1900 ] FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. 



obnoxious possible, and these directions have been fairly well carried out. The 

 overseers have, on the whole, been vigilant, zealous and active in the discharge of 

 their duties, and have taken a livelier interest in their work generally. It is be- 

 lieved that having overseers scattered liberally over the country, with 

 district overseers in those sections where the work to be done i* chiefly that of 

 supervision, is the best system for this Province. But the territory to be super- 

 vised is so large in area, and the number and variety of its waters so great, that 

 the volume of work which these men have to perform, to give anything like 

 efficient protection, must be apparent to every one who will give the matter one 

 moment's thought or consideration ; and it would be folly to deny that violations 

 do occur, no matter how vigilant, zealous and active these officers may 

 be. One great advantage of the system is, that those who learn of 

 violations have a better opportunity ot lodging information with the over- 

 seer, and are more inclined to do so where they can do this verbally, than if 

 they had to go long distances to see him, or communicate the information by 

 letter. In certain waters, during the fall and spring close seasons, guardians have 

 been employed to assist the overseers in the enforcement of the law ; and the 

 practice of occasionally detailing an officer from the Department to visit localities 

 where violations have been reported, or where an overseer was suspected of 

 neglecting his duty, has been found to work advantageously. There seems to be 

 an impre&sion that the enforcement of the Fishery law is to be left entirely to 

 the officers of the Department, and not to fall within the purview of others than 

 the overseers. But this is a misapprehension, for the law requires that it shall be 

 the duty of every "fire and wood ranger, constable and peace officer, and every 

 game and deputy game warden, to aid in the observance of the provisions of this 

 Act and in bringing offenders to justice." Some of the State Legislatures have 

 gone so far as to enact that where peace officers and wardens ignore this duty, 

 and fail to comply with the provisions of the Statute, they shall be liable to fine 

 and even imprisonment. It is believed, however, that public sentiment in the 

 direction of the protection of our fisheries is increasing, and that for the present 

 at all events it will not be necessary to place upon our statute book so drastic a 

 measure 



Violations in the Georgian Bay. 



The past year has been no exception to its predecessors as to the amount of 

 illegal fishing carried on in these waters, and perhaps no other waters in the 

 Province have been subjected to so much vigilance and assiduous attention on the 

 part of our officers. One hundred and nineteen trap nets, and many yards of 

 illegally fished gill nets, have been lifted. The trap nets have been invariably 

 destroyed, as being an implement of capture prohibited by the Fisheries Act of 

 the Dominion. Where the gill nets are of a mesh which is authorized by the 

 Department, these nets are sold where possible, and the amounts received therefor 

 placed to the credit of the Treasurer of the Province. 



The "Gilphie." 



It was found at the close of last session that some alterations and re fittings 

 would be necessary to better equip her for her new work. The principal altera- 

 tions were the raising of the pilot house, and the construction of two new state- 

 rooms, one for the use of the Captain and the other for an officer of the Govern- 

 ment when accompanying the vessel over his district. The coal bunkers were 

 enlarged to provide additional storage space for coal, and the hull of the vessel 

 was thoroughly gone over and plated with steel plates to prevent injury from 



