195 



cutting? down of shade trees, have all done their deadly work, and to add to the 

 general di>content, there is no reason to doubt that the seasons now set are not 

 ■universally approved of. 



The close season for one particular fish, in one particular district, appears to 

 be perfectly unsuitable to the same kind of ii>h in another part of the >same dis- 

 trict. This is easily accounted for by the dirterentiatiiin in the conditions of the 

 waters, some bein*;^ deeper and theiefore colder than others, and some containing 

 a lack of proper tish food. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion that the only satisfactory way in which 

 the fish seasons can be properly set is by the establishment of a permanent Game 

 and Fish Commission, whose members will trive the matter special and thorough 

 study. This is a work which cannot be done in a day, and a vast work lies ahead of 

 such a Commission, but it is a work which can be ma<le immensely profitable for 

 the Province, and which will have the hearty sympathy of all classes of the com- 

 munity. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion that Pound nets should be entirely abol- 

 ished in the waters of the Province, and that no ( !ill netting should be allowed ex- 

 cept by special permission from the Game and Fish Commissioners. 



Careful attention should also be given to the matter of winter spearing in 

 land-locked waters. There are some waters in which no harm can possibly re- 

 sult from this pastime, besides which many fishermen depend entirely for 

 their winter supply of food, on the tish taken in this manner. On the other hand, 

 there are many liodies of water, in which this practice is most pernicious, and 

 detrimental, and this is a matter which should receive very careful attention. 



Your Commissioners desire to point out that many fish are destroyed by 

 camping and fishing clubs, for the mere sake of making big catches, so that the 

 number of fish taken are far in excess of what is required fur food purposes. By 

 such means as these, many of the waters of the Province are being depleted, 

 and your Commissioners therefoie recommend that a limit be placed upon the 

 size or weight of the fish a'lowed to be taken. Unless some such step is taken, 

 the indiscriminate slaughter which has been going on for years, will soon deplete 

 the waters of the Province entirely. 



In the meantime, pending the possible appointment of a permanent Commis- 

 sion, your Commissioners leel themselves qiiite unable to offer any suggestions as 

 to close seasons, although they are of opinion that the present laws, for the rea- 

 sons above given, are not satisfactory. 



HA.RES OR RABBITS. 



Your Commissioners are of opinion that these animals should only be killed 

 from 15th September to loth December, so that one general shooting season may 

 be observed. 



SQUIRRELS. 



Your Commissioners recommend that squirrels should only be shot from 

 15th September to 15th December, in the proposeil genera' shooting season. At 

 pref-ent the slaughter of these animals is indiscriminate, and the Black Squirrel 

 has almost disappeared from the Province. 



