INTERIM REPORT 77 



Twenty-first Sitting. 



MiNUDiE, X.S., October 2, 1908. 



(Jommissioners S. F. Morrison and Simon Melanson opened the sitting, and the 

 following evidence was taken. 



Dexxis Aksexeau, Mill Creek, said : I am S3 years of age, and I can remember 

 shad fishing 60 years ago. The first fishing I remember was done by brush weirs. 

 Shad were more plentiful then, and the catches ran from 1,200 to 1,400 at a tide from 

 the weirs. That would be about the latter part of August. I don"t think these shad 

 ■vere as large then as they are now. Some of them might weigh 7 pounds. I have 

 ?een some spawn in them about the last of August, but very few in a catch. After- 

 wards shad were caught in set nets 4J to 5-inch mesh, and later in 5i-inch mesh. 

 Shad would arrive here about the last part of June. I don't know of any shad spawn- 

 ing grounds about this part of the country. I never heard of people catching spawn 

 shad years ago. I split shad on the back, leaving the head on and the backbone. 

 Then soaked them for- 20 minutes. Cover every portion with salt. If I had shad 

 now I could sell lots of shad at $10 per half barrel. I fished this year, but did not 

 catch over 20 shad altogether. Sometimes I have got a salmon or two m the set nets. 

 My net would cost about $70. I think that sawdust has been very hurtful to shad 

 fishing, and if the mill owners were stopped from putting this in the rivers that drift 

 down on the feeding grounds the fish would likely come back. I have seen some 

 sawdust in the gills of shad; I have opened a shad's stomach and seen sawdust that 

 turned the shad's stomach yellow. Dog-fish bothered me a lot this year. There are no 

 drift nets on this side of the bay. If there was a close season made for shad-fishing 

 it would not affect me much financially. I would like to see the shad fishery restored 

 if I don't benefit myself by it, being a very old man. 



LoR.\XG Brian, Minudie, said I am a fisherman and don't farm much. I fished 

 30 years ago and then stopped and began nine years ago, and have fished every sum- 

 mer since. We had a good catch nine years ago, 10 half barrels to a 12-fathom net; 

 they were then worth $4 per half barrel. Three years ago we had a good catch. We 

 have shad nets now with 5i-iuch mesh, but I think the mesh should be 5J inches. 

 'We get some salmon 4 to 12i pounds each. I fished gaspereau this spring with a 3-inch 

 meshed net, and I caught seven shad, six of them being spawn fish with the spawn 

 pretty well matured in them. That was in May, and I caught them off the wharf here. 

 I believe that shad used to go up these rivers to spawn. They are prevented from 

 going now by dams, rubbish and sawdust in the rivers. This rubbish is very injurious 

 to our nets. Sawdust injures shad, and this sunjmer I opened 12 shad's stomachs 

 and found sawdust in nine of them ; it was new sawdust, and in some it was caked 

 a little. I can sell lots of fresh shad now, and can get 22 to 23 cents for them on 

 board at Kiver Hebert. In half-barrels they are worth $12. I think a close season 

 would help shad fishing, say close down from September 1 to June 20 the following 

 year. Dog-fish have been a great hurt to us. My fishing gear I value at $1,000 ; that 

 would be nets, camp, &c. 



Captain W. A. Downing, Minudie, said: I have fished shad with drift nets, also 

 with set nets. I am not fishing now. The fishing here is carried on day and night. I 

 stopped fishing before shad declined. I don't think that we have had a good catch of 

 shad for 12 years. The three grand causes of the decline I believe to be the catching 

 of the spawn fish, obstructions in rivers and the destruction of the feeding grounds 

 by sawdust. I took this matter up with the Department of ifarine and Fi~hp-ies 20 

 or 25 years ago. I tried to get the Inspector of Fisheries at Amherst (Air. Kogers) 



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