  warranted 
  by 
  the 
  circumstances. 
  In 
  so 
  doing 
  we 
  

   have 
  been 
  led 
  to 
  suggest 
  greater 
  license 
  in 
  some 
  regions 
  than 
  is 
  granted 
  by 
  existing 
  

   laws, 
  but 
  wherever 
  a 
  State 
  on 
  the 
  one 
  side 
  or 
  the 
  Dominion 
  Government 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  

   would 
  impose 
  greater 
  strictures 
  than 
  are 
  here 
  recommended 
  we 
  see 
  no 
  objection 
  

   thereto. 
  

  

  We 
  are 
  convinced 
  that 
  no 
  system 
  of 
  regulations 
  can 
  bo 
  properly 
  administered 
  

   except 
  by 
  the 
  registration 
  or 
  licensing 
  of 
  tbe 
  fishermen, 
  as 
  a 
  basis 
  for 
  restricting 
  

   the 
  character 
  and 
  amount 
  of 
  apparatus 
  employed 
  in 
  each 
  locality, 
  while, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  

   hand, 
  we 
  feel 
  confident 
  that 
  the 
  fishermen 
  themselves 
  Avould 
  be 
  greatly 
  benefited 
  by 
  

   such 
  a 
  measure, 
  through 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  individual 
  rights 
  thereby 
  assured 
  them. 
  

  

  Much 
  of 
  the 
  irritation 
  occasioned 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  

   the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  through 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  one 
  country 
  extending 
  their 
  operations 
  

   into 
  the 
  territory 
  of 
  the 
  other, 
  has 
  utidoubtedly 
  resulted 
  from 
  the 
  imperfect 
  knowl- 
  

   edge 
  which 
  prevails 
  respecting 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  the 
  intervening 
  water 
  areas. 
  In 
  

   fact, 
  the 
  belief 
  is 
  widespread 
  that 
  wherever 
  the 
  lakes 
  exceed 
  6 
  miles 
  in 
  width 
  each 
  

   country 
  has 
  jurisdiction 
  only 
  to 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  3 
  miles 
  fi"om 
  its 
  shores, 
  leaving 
  a 
  

   neutral 
  area 
  or 
  high 
  sea 
  between, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  fishermen 
  from 
  both 
  sides 
  are 
  privi- 
  

   leged 
  to 
  resort 
  in 
  common. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  official 
  maps 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  the 
  boundary 
  lino 
  is 
  not 
  shown, 
  nor 
  can 
  

   its 
  position 
  be 
  accurately 
  marked 
  in 
  most 
  places 
  until 
  new 
  surveys 
  shall 
  be 
  made 
  

   conjointly 
  by 
  the 
  two 
  Governments. 
  It 
  would 
  be 
  greatly 
  to 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  the 
  

   fishing 
  interests 
  in 
  that 
  region, 
  and 
  much 
  annoyance 
  would 
  be 
  prevented 
  in 
  the 
  

   future 
  by 
  having 
  the 
  boundary 
  line 
  redefined 
  and 
  appropriately 
  located 
  on 
  a 
  series 
  

   of 
  charts 
  made 
  available 
  for 
  distribution 
  among 
  the 
  fishermen. 
  

  

  ST. 
  JOHN 
  RIVER 
  SYSTEM. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  restore 
  and 
  protect 
  the 
  fishery 
  resources 
  of 
  international 
  interest 
  in 
  

   the 
  St. 
  John 
  River 
  system, 
  the 
  following 
  measures 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  demanded: 
  

  

  (1) 
  That 
  all 
  dams 
  throughoiit 
  the 
  system 
  be 
  provided 
  with 
  suitable 
  fishways, 
  

   except 
  those 
  used 
  exclusively 
  for 
  log 
  driving 
  and 
  containing 
  gates, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  latter 
  

   shall 
  be 
  kept 
  open 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  when 
  the 
  diiving 
  of 
  logs 
  is 
  not 
  actually 
  in 
  progress, 
  

   and 
  just 
  previous 
  thereto 
  for 
  the 
  collecting 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  (2) 
  That 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  all 
  now 
  dams 
  bo 
  subject 
  to 
  governmental 
  authority 
  

   and 
  conform 
  to 
  such 
  requirements 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  as 
  the 
  circumstances 
  may 
  warrant. 
  

  

  (3) 
  That 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  throwing 
  sawmill 
  waste 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  be 
  

   everywhere 
  prohibited 
  ; 
  and 
  that 
  all 
  existing 
  accumulations 
  of 
  such 
  waste 
  in 
  streams 
  

   where 
  it 
  may 
  bo 
  detrimental 
  to 
  the 
  movements 
  or 
  spawning 
  requirements 
  of 
  useful 
  

   fishes 
  be 
  removed. 
  As 
  the 
  sawmills 
  situated 
  in 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  St. 
  John 
  have 
  been 
  

   able 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  to 
  dispose 
  of 
  their 
  rubbish 
  without 
  recourse 
  to 
  the 
  adjacent 
  

   river, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  considered 
  that 
  this 
  provision 
  would 
  work 
  undue 
  hardship 
  in 
  other 
  

   places. 
  

  

  