CHAPTER IX 



FISHERIES 



THE fisheries of Canada are the most important 

 in the world. True as this statement is, it 

 needs some explanation. In the first place, 

 Newfoundland is included, in accordance with 

 its inclusion under all other headings in this 

 book. Then, all the wholly or partly unex- 

 ploited waters are taken into consideration, 

 including Hudson Bay and the Arctic ocean. 

 And, thirdly, the catch made by foreigners in 

 all waters neighbouring the Canadian coasts 

 is not left out. Thus the Canadian fisheries 

 are held to mean all the fisheries, fresh and salt, 

 in or nearest to the whole of British North 

 America. This is a perfectly fair basis to 

 start from. It is, indeed, the fairest basis that 

 can be found, as it affords a fixed territorial 

 standard of comparison with other countries ; 

 and standards of comparison are particularly 

 hard to fix in regard to fishing. French and 

 Americans fish round Newfoundland, in waters 



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