LIBRARY OF THE 

 ©ANZ THEODORE STONE 

 PART I. ^ LABORATORY 



REPORT OF THE DOMINION SHAD FISHERY COMMISSION 



1908-10. 



Ottawa. May 28th. 1910. 



lion. L. P. Beodeue, 



Minister of Marine and Fisheries, 

 Ottawa. 



Sm, — The undersigned Commissioners have the honour to present their complete 

 and final report and recommendations on the shad fisheries of the Bay of Fundy 

 siud tributary waters. 



The Commission was appointed on June 1th, 1908, in accordance with the repre- 

 sentations contained in the following ofticial memorial forwarded to the Honourable 

 the Minister on April 2nd. 1908:— 



Hon. L. P. Brodeur, 



Minister of Marine and Fisheries, 

 Ottawa. 



The memorial of the undersigned members of the Legislative Council and of the 

 House of Assembly of !Nova Scotia respectively, humbly showeth. 



That your memorialists are representatives of six counties adjoining the Bay of 

 Fundy and its tributaries, where a large and lucrative business was formerly con- 

 ducted in the taking and curing of shad, but which from causes unknown has so far 

 declined that it is now of little value. 



That the industry in former years gave employment to hundreds of fishermen and 

 called for profitable investment of a large amount of capital. Your memorialists are 

 of opinion that the cavises of the failure of such an industry should, if possible be 

 discovered and made a matter of record. 



That the shad are a migratory fish, visiting the waters of the Bay of Fundy, as 

 popularly understood by two migrations. The first during the months of April and 

 May being known as the spawn shad which find their way into fresh water rivers 

 emptying into the Bay of Fundy and its different arms; the second during the months 

 of June and July confining their movements to the salt water bays and arms, the 

 latter being the fish known to commerce. 



That these fish in each of their migration.? first appear in Canadian waters at the 

 mouth of the St. John river, St. Mary's bay and Annapolis basin, gradually working 

 their way up to the head tidal waters some two or three weeks later. 



That your memorialists have recently conferred with Professor E. E. Prince, 

 Commissioner and General Inspector of Fisheries for Canada, respecting the matters 

 referred to in this memorial, and have learned that no purely Canadian data exist in 

 the department at Ottawa respecting shad. 



That the older people who are most familiar with the habits of the shad and its 

 great value as an industry many years ago are fast passing away and much informa- 

 tion obtainable from them necessary to intelligently give effect to restorative measures, 

 will be lost unless secured without delay, and as no inquiry has been officially made 

 with respect to the shad fisheries in Canada, in the opinion of your memorialists it 

 is advisable that a commission be forthwith issued, composed of maritime province 

 men, to investigate all matters and things touching this industry. 



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