FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 175 



The fishing in the rivers on the King's Posts had been 

 leased to the Hudson Bay Company in 1852 for a term of 

 21 years, but the lease was terminable after a notice of eight 

 een months. This notice was given to the Company on Mr. 

 Nettle's recommendation, and in 1859 new leases to the num- 

 ber of 163 we're granted for net fishing stations on the North 

 Shore, and a few angling privileges were also sold for a term 

 of years. 



Up to this time the condition of the salmon fisheries of 

 that Shore were most deplorable. The monopoly enjoyed by 

 the Hudson Bay Company was a most unpopular one. The 

 Superintendent of Fisheries complained of the destructive 

 methods of the Company's employes. The Company's officer 

 in charge of the Mingan station wrote that "the salmon fish- 

 eries in 1858 have completely gone to the bad. All the rivers 

 have been entered and held by force of arms. Some of the 

 people at Chicaska threatened to shoot Mr. Dore for endeavor- 

 ing to prevent them from setting their nets across those of 

 the Company." Mr. Nettle declared that "the many hun- 

 dreds of nets that have been placed in the rivers and bays, to- 

 gether with the vile practice of spearing, have almost totally 

 destroyed them." 



He realized the fact, however, that with the withdrawal 

 of the Hudson Bay Company it was necessary to provide 

 some protection for the salmon rivers of the coast, and hence 

 his suggestion, wisely adopted, for a system of individual 

 fishing leases. In support of this suggestion he wrote as fol- 

 lows : 



"Unproductive and wasteful as their mode of fishing is, 

 the protection the Hudson's Bay Company affords is the only 

 present safeguard for the existence of Salmon in Canada. 

 I am persuaded that were that protection withdrawn for ONE 

 SUMMER, without the substitution of some other as effective, 

 this noble fish would be utterly exterminated from our coun- 

 try. Fishermen from Gaspe, Rimouski, New Brunswick, 

 Labrador, Newfoundland, the Magdalen Islands and the 

 United States whose numbers and skill would enable them to 



