coycLvsioy of the report axd recommexdatioxs h 



the years when the attempt is being made to restore to their former plentitude the 

 shad of the Bay of Fundy. The salmon fishery, in our opinion, should be also in- 

 cluded in this recommended step (see our suggested r^ulation 19h.) 



Yin. — This recommendation appears to us essentially necessary to ensure the 

 success of the shad hatching operations recommended. Were the reserves established 

 which we recommend, supplies of parent shad could be obtained in the waters men- 

 tioned, and as these reserves provide all the most favourable conditions for successful 

 planting of fry, they should be extensively stocked with young shad from the hatch- 

 eries, so that the waters of the bay may be benefited and the schools of shad restored 

 to abundance as rapidly as possible. 



IX. The Commission are convinced that the measures here recommended would 

 be futile and without result were the wholesale destruction of shad by brush weirs, 

 stake seines, &c.. to continue in the area referred to, as in former years. During the 

 three years specified, the stationary engines named should be closed down, in view of 

 the enormous catches made by them and the fact that all sizes were in former years 

 captured, both mature and immature. At the present time, the fishing of these 

 stationary engines is unremunerative and fishermen actually engaged in this fishing 

 have urged, as is seen in the evidence, the closing down of weirs, seines, &c., but set 

 nets, which gill the fish, would of course continue and no harmful results can follow, 

 as the .">-iuch mesh will not take small, immature fish. 



It wiU be observed that the weir prohibition does not apply to St. John harbour 

 or to the Nova Scotia shore, west of Stephen Bennett's bay, the special reason being that 

 the shad are not taken by weirs in the localities mentioned, to any extent, while the 

 salmon fishery has been so extensively carried on, and is of such an important and 

 profitable nature, that the same reasons for prohibition do not exist, so far as shad 

 protection is concerned, as exist further up the bay. The weirs in Digby basin are 

 permitted under our recommendation, because the chief catches are herring, haddock 

 and other fish, that is, fish other than shad or salmon. 



From the evidence brought before us and from the authorities which we quote 

 in this respect, the St. John river has been pre-eminently the source of supply of shad 

 for the Bay of Fundy waters. It is, therefore, in the highest degree necessary that the 

 shad ascending to spawn should be given every possible protection to enable them to 

 reach their breeding grounds, especially by the prohibition of net and weir fishing 

 where it interferes unduly with the ascent of the shad. In St. John harbour such 

 prohibition is not called for, as the shad are not taken, except to a small extent, by 

 the harbour weirs, which mainly take salmon and other fish. 



X. This recommendation aims simply to make uniform the permission to use 

 dip nets in Lequille river or Aliens brook, as well as Round Hill river. 



XI. The amendment here suggested is necessary, as the geographical limit at 

 present defined is a disadvantage in the protection of the shad schools ascending the 

 Shubenacadie river. 



XII. Eespecting the increased patrol which we so strongly urge, we may say tliat 

 '""ir statements in the interim report are self-explanatory and need no expansion now. 



Our recommendations Nos. XIH, XIY, XV, XVI and XVH do not require 

 extended explanation, as the imperative necessity of shad hatcheries has been already 

 3494 — ii 



