DOMINION SHAD FISHERY COMMISSION, 1908-1910. 



REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Part I. 



SYNOPSIS. 



Memorial to Dominion Goverumeut from members of X. S. Legislature, 1908. 



Former petitions and inspectors' reports oij shad question. 



Urgency of CommLssiori's investigation and public interest aroused. 



Decline of shad fishery a serious loss to the country. 



The industry from 1835 described in letter to Dr. M. H. Parley. 



Historical references, Wm. Penn (1683), Deschamps (1782), Eev. Hugh Graham 



(1791), and testimony of aged witnesses extending over 60 years — Halliday's 



pioneer fishery, kind of uets, extent of catches, price, spearing on tidal flats, 



&c. 

 Best periods of fishery, enormous quantities formerly taken. 

 Statistics of some catches in N. S. and N. B. 

 Geographical range of shad. 



Various runs of shad in Bay of Fundy, spring and siunmer schools. 

 Methods of capture: gill-nets, stake-seines, set-nets, brush-weirs, spring nets, 



sweep seines and dip nets. 

 Habits and food of shad. 

 Spawning grounds of shad: on Rivers St. John, Avon, Annapolis, Petiteodiac, 



Stewiacke and Shubenacadie. 

 Causes of decline, spawning fish destroyed, dams, &c., overfishing, sawdust, kc. 

 Cwr'mg methods and marketing of shad. 

 Prices of shad, former and present. 

 Shad Culture, natural spawning, hatcheries, eggs of shad, nature of fry, success 



of TJ. S. stocking of Pacific waters, &c. 

 International aspects of shad question. 

 Salmon and gaspereau investigations. 

 Destruction of young salmon by angling. 



Part U. 

 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION OF THE REPORT. 



Part III. 



Part HI. — Interim Report. 

 Appendices. 

 Appendix 1.- — Recommendation made by the Fishery Inspectors at a 



Conference in Ottawa, April 9, 1891. 

 Appendix 2. — Statement and Statistics submitted by Overseer J. W. 



Davison, Bass R., N. S. 

 Appendix 3. — Mr. T. F. ilorrison's Record of catches of Shad and Salmon. 

 Appendix 4. — Mr. Sargent Stewart's 

 Api)endix 5. — Census Return of Nova Scotia Shad and -Salmon catches, 



1861. 

 Appendix 6.-^Suggested Form of Shad and Salmon Fishing Permit. 

 Appendix 7. — .Suggested Form of Statistical Return of Annual Catch of 



Shad, Salmon and other fish. 



