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necessity of treating the fishery questions rationally, systemati- 

 cally, and thoroughly, with a view to arrive at a basis for 

 international legislation applicable to the whole sea area from 

 which they have in the past extracted their enormous sup- 

 plies, and wherein the natural resources are slow in replenish- 

 ing supplies, and where depletion prevails." 



It need scarcely be repeated that the reasons which have 

 led to such important developments in Great Britain apply 

 with equal force here. 



In order to maintain and replenish the fish supply two 

 things are necessary — the prevention of wholesale and useless 

 destruction, and the establishment of hatcheries. As regards 

 the former, it is a matter for congratulation that a Bill is now 

 before Parliament which proposes to consolidate and amend 

 the existing Acts, and thereby to take more stringent mea- 

 sures for the preservation of fish life. The Bill provides for 

 the following additions, among others, to existing Acts, viz. : — 

 To license fishermen, to compel fishermen to fui'nish returns, 

 to forbid the sale of the roe of fish, to protect craj^sh, to 

 inflict penalties for disturbing fish on their spawning grounds, 

 to give inspectors power to enter upon fishing grounds and 

 boats, to examine nets, to prevent foreigners from fishing un- 

 less naturalised, to give power to the Minister to remove 

 obstructions to the passage of fish, to pay for the destruction 

 of shags and pelicans, and to provide spawning reserves and 

 hatcheries. These are most important provisions, and if 

 passed and carried into effect will do much to prevent the 

 mischief which is now going on. Tlie proclamation of spawn- 

 ing reserves and the protection of the shallow waters in our 

 gulfs, inlets, and estuaries from indiscriminate net fishing, 

 especially with certain kinds of net, are of the utmost impor- 

 tance, and the enforcement of the law should be vigorously 

 insisted upon. A good deal has already been done in this 

 direction, largely through the efforts of Mr. Duffield, but more 

 is needed. It has been repeatedly shown that the shallow 

 waters referred to are the natural spawning grounds of fish, 

 and often their resort in the earlier stages of life, yet it is 

 notorious that the creeks and inlets of the Port- River, for 

 instance, are being perpetually raked by seine nets, the nets 

 being often placed at the mouths of creeks on a falling tide. 

 The chief sinners in this respect are said to be unnaturalised 

 foreigners, who take care not to expose for sale their illegal 

 captures, but dispose of them privately among their own 

 customers. Be this as it may, there are probably no places 

 which should be more carefully guarded against depredations 

 of this kind than the various branches of the Port Hiver, 



