TKXvi SBAD FISHERY COMMISSIOK 



be a reasonable probability that the 120 barrels of gravid fish annually caught in the 

 Shubenaeadie river, affords indication where remedial legislation would be followed by 

 most valuable results.' 



OBSTRUCTIONS ON RIVERS BY DAMS, ETC. 



There is no doubt that one of the most serious causes of depletion has been the 

 blocking of rivers by dams which prevent the ascent of the spawning schools of shad. 

 This was years ago established in the Penobscot shad fishery. In that river in the 

 Sftate of Maine shad were extremely abundant, but about thirty years ago a dam 

 was erected which resulted in almost exterminating the shad fishery there. In many 

 of the rivers flowing into the Bay of Fundy the erection of dams has had extremely 

 harmful results, some of these obstructions being of a formidable character. One of 

 the most serious cases observed by the Commission, on the occasions of its visits to 

 these waters, was the large dam on Salmon river, Colchester county. Other obstruc- 

 tions which have had a detrimental effect are log jams, which undoubtedly deter the 

 ascending schools from reaching the upper waters ; while the use of set nets which, 

 it is alleged, are often stretched completely across streams, has done much to prevent 

 the fish reaching their spawning grounds. 



Mr. C. A. Stevenson, in his famous report to the United States Fisheries Bureau 

 on the shad fisheries, laid stress on the damage due to such obstructions and states 

 that :— 



An examination of thirty-three of the principal Atlantic coast rivers, aggregating 

 Y,391 miles in length, shows that shad formerly existed throughout 5,330 miles, or 

 7S per cent of the length, and that at present they are to be found in only 3,635 miles, 

 a decrease of 1,700 miles. This includes the principal rivers, and if the minor streams 

 and tributaries were included, the total length of which shad have been excluded would 

 doubtless appear more than twice as great. In much of that length shad were quite 

 numerous, the catch in many instances exceeded the yield in the portions to which 

 the fisheries are now confined. 



The limitation in the range of shad in the rivers is the result of several agencies, 

 in addition to the size of the stream, the most important of which are (1) natural 

 falls, (2) insurmountable dams, (3) pollution of the water and extensive fisheries. 



Natural falls exist at the escarpment line in all the rivers having their sources 

 above the costal plane, but in only a few instances are they of sufficient height to 

 form insurmountable obstacles to the range of shad. But most of the streams have 

 been made impassable at or a short distance above the escarpment line by means of 

 artificial dams for developing water power or for navigation improvements. 



OVERFISHING. 



At quite a number of sittings the evidence showed that overfishing had been 

 carried on and numerous catches made, especially in former years, involving not 

 only excessive destruction but in many cases an actual waste of fish. Had some 

 restrictions been placed years ago limiting the amount of gear used and guarding 

 against excessive catches of fish, a chief cause of depletion would have been averted. 

 Such large catches were made that it frequently happened the fishermen could not 

 handle them. In Scotts bay, in 1842 the Commission had testimony that on one 

 tide no less than 50,000 shad were taken in a stake seine. ' In 1372-73 a very large 

 catch of shad was taken at Scotts bay in three seines, no less than 100,000 shad 

 being captured. In 1884 55,000 shad were captured in the same apparatus, and in 



