ISTERlil REPORT 61 



should be protected, but our shad have no spawn in them. Let the river fishermen 

 come to the bay to fish if they still want to continue shad fishina:. 



Jacob Barnes, Spexcer's Point, said that for 45 years he had fished. He had 

 always fished with a net and boat out of here. For quite a number of years shad were 

 quite plenty, then 10 years ago a decline began. Fifteen years ago was better than lO 

 years ago, but the best year was 37 years ago. It was an immense year, a boat would 

 get 500 or 1,700 to 1,800 in a night. Eight along there were scarce years, but the year 

 following was often a good year, a full catch. For 7 or 8 years shad have gene down 

 gradually, till this year it is the worst, gone to nothing. I believe that the shad have 

 been over-caught. Overfishing has done it. The big catch often due to the west wind 

 raising the tides, it makes a stronger current, and then there would be a rush of shad. 

 I think we get a lot of male shad belonging to the Shubenacadie river. I never heard 

 of the Shubenacadie men getting male shad. I believe that our shad are born in the 

 bay, and the Shubenacadie river shad have nothing to do with the state of Maine, 

 St. John river, or other rivers. In the Shubenacadie and Stewiacke few shad were 

 formerly taken, but 15 years ago it increased to quite a business, ilueh harm was 

 done by a mill-dam, which prevented the shad from going into the lakes at all at the 

 head of those two rivers. Jams of logs held the fish and they rotted there. This 

 spoiled the bay fishing as well as the river fishing. We have a close season for sal- 

 mon, commencing August 15, but it is no good if not enforced. Some fished until 

 October 1, but as ofie fishery oflieer has to patrol the whole area and fine all who fish 

 after August 15 he cannot do the work, no man possibly could. To stop salmon fish- 

 ing on August 15 is ruination ; they come later by two weeks than that, or even more. 

 By the time we get our gear paid for we have to stop. The market wants all our fish 

 after August 15, because other places cannot get fish, and "we would have a good sale 

 late. The season for both salmon and shad should be August 25 to June 20 following. 

 Some would like September 1 to June 20. There would soon be plenty of shad if 

 this were done and the new law enforced. I do not think that the size of salmon has 

 increased on the average. I got as large a fish 20 years ago as I do now. Salmon 

 fishing seemed to be less this year, but some years they are followed up too long, and 

 there are no officers to stop the illegal fishing. Large salmon are very few. Our nets 

 are the same meshes as shad nets, and I can't see how it would work to increase the 

 mesh; the salmon gear, worth many thousands of dollars, would be thrown away. 

 We could not fit out new gear for what few salmon of large size we would get. The 

 amount of fishing has decreased, as there is not one boat now to every ten there used 

 to be. The weir has been the great injuiy, as when shad were plentiful thousands 

 were caught which were no good, but they were split and called No. 3's. They were 

 not fit to eat. Thousands were left on the beach, small ones that the tide left high 

 and dry in the weir. I do not say stop weir fishing, as all fishermen have a right to 

 live, but there is a right way to do everything. The drift netting is the right way, 

 as the shape of the shad is just that of the mesh and small get through. I used to 

 split shad from two or three boats, and I always found them to be male shad ; I never 

 got more than one or two spawn shad, and I Split more than other men, I claim. 



Smith Hexxessev said that hi.s experience of shad fishing extended over 15 years. 

 I know Cook's weir. Highland village, and shad fishing is so poor that it caught 

 nothing, not more than a hundred shad all the season. A weir is costly to build: the 

 labour would amount to $140 putting it up, and there are the stakes and brush. I 

 remember 1.500 shad in a season, followed by a spurt when 3,000 or 4,000 woiild be 

 taken, about 1898, T think. . Next year there was no catch. Thus it varied. The gill- 

 net is the right method, as it does not destroy so many fish uselessly. I agree with 

 the previous evidence as to taking spawn shad and the close season, and the injury- 

 due to sawdust. Kespecting the size of salmon. I have got a few bigger salmon thart 

 I used to do. but I have new gear. 



3494^8* 



