25 



e evidence as to the existence of whitefish grounds and of 

 pickerel grounds, that is, of areas where either of these fish pre- 

 dominated during the various fishing seasons, was somewhat contra- 

 dictory, and the Commission had great difficulty in deciding whether 

 or not any areas of large extent, or defined by fairly definite bounds, 

 could be distinguished and regarded as whitefish grounds, or, on the 

 other hand as pickerel grounds. Fishermen of large experience 

 assured the Commission, in their evidence, that such grounds could 

 be distinguished, while other witnesses stated that both fish occurred 

 on the various fishing grounds and no distinct areas could be separ- 

 ated in the way claimed by other witnesses. The only feasible course 

 appears to be to rely upon the opinion of the Inspector of Fisheries. 

 He could readily ascertain before recommending licenses if it was 

 safe to allow small-meshed pickerel nets or refuse them, and in this 

 way reduce, or entirely put an end to, the destruction and shipment 

 of small under-sized whitefish for which there is no demand. 



STURGEON. 



Iii our interim report of November 26, 1909, page 10, we recom- 

 mended that the export from the Province of Manitoba of sturgeon 

 and of caviar, which is the prepared and cured roe of the sturgeon, be 

 prohibited on and after January 1, 1910. Four reasons had weight 

 with us in making this recommendation, namely: (1) the undoubted 

 decline in the supply of sturgeon in the lakes and rivers of the pro- 

 duce. This decline is much greater than the published statistics 

 indicate; and, indeed, the returns during the last four or five years 

 have not indicated catches of sturgeon in Manitoba waters proper, 

 but have included large takes of sturgeon in the Nelson river and in 

 the northern waters in Keewatin, never before commercially 

 exploited. (2) Sturgeon have always been a staple article of food 

 \vith Indians, and in past years the Department has laid stress on 

 the importance of this fish as a source of sustenance for the Indian 

 tribes, especially the northern tribes. (3) The increased value and 

 the increased demand, especially in foreign markets, for caviar and 

 smoked sturgeon; and the greatly increased prices consequent on this 

 growing demand has stimulated a desire on the part of fish firms to 

 make large catches of sturgeon. Wherever sturgeon occur in Can- 

 ada, there has been, in recent years, every effort made to capture 

 them, and, it must be added, to exterminate them. (4) The action 

 of the International Fisheries Commission, which, in the code of 

 regulations prepared by them, provide that sturgeon fishing should 

 be stopped for four years, is of weight in this connection. Their 

 regulation No. 14 (International Regulations, dated May 29, 1909) 

 recommended that the Dominion and United States governments 

 should carry out a total prohibition of sturgeon fishing in the bound- 

 ary waters along the international border for a period of four years. 

 The ground for this regulation was the critical state of the sturgeon 

 supply. We, therefore, adhere to the recommendation we made, that 

 the export of sturgeon and sturgeon products be totally prohibited 

 for the present. 



ENFORCEMENT OF CLOSE SEASON. 



We pointed out, in our former report, that fish, whether caught Fish not to be 

 in Manitoba waters or elsewhere, should not be possessed or handled handled in close 

 during the close seasons specified by the regulations; but it is a s< 

 matter of general knowledge that a vast quantity of fish caught in 



