82 SHAD FlSiHERY COMMISSIOX 



Dominic Belliveau, Thede Richard, Samuel, Richard, Arche Ofiray, Philip Gotro, Vital 

 Richard, Jude Belliveau, Raphael Gotro, Dominic Offray, Simon Gotro, Melas Richard 

 Philip Belliveau, Dosithe Melansou. 



The above fishermen the commission was informed were in agreement with the 

 views of the witnesses who gave the foregoing evidence at the sitting at Pre d'en Haut. 



Twenty-fourth Sitting. 



MONCTOX, N.B., October 6, 1908. 



When Professor Prince opened the commission there were present besides Com- 

 missioners S. F. Morrison and Melanson, Inspector R. A. Chapman, Mr. C. P. Harris 

 Mr. P. H. Fryers and others. 



The first witness was Mr. P. H. Fryers, fish and meat merchant, Moncton, who 

 said : I buy shad from the fishermen, chiefly St. John men, very few from men in tiiis 

 locality. I have bought them for fourteen years. The local supply has seriously de- 

 clined and is not half \Yhat it was ten years ago. About August 1 for the last fourteen 

 years we have got 40 to 50 barrels of fresh shad till last year when we could get none 

 Shad appear here in the Petitcodiac from May 1 to June 25. If the catching of them 

 full of spawn continues shad will be a thing of the past. I buy them already cleaned, 

 at least 90 per cent of the shad were cleaned. The shad taken here are mainly spawned 

 I think in the St. John river. In that river they take them full of spawn, it is a sin 

 and a shame. We get fat shad equal to any about the latter part of June. They are 

 from 2A to 5 pounds dressed. Then from that time to the end of July or first of Sep- 

 tember we get a few. They are good shad, but small, li to 2 pounds weight and males. 

 The September shad average 2J pounds from down Hopewell Point, Shepody bay 

 where the best catch was this year according to my purchases, but the total catch not 

 better probably. Five years ago (1903) was good. The demand for shad is good and 

 we can sell them locally for 25 cents each, but fourteen years ago 15 cents was a big 

 price. I bought them for S cents. Large shad are taken in the Mirnmiehi at the end 

 of June and in July, but they are full of spawn and are poor and diy. The spawn 

 in these mother shad was coarser and more dull than in St- John river shad. Extern- 

 ally they were a coarse grained looking fish. I don't handle salt shad, it is not worth 

 while but the price is $10 per half-barrel. One local mnn had five or six barrels this 

 season, they would be Shepody bay shad. 



Mr. C. P. Harris (Messrs. J. and C. Harris) said. From 1857 to 1882 we did busi- 

 ness in shad, shipping to Fredericton, St. John. Sumnierside. P.E.I., and to the United 

 States. Forty or fifty years ago (1857 to 1877) wv? annually shipped 2,000 to 3.000 

 barrels away. We bought at $3 or $3.50 per half-barrel, or $4 per 100. i.e.. 4c. each. 

 There were over 40 boats drifting for shad twice a week. They took 20 to 30 half-barrels 

 a week. We supplied 100 boats at the mouth of the river, and furnished twine but 

 they made the nets. It was shad twine imported from England. Xo. 20 or 22, nice 

 white twine. It was all drifting in the Shepody bay from Belliveau's village to Cape 

 Roget up as far as Stony creek. A few Petitcodiac shad still come here but not many. 

 They were put Tip in hogsheads all salted in bulk. Sussex men would come to buy 

 them by the 100. All were taken in Shepody bay and drifting was carried on up to 

 the bend. A few nice little salmon were generally taken about five pounds weight. 

 Each boat might have four or five salmon to 500 shad. On going into the refinerv 



