56 SHAD FISIIERV COMIIISSIOX 



and the tail cut off. Salmon brought $36 per barrel during the American war. There 

 was no inspection. They would strike the fish in barrels, not repack and they fell 

 short of the proper weight and weighed 160 instead of 200 pounds. This with the 

 large discount off made them $26 or $28 United States currency, and we got the value 

 in flour which we brought back in our vessels. Shad were very plentiful, and I re- 

 member having caught 1,000 shad in one day in one boat in 1866. In past years im- 

 mense quantities of small shad were caught in the weirs. Xot only the shad but our 

 salmon fishery needs protection. From Economy harbour up there are good salmon 

 spawning rivers. Much destruction of salmon has taken place, and dynamite has been 

 used. There should be two officers on each river and paid a sufiicient salary to effi- 

 ciently protect the salmon as well as the shad. 



J.iSiEs Fleming, Folly Vill.\ge, stated that he was 93 years of age but he desired 

 to sfive the commission the benefit of his very long knowledge of the bay shad fishery. 

 Ilo icmembered the time years ago, 65 years ago, when shad were very thick, but many 

 years now they caught few. The cause of the scarcity nowadays is the catching of 

 spawning shad iu the Shubenacadie river. The shad here were always good firm, fat 

 fish but I have known a few jjoor shad come in. In all my experience I never caught 

 a spawn shad excepting one. I was raised here and have seen the change in the 

 fishery. 



Charles V.vnxe said he had fished shad 30 years beginning when he was 12 years 

 old. Shad were plenty then. Fishing began on June 15 between here and Burnt Coat 

 Light. I only saw a large shad once and it contained very small spawn. It was tho 

 last of July and it weighed 9^ pounds. I got it on the south shore rolled up in the 

 net. It was in fair condition. Our catches are smaller than formerly but the size is 

 much the same. I had a big catch in 1S76 though it was not a good year. I got 801 

 on August 7 in one drift, the shad were late that season. There had been fair fishing 

 for 25 years until 10 years ago, but no really good years. Most always the best catches 

 are made on the ebb tide. We use a length of net consisting of 18 bunches and at 

 times two bunches more. The mesh was 4 inches formerly but now we use 5 inch. 1 

 have an idea that the krger shad would drop out from the smaller mesh. It proved 

 correct. The cause of the decline is the catching of spawn shad in the Shubenacadie 

 and Stewiacke rivers. I don't think that sawdust can do much harm where the tide 

 is like the Bay of Fundy tide. On the spawning grounds it may do great injury. The 

 shad up those rivers seem to be the same as we get large shad at times here, fat good 

 fish 5 and 6 pounds. In 100 we may get quite a number, say 10 or 12 large fish. The 

 south shore shad are the same as here, the same kind of shad. I have cleaned great 

 numbers of shad but never saw a spawn one. I have seen in 4 or 500 shad very small 

 ones two inches long. As we get salmon in shad nets we would get no salmon if shad 

 fishing were stopped for a few years. Big meshed salmon nets would not pay, we do 

 not think that we would get enough of the big salmon. 



Sargent Stewart. Folly Village, said that he agreed with Mr. Vance. He held 

 that any restrictions should apply to other fishermen as well as the men in that locality. 

 We do not think that catching of large salmon would pay, though a large salmon is 

 worth several small ones. We see plenty of small salmon, but never see a large salmon 

 jump in the bay. 



The witness handed in a return. See Appendix 3. 



JoHX A. Fraser, Folly Village, said there was no doubt that shad had decreased. 

 The shad are not here in his opinion to be now caught. The main cause is the des- 

 truction of spawn shad. I can't say if the feeding grounds have changed, but they 

 seem to feed on a small grub like a sow bug. I've oi)ened a great many shad stomachs 

 and iiever saw any sawdust, but saw particles like sawdust which crumbles to powder 



