THE EEPORT UPON No. 14 



Game. 



Following suggestions made in last year's report, some amendments to the Act 

 were made by the Legislature during the session of 1916. One of these amend- 

 ments provided for a trapper's license, and the other for an open season for beaver 

 and otter, being the first open season for these animals in twenty years. 



The introduction of the trapper's license will, I believe, prove acceptable to the 

 great majority of the trappers of the Province, many of them having asked to have 

 all trappers placed under license with a suitable fee attached. In drafting the 

 amendment, however, it) was thought advisable to exempt farmers and farmers' 

 sons when trapping upon their own lands. 



In providing for an open season for beaver and otter, it was provided that they 

 should be taken only during such periods and upon such terms and conditions as 

 might be prescribed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. 



The result of these two amendments to the Act are not available for this report, 

 the trapping season not opening until after the end of our fiscal year. 



The treaty between Great Britain and the United States regarding both 

 migratory game and non-game birds is still under consideration, but will likely 

 be completed during the year. When this treaty is signed there is no doubt it will 

 require some changes in our Act in order to comply with its provisions. 



The amendment prohibiting the purchase or sale of wild ducks, wild geese or 

 other waterfowl has, I believe, met with general approval. 



As in past years I cannot close without thanking the Superintendent of Pro- 

 vincial Police and his officers for the assistance rendered the Department during 

 the year. 



D. McDonald, 

 Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries. 



January 8, 1917. 



D. McDonald, Esq., 



Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Toronto, Ont. 



Sir, — When this barbarous world wide war ends, enforced strenuous con- 

 servation will be imperative. It may seem inconsistent to advocate conservation of 

 our resources while the old world powers are destroying the world's most valuable 

 assets, the lives of the inhabitants of their respective countries. When the despic- 

 able barbarians are relegated to restricted confines of their despised country, we, as 

 an important part of the glorious Empire on which the sun never sets, should be 

 prepared by a most rigid system of conservation, not only to make our Province, 

 as far as possible, self-sustaining, but also to enable our Dominion to meet its 

 immense obligations and provide for our brave fellow Canadians and their depend- 

 ants unable to provide for themselves. We are more directly concerned with the 

 natural products of our Department and the conservation and perpetuation of the 

 same. While your Department has under difficult conditions succeeded in con- 

 serving fish in Provincial waters, whom are we conserving it for? As far as I 

 know we are under no obligation to protect our fish for American consumption. 

 In consequence of the present high price of meat, a far larger amount of fish caught 

 in the waters of the Province should be available for home consumption. Tug 

 fishermen, who as a rule ship their entire catch to their headquarters in Buffalo and 

 other United States receiving stations, should be compelled to pay a royalty on all 



