50 SHAD FISHERY COilMISSION 



acadie and Milford. There is no law against catching fish, but people arc afraid to 

 tell their catches. I think a close time should be started, it (would help the shad. It 

 ■would be all right. They fish only four nights per week now. After spawning the 

 fish would come back. Gaspereau go into Grand lake and they keep up in quantity, 

 but no quantity of them can be caught. The fish are in the river all right, and are 

 caught at Home's settlement and at Grand Lake. Porter's lake men -will come over 

 and seine them with seines half a mile long iu Grand lake. Why are they allowed 

 to do that and we residents restricted ? Spent gaspereau are no good except for 

 niggers in Bermuda. There is a little brook I have seen black with gaspereau. A 

 mile above here is a fine shad spawning ground. Some think sawdust is bad for 

 tbein, but I never saw it in their gills. Gay's river is said to be bad for sawdust; 

 it was a good shad river, and they got up to the dam, but were killed out. 



Twelfth Sitting. 



Halif.w Hotel, Halifax, August 13, 190S. 



The commissioners met a number of representative men of the city in the man- 

 agei-'s room at the Halifax Hotel, and after the usual opening remarks by Prof. Prince 

 and Mr. S. F. Morrison, evidence was taken. 



Hon. B. F. Peaksox said that until he was fifteen years of age he lived in a dis- 

 trict where the shad fishery was of very great importance, and most of the resident 

 people took part in the taking of shad each summer. Eoe shad appeared never to be 

 taki-n, indeed he never knew a roe shad until he got it in New York served up at the 

 hotels. Shad full of roe were really unknown to the bay fishermen along the Col- 

 chester county shore. The shad had declined to a serious degree. The restoration 

 of the shad would be a public benefit of the greatest moment. The fishery gave 

 employment to a great many resident people for a part of the year; ix was a remuner- 

 ative occupation, and it furnished a cheap and greatly esteemed food to the people. 

 The Bay of Fundy shad were recognized as a superior fish. He agreed with those 

 who urged the protection of the mother shad. In all the tributary waters of the Bay 

 of Fundy beyond tide there should be a close season. In all the rivers of the bay 

 resorted to by shad this closure was required because the mother shad are in fresh 

 water for spawning purposes. A close season should be given a trial for three or four 

 years. Some people think that a season from June 15 to September 15, but I don't 

 agree with that. To protect the salmon an open season from July 1 to August 15 

 has been recommended in waters where the tide runs. Our fishing season was over 

 for shad by abo\it August 1, and we sent boats from Colchester shore to Petite to get 

 the later shad. As to small shad we saw two-year old shad weighing two or thi'ee 

 pounds at times. The restoration of the shad is of such vital importance that I 

 would like to see a total closing down of the shad fishing for four or five years, and 

 no doubt a great improvement in the quantity of shad would result. 



Mr. Alfred Morklso.x said that shad were got between Salters Head and Bass 

 Bivcr lighthou-e on September 22 to his knowledge, and they were fijie. fat shad, 

 sui)erior to the fish taken in summer. They were fat and thick. They had been well 

 fed and averaged over four pounds. AVe floated our net5 over Chiveri Bar and wo 

 got a large fish down there larger than up the bay 135 or 140 to a barrel instead of 

 160 or 165. I have caught many very large salmon by the score, one being 2S pounds 

 hanging to the net by a tooth. They must therefore be there. Therefore give a year's 



