﻿EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMAriS.SIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  CXV 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  effectual 
  measure 
  of 
  relief, 
  and 
  one 
  which 
  we 
  strongly 
  urge 
  l)e 
  carried 
  out, 
  

   is 
  a 
  restriction 
  on 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  fishing, 
  Avhich 
  uudoubtedlj' 
  already 
  far 
  exceeds 
  a 
  

   safe 
  limitation. 
  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  determine 
  positively 
  the 
  maximum 
  number 
  of 
  

   pound 
  nets 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  fished 
  without 
  danger 
  of 
  depleting 
  the 
  supply, 
  as 
  the 
  

   latter 
  is 
  an 
  uncertain 
  and 
  liuctuating 
  quantity, 
  and 
  the 
  matter 
  will 
  therefore 
  have 
  

   to 
  be 
  settled 
  arbitrarily; 
  but 
  we 
  are 
  convinced 
  that 
  within 
  the 
  small 
  area 
  to 
  which 
  

   this 
  kind 
  of 
  fishing 
  is 
  confined 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  pound 
  nets 
  in 
  use 
  should 
  not 
  

   exceed 
  150, 
  to 
  be 
  divided 
  l)etween 
  the 
  two 
  countries 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  

   shore 
  line 
  belonging 
  to 
  each. 
  Even 
  this 
  number 
  we 
  regard 
  as 
  too 
  large 
  to 
  insure 
  the 
  

   ultimate 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  sturgeon, 
  bnt 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  constrained 
  not 
  to 
  reduce 
  it 
  

   still 
  further 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  industry 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  firmly 
  established 
  

   on 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  basis. 
  

  

  Besides 
  the 
  limitation 
  upon 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  pound 
  nets 
  to 
  be 
  employed, 
  we 
  would 
  

   recommend 
  that 
  not 
  over 
  two 
  such 
  nets 
  be 
  allowed 
  in 
  any 
  one 
  string; 
  that 
  the 
  

   leaders 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  be 
  not 
  over 
  50 
  rods 
  long, 
  each 
  ; 
  that 
  the 
  inner 
  end 
  of 
  any 
  pound 
  

   net 
  or 
  pound-net 
  string 
  be 
  set 
  in 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  10 
  feet 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  outer 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  extend 
  not 
  over 
  1 
  mile 
  from 
  the 
  shore; 
  and 
  that 
  no 
  pounds 
  bo 
  

   fished 
  within 
  1 
  mile 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  any 
  stream 
  which 
  the 
  sturgeon 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  

   enter. 
  The 
  object 
  of 
  such 
  provisions 
  is 
  to 
  insure 
  as 
  much 
  freedom 
  of 
  movement 
  for 
  

   the 
  sturgeon 
  as 
  possible, 
  both 
  during 
  and 
  subsequent 
  to 
  the 
  spawning 
  run. 
  

  

  We 
  also 
  consider 
  it 
  advisable 
  that 
  no 
  gill-net 
  or 
  trawl-line 
  fishing 
  be 
  permitted 
  in 
  

   the 
  pound-net 
  region, 
  or 
  south 
  of 
  a 
  line 
  extending 
  due 
  east 
  from 
  American 
  Point 
  at 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Northwest 
  Angle 
  Inlet 
  to 
  the 
  Peninsula, 
  except 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  gill 
  nets 
  by 
  

   the 
  Indians 
  for 
  supplying 
  their 
  own 
  needs. 
  

  

  While 
  a 
  close 
  time 
  covering 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  sturgeon 
  could 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  

   be 
  beneficial, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  be 
  efi'ective 
  it 
  would 
  require 
  to 
  begin 
  at 
  such 
  a 
  date 
  and 
  

   to 
  be 
  continued 
  for 
  so 
  long 
  a 
  time 
  as 
  practically 
  to 
  interfere 
  with 
  the 
  entire 
  spring 
  

   and 
  early 
  summer 
  fishery, 
  the 
  most 
  proiitable 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  A 
  close 
  season 
  is, 
  however, 
  

   suggested 
  for 
  the 
  wall-eyed 
  pike 
  and 
  whitefish, 
  by 
  restricting 
  the 
  pound-net 
  season 
  

   to 
  the 
  period 
  l)eginning 
  May 
  15 
  and 
  terminating 
  October 
  31, 
  which 
  is 
  essentially 
  in 
  

   accorda.nce 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  custom. 
  

