98 SHAD FISHERY C0J/J//^.n70.V 



year they will come back as spawners. I believe we must co-work with the T'liited 

 States gOT«rimieiit in this sliad matter. It is no good for us to work alone. Both of 

 us must stop taking roe shad. Before July 1 neither country should take shad for 

 three years. Second, for four days no shad should be taken each week and allow fish- 

 ing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This would allow the men to work on their 

 farms. Third, weir fishermen should be on the same footing as drift net men and 

 should open their gates and fish three days only or have the option of having a mesh 

 to take cod and sturgeon. Fourth, abolish set nets as those here and at Miuudle dou"t 

 pay or make any money. Salmon are taken in shad nets and if shad nets are allowed 

 after August 15 on till September you can't help illegally taking salmon. October 

 salmon are not fit to eat, the colour has changed to white, all the pink gone. Fourth, 

 prohibit the capture of spawn shad and stop it in both salt and fresh water — Oak 

 Point in St. John river is salt water. Here salmon are only caught very occasionally 

 and don"t amount to anything especially after AugTist 15. In July 850 shad were 

 caught in Petiteodiac river and 150 salmon in the month of July. The main time for 

 salmon is July 6 to August 15. Thirty years ago lots of shad were caught up to 

 October 30. They got forty at a tide about the first week of October for home con- 

 sumption. Old LeBlanc took them. All depended on the high tide and if it was in 

 the first part of October then the shad came in. 



Thirty-first Sitting. 

 Gardners Creek, X.B., October 15, 1908. 



Professor Prince and Commissioners Morrison and Melanson opened the proceed- 

 ings in the usual way, and evidence was then taken, a very large number of local fish- 

 ermen being present : — 



John Barker said that he had known the shore fisheries for 60 years and formerly 

 herring were too plentiful, but declined 10 or 12 years ago and had now gone. Lob- 

 sters were the principal fishery in this locality. There are many salmon here in the 

 fall, coming into the creeks to spawn, such as Tyumouth creek. There is no salmon 

 drifting here. A few herring set nets are left but they catch little. Mackerel are 

 sometimes taken in the herring nets as there is a small fall run, perhaps a barrel or 

 two in a night. Dog-fish are a trouble and I have known 60 or 70 dog-fish on the 

 hooks and only 15 or 20 cod heads, for the bodies of the cod had been eaten off. 



Egbert Wallace said tliat he was formerly a ship builder of the firm of W. & E. 

 Wallace. He had known the shore for 55 or 60 years. Pollock, cod, herring, mackerel 

 and lobsters, but no shad, are the fish around here. There are salmon but no on& 

 fishes for them, but we see them jumping on fine days at the last of August aact in 

 September and October. Xo doubt they are up the rivers in Xovember, and some are 

 speared in streams, 16 pound weight some of them. Sixteen salmon were got on this 

 beach. In herring nets small ones are got occasionally, say 2 pounds weight, about 16 

 inches long. There are not the fish here we once had, but we have no grievance and 

 are satisfied, though we favour more hatcheries. Salmon are increasing owing to the 

 government hatcheries, and the lobster could be increased in the same way. 



John Harding said he made his living by fishing, but has a small farm a mile 

 away. The principal fish are pollock, but haddock are scarce though plentiful form- 

 erly. There must be shad as they pass here to reach the head of the ba.\-. This is the 

 shore they go up to reach Parrsboro and Moneton waters. Xo one ever fishes for them. 

 The salmon nets take many shad off Cape Spencer, 7 miles below here. We have no- 



