1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 249 



Conclusion. 



An attempt has been made to delineate in the pages of this report 

 the situation as it has been found to exist in regard to the commercial 

 and sporting fisheries, the game, the fur-bearing animals and the provin- 

 cial forest reserves. No claim is made that the recommendations sub- 

 mitted would, even if adopted, finally dispose of the manj^ difficulties 

 inherent to the problems connected with these matters, or even that the 

 range of subjects embraced by the report is in any way complete or com- 

 prehensive. Undoubtedly, there remains a very extensive field for care- 

 ful investigation in many directions affecting these questions; undoubt- 

 edl}^, also, many of the matters investigated and reported upon are of so 

 complex and difficult a character that a variety of opinions as to the 

 best methods of treating them satisfactorily must inevitably exist. 

 Within the limits of the available time, however, an effort has been made 

 to deal with as many of the important problems as possible, while in 

 approaching each individual problem and considering its best solution 

 the main objective has been kept steadily in view of ascertaining the 

 fundamental causes of the difficulties or of the eonditions and of apply- 

 ing to them the fundamental principles of economy and conservation. 

 An increased expenditure is inevitable if the conservation, even the per- 

 petuation, of the fisheries, fur-bearing animals and game is to be 

 achieved, but the economic importance of these resources is so infinitely 

 great that to permit of their annihilation for the sake of effecting a 

 paltry saving in the annual disbursements for their protection cannot 

 but be adjudged the height of economic improvidence. The situation is 

 bad to-day; in a few years, if matters are not, meanwhile, improved, it 

 jnust inevitably be worse, if not altogether irreparable. Surely, then, 

 it must be the part of wisdom to take time by the forelock and introduce 

 the reforms which are so vital to the conservation of these resources be- 

 fore it shall have become already too late, more especially so when the 

 means are available for raising the revenue necessary to meet the in- 

 creased expenditure out of income without unduly or unfairly burden- 

 ing any one class or profession of the community. 



Kelly Evans, 



Commissioner. 

 March 7th, 1911. 



