158 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



other fish may ascend, and thus be enabled to reach their spawning- 

 grounds. There is also an inspection in the markets, in nearly all the 

 larger cities, of the quality of fresh fish, so as to prevent the introduc- 

 tion for sale of any that are not considered wholesome and fit for food. 

 All these provisions are wise and beneficent, and tend, when judiciously 

 and properly enforced, to protect the fish against decrease and to secure 

 their multiplication, as well as to benefit the purchaser. If the auad- 

 romous fish are prevented from access to their spawning-beds, it is 

 within the power of a single person to destroy fisheries of immense 

 value and to deprive a large portion of the community of a wholesome 

 food and an important means of support. 



These conditions of protection and regulation, while they cannot be 

 said to apply at all to the deep-sea fisheries, have comparatively little 

 reference to the inshore sea fisheries. But even here we readily imagine 

 that State action, if not that of the General Government, is desirable. 

 The most important point in this connection is the protection of the 

 spawniug-grouuds (when they can be definitely ascertained) from pollu- 

 tion b5~ the introduction of noxious substances and from the disturbing 

 influences of fishing or other operations. A notable instance of the 

 advantage of regulation in this case is to be found in the matter of the 

 herring fisheries of the Bay of Fundy. The spawning-ground for this 

 fish is remarkably limited in extent, being for the most part situated 

 immediately around the southern extremity of Grand Mauan, or what 

 is known as the Southern Head. Here, during the months of June ? 

 July, and August the herring resort in immense numbers to deposit their 

 eggs } and limited as they appear to be in distribution at that time, 

 the great number of vessels that followed them to that region took 

 immense quantities of spawning fish, and apparently broke up the schools 

 and prevented them from depositing their eggs under proper condi- 

 tions. The result appeared, at least, to be a very great diminution of 

 the fish, and the threatening of their practical extermination. Under 

 these circumstances the Province of New Brunswick passed a law estab- 

 lishing the months of June (?), July, and August as a close time, during 

 which no fishing was to be allowed, and appointed an officer to enforce 

 the regulation. For several years many attempts were made to violate 

 the law, with more or less success; but gradually the power of the 

 Government, and perhaps an improved public sentiment, succeeded in 

 breaking up this encroachment, and of late years the protection of 

 these spawning-grounds has involved but little difficulty. It would 

 appear, as the result of this action, that shortly after the enactment 

 the fish began to increase in number, and they are now said to be as 

 abundant in the Bay of Fundy and its vicinity as they were ever known 

 to be since the, earliest history of the country. It is of course barely 

 possible that there is some fallacy in this conclusion, and that it was one 

 of these alternations of decrease that invoked the legislation in question, 

 and that the subsequent increase would have taken place, even if the 

 practice of fishing during the spawning season had been continued. 



