PART II. 



Conclusion of the report and recommendations. 



The restoration of the shad supply to something like its former condition is the 

 great object of the work of this Commission. 



With the view of accomplishing this end with the least possible friction to exist- 

 ing interests and to restore as speedily as possible this valuable and important fishery ; 

 and to save it from that total and complete extermination which now threatens it, 

 be beg to submit our recommendations, with added observations thereon. 



These recommendations were, in the main, briefly set forth in our interim report 

 presented to the Honourable the Minister, on February 6, 1909, and which report is 

 appended hereto, but the grounds for our recommendations were not fully set forth 

 therein. Before proceeding to indicate the grounds referred to, we would again direct 

 attention to the desirability of establishing hatcheries and of restoring the supply of 

 shad by the modern methods of fish culture which have proved so successful in the 

 United States. In the course of our tour as a Commission we have found in various 

 localities that most favourable conditions exist for successfully conducting the work 

 of the propagation of shad, and we are of opinion that if vigorous action is taken, 

 along the lines of the recommendations herein submitted, the depleted shad fisheries 

 can, we have confidence, be restored in a period of three years. Moreover, the cost of 

 building shad hatcheries and of operating them appears to be much less than is the 

 case with the hatching of salmon and other species of fish. Hatchery buildings need 

 not be expensive, and the hatchery plant and the labour necessary are less costly 

 than in the case of salmon, whitefish, &c., especially as the period during which it is 

 necessary to carry on hatchery operations is comparatively short 



We preface our recommendations by urging that in official statistics shad should 

 be reported as counted by the hundred, or by pounds as in the case of salmon. When 

 recorded barrels the totals are misleading as already pointed out under the heading 

 ' Prices of Shad.' 



Various other kintls of fish are taken by the fishermen when fishing for shad and 

 salmon, and these should be reported on separate lines in the returns which the fisher- 

 men are required to make to the local officer. In the form we suggest (see Appendix 

 7) six blank lines are provided, on which to enter 'other fish,' such as cod, pollock, 

 striped bass, dogfish, sturgeon, &c. Apart from the statistical value of these details, 

 such returns afford information as to the increase or decrease of injurious fishes, like 

 the dogfish, &c. 



I. With reference to our recommendation No. I, confining shad nets to tidal 

 waters only, we may say that* in the evidence given at our sittings it was clearly 

 proven that shad, when frequenting waters other than tidal waters are either ascend- 

 ing to spawn or actually engaged in spawning or descending in a foul, unclean con- 

 dition after having spawned, and should not be captured. The schools of very small 

 shad, is stated, descend during the late summer and in the fall and the prohibition 

 protects these shad when they should not be captured, and the small immature shar . 



3494r-4 xlix 



