1899 ] GAME AND FISHERIES. 51 



He has repeatedly visited the fishing grounds without any warning, to see that the 

 laws were observed. 



He has not found any illegal fishing. Respecting the Dominion Fisheries Act, 

 nothing has come under his notice excepting the foul condition and appearance of 

 what is known as Coal Oil Inlet in Burlington Bay, but this is of long standing. 



There are no fishways in his district. 



Respecting coarse fish, that is cat-fish, and also with reference to perch, sun-fish, 

 bass, pike, etc., he has no way of making an accurate estimate as the greater number 

 are taken by angling and trolling and by spearing through the ice. He believes that 

 he would not be astray in putting the quantity taken in this way during the past 

 season at 15 tons. 



Overseer Sargant reports : 



That the herring is increasing in his division and says had the fishermen 

 realizsed the same price this year *as formerly quite an increase would have been 

 shown in the value of their catch. The reason they did not get the same price as 

 usual is owing to the mildness of the winter, which caused smoked herring to be in less 

 demand. 



He notices in the catch a new species which he thinks is a cross between the blue 

 backed herring and the ciscoe. They are larger than the herring and are a most palat- 

 able food. He reports the ciscoe herring to be fast disappearing, hardly any being now 

 caught, and thinks it a matter of regret that such a fine fish should disappear from our 

 lakes. He has noticed that when ciscoes are plentiful, herring are very scarce. He has 

 learned from old fishermen that twenty-five years ago herrings were plentiful and ciscoes 

 scarce and that in a few years this order of things was reversed. He believes that when 

 one species comes the other goes, so has every reason to believe that in a few years ciscoes 

 will be just as plentiful as ever. 



The fishermen, he says, do not fish for trout to any great extent, but some very nice 

 species were caught. He reports that no fishways are needed in his division. 



Overseer Walker states : 



That the fisherman did not fish a full season owing to the absence of some them 

 during a portion of the year ; that therefore the catch was less than the previous season ; 

 that all the fish taken in his district are used for home consumption ; that no cases 

 of illegal fishing came under his notice, and that the close seasons were well observed. 



Overseer Wood reports : 



That the season just closed shows a gratifying increase in the catch of herring, 

 but that he is sorry to report a decrease of white fish. This, he thinks is accounted 

 for by the prevalent east winds which continued during the whole season. He 

 aslo reports a slight decrease in the quantity of trout taken ; that the coarse fish 

 remain practically the same, and that there is an increase in the aggregate value of the 

 fish taken. 



He is satisfied that the close season has been well observed as no violations came to 

 his knowledge ; rumors of breaches of the law could not be verified on investigation. 



Four nets set in prohibited waters were found by grappling for them. The offenders, 

 he believes, were not licensed fishermen, but simply parties who own a skiff and a few 

 yards of net, and who do not engage in any regular occupation. 



Overseer James Willis states : 



That the catch was about the same as in 1898, with the exception of a slight increase 

 in herring. The whole -catch, he says, was used for home consumption. " There were 

 no cases of illegal fishing and the close seasons were well observed." 



Overseer Freeman reports : 



The catch of fish to have been a little above the average, with the exception of 

 trout and white fish. The decrease in these two kinds of fish, he believes, is due to the 

 fishermen not attending properly to their work. M In fact quite a number of them are 

 getting old and are not able to carry on the fishing as it should be conducted." 



He thinks that about seventy- five per cent, of the fish caught in Canada are exported 

 to the United States. 



The close seasons, he says, have been strictly observed and that he always warns the 

 fishermen with regard to this , that no illegal fishing came to his knowledge, and that 



