American Fisli erics Sucicfy 63 



Dr. Birge : AVell, that is not true with us. 



Mr. Evans: Well, Avith us, sir, we have an ample supply of 

 whitefisli caught at other seasons besides the spawning season. 

 Further, the policy of the dominion coast has been to respect the 

 whitefisli during their spawning season. To me the resolution 

 appears to be one of very great importance. Mr. Meehan is in 

 the happy position of doing more in his state of Pennsylvania 

 for hatcheries, as I understand it, than any state in the union, 

 and is almost reaching that point where he comes within a meas- 

 urable distance of the total output, as I am informed, of spawn 

 in the whole of the federal government. We, in the Dominion of 

 Canada, are not in such a happy position. We are dependent 

 largely upon the natural habits of tlie fish to propagate their 

 species. If this society turns down my friend, Mr. Wilson's 

 resolution, it practically places this body in the position of giv- 

 ing an opinion that we must depend entirely upon hatcheries and 

 absolutely not consider the natural functions of the fish as being 

 at all effective in reproducing their species. We in the Province 

 of Ontario feel that in one lake in which Xew York has a great 

 interest, namely. Lake Ontario, there is only a small portion of 

 that water on our side of the border suitable for the propagation 

 of the natural spawn of the fish, and if you do not consider the 

 resolution of Mr. Wilson it places this body at any rate, as giv- 

 ing an opinion wliicli will help our friends the enemy, the net 

 fishermen of my own province, in carrying on the destruction 

 which has brought the fisheries on our side to their present con- 

 dition. 1 will admit that if you have the happy condition that 

 Mr. Meehan has in the state of Pennsylvania, whereby he is al)le 

 to turn out an inmiense number of spawn into the water, the 

 resolution possibly is not necessary, 1)ut we have not on our half 

 of the border line that happy condition of things, and must at 

 present, depend largely upon the fish carrying on their o^\■n 

 natural propagation. 



Therefore, I appeal to this Inxly to go very slowly iji this 

 question, either for or against it. As has already been intimated, 

 the matter is now in the hands of a royal commission, and I may 

 say to you, Mr. President, that I feel satisfied that the action of 

 this important body last year at Erie, Penn., in passing the reso- 

 lution which I had the honor to introduce, had something to do 



