94 . .SffAD FISHERY COMMISSION 



Egbert Evexs said that shad had not fallen off so much ; I give you the figures 

 from 1899 to this year: — 



I899-76 boats caught 4,969 shad ; (he price I paid was 6e. 



5c. 

 10c. 



7*0. 

 10c. 

 " " 12c. 



16c. 

 18c. 

 18c- 



The average for a boat in 1899 was 828 shad, and in 1907 it was 277. They were 

 all spring shad, the fish being mostly taken from May 18 to June 5, a day or two 

 earlier or later. After Jiine 1 the fishing comes to an end as a rule. I had handled 

 shad before 1899, and I paid before 4*e. to 5c. each, but that year paid 6c., and this 

 year ISe. It has been a good year, and the average fish were finer. I got very few 

 fall shad. In 1901 stormy weather made the catch small. Some of the United States 

 shad rivers have played out, and we seem to get more fish. Since the Kennebec river 

 played out we have got improved catches. This spring shad brought the best price 

 There were fall shad here then. These fall shad would have spawned the last of ilay 

 or early June. I show you here (addressing the Commissioners) a shad of the late 

 run got below here. They were got at Deadman's, Lepreaux, Charlotte county, oppo- 

 site the mouth of L'Etang river. The spawn is half gi-own and they may be Florida 

 shad. They are not got up the bay. Thirty-six or 38 of them were caught, i.e., abouc 

 a half-barrel. Our spring shad average 48 to 52 to a half-barrel. The Kennebec 

 river was the last United States shad river to give out, and the high price this spring 

 proves that shad are scarce, and as some say not as plentiful as they once were- The 

 spring .shad are passing along our coast to reach the St. John river. If yo\i salt them 

 you see no fat in the barrel. The milt shad, 3 pounds weight, have no fat in them. 

 The she fish are about 5 pounds in the round, and we pack them on their backs in 

 the barrels for Boston putting ice between each row of fish. I never heard of spawn 

 shad got above St. John river. Those passing here go pretty quickly, so that two 

 weeks cover our fishing, hardly averaging 10 nights a year, as s.torms interfere. We 

 use 5 and 5i-inch mesh, but 10 or 12 years ago we used 4|, but not now. The few 

 fall shad were brought here, and I bought them at 22c., about 500 altogether instead 

 of the fishermen delivering them at Connors Bros. They were got 30 miles below here, 

 the size being 36 to 38 to the half barrel. Last year a few of the same fish were got, 

 Messrs. Connors getting probably 6.000. We used to get some small shad, 48 to 50 

 to the half-barrel, uniform in size and fat, much fatter than spring shad indeed, there 

 was a couple of inches of pure fat at the top of the barrel. We. can handle au un- 

 limited quantity of spring shad, all our market being for fresh shad. They are no 

 good for salting, only a few being salted formerly. I got 5c. and 5c. duty was paid 

 and freight, and the fisherman was paid Sc. per fish by me. One spring shad is 

 worth two fall shad, as it is th'e roe that sells the fish in the United States. Spring 

 shad have taken the place of their shad, now scarce or extinct- Messi's, Connors 

 sold their fall shad in St, John, Xow there are not enough shad to suppl.v the 

 demand. As to ' come-backs,' they go out into deep water and very few are got ; 

 just a few with the salmon in salmon nets. All the shad rivers north of Florida 

 have given out, and two years ago the Kennebec declined till no shad are got there. 

 As the number of boats increased the shad decrea.^ed. The first salmon here art' 

 taken about June 5 ; some boats out Jime 1 took some. The salmon have increased 

 since hatching has been carried on. Before that there had been a failure for two or 

 three years. The largest this year were 36 pounds, the smallest three pounds. Any- 