  

  Protection 
  should 
  be 
  afibrded 
  the 
  young 
  sturgeon 
  by 
  requiring 
  the 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  

   water 
  alive, 
  of 
  all 
  individuals 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  nets 
  which 
  measure 
  less 
  than 
  4 
  feet 
  long. 
  

   At 
  present 
  they 
  are 
  retained 
  when 
  as 
  small 
  as 
  about 
  3^ 
  feet, 
  the 
  ordinary 
  maximum 
  size 
  

   being 
  5^ 
  to 
  6 
  feet. 
  No 
  caviare 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  sturgeon 
  under 
  4 
  feet 
  long, 
  

   and 
  none 
  of 
  those 
  containing 
  caviare 
  landed 
  during 
  our 
  visit 
  were 
  less 
  than 
  4^ 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  ca^iture 
  of 
  small 
  whitefish, 
  wall-eyed 
  pike, 
  lake 
  trout, 
  etc., 
  should 
  be 
  restricted 
  

   by 
  regulating 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  mesh, 
  which 
  should 
  measure 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  41 
  inches 
  in 
  

   pound 
  nets 
  and 
  5 
  inches 
  in 
  gill 
  nets. 
  

  

  No 
  iish 
  offal, 
  garbage, 
  sawmill 
  waste, 
  or 
  other 
  polluting 
  agencies 
  should 
  l>e 
  thrown 
  

   or 
  allowed 
  to 
  pass 
  into 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  lake. 
  

  

  Fishing 
  for 
  sturgeon 
  in 
  Rainy 
  River, 
  except 
  for 
  domestic 
  use, 
  should 
  be 
  pro- 
  

   hibited. 
  Further 
  inquiries 
  require 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  in 
  Rainy 
  Lake 
  and 
  the 
  more 
  eastern 
  

   waters 
  of 
  the 
  system 
  before 
  deciding 
  upon 
  the 
  measures 
  necessary 
  to 
  protect 
  their 
  

   fishery 
  resources. 
  

  

  WATERS 
  CONTIGUOUS 
  TO 
  THE 
  BOUNDARY 
  LINE 
  BETWEEN 
  BRITISH 
  COLUMBIA 
  AND 
  

   THE 
  STATE 
  OP 
  WASHINGTON. 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  following 
  recommendations 
  are 
  intended 
  to 
  apply 
  only 
  to 
  those 
  waters 
  

   adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  boundary 
  line 
  between 
  British 
  Columbia 
  and 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Washing- 
  

   ton 
  which 
  are 
  traversed 
  by 
  the 
  main 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  sockeye 
  salmon, 
  and 
  to 
  which 
  our 
  

   inquiries 
  were 
  chiefly 
  restricted. 
  This 
  area 
  may 
  be 
  roughly 
  defined 
  as 
  comprising 
  

   the 
  Strait 
  of 
  ,Iuan 
  de 
  Fuca 
  and 
  those 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Georgia 
  aiul 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  

   (Washington 
  Sound) 
  lying 
  between 
  the 
  parallels 
  of 
  48^^ 
  10' 
  and 
  ii)-' 
  20' 
  north 
  latitude, 
  

   together 
  with 
  their 
  adjacent 
  bays 
  and 
  tributary 
  streams. 
  We 
  consider, 
  however, 
  

   that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  advantageous 
  to 
  extend 
  the 
  scope 
  of 
  any 
  joint 
  regulations 
  which 
  

  

  