FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 133 



By the same Act the throwing overboard of "fish-guts, 

 offals or gurry" within the distance of six leagues from the 

 shore was entirely prohibited. 



FOR THE PROTECTION OF SALMON. 



As early as 1807 it was declared illegal for any person 

 or persons to set any nets or haul any seine above the first 

 rapids in the River Ristigouche, or above the first rapids in 

 the Great River Cascapedia, or to assist the Indians to do so, 

 either directly or indirectly. 1 



As long ago as the date of that enactment it was found 

 that the practices therein prohibited, together with a number 

 of others were responsible for a rapid destruction of salmon 

 not only in the rivers mentioned, but also in the estuaries of 

 all the rivers flowing into the Baie des Chaleurs. 



Much havoc had been wrought in the rivers in question 

 by the spearing of salmon by torch-light by the Indians. This 

 was entirely prohibited by the Act of 1824, though it still 

 permitted them to take salmon for their own use by spears 

 in the day time. It also rendered illegal the use of weirs or 

 nishagans. 



Other practices highly prejudicial to the salmon fisheries 

 were frequently resorted to up to that time, such as placing 

 or fastening sunken floats, shingles or billets of wood, or 

 branches of trees in the main channels of rivers, so as to turn 

 the salmon from their ordinary course up the several chan- 

 nels of the rivers, and by that means to drive them thence 

 into the nets. This method of capturing the parent fish while 

 on their way to the spawning grounds was also prohibited 

 by the Act of 1824. 



See Act 47, George III., Chap. 12, Sec. 14. 



