FISHERIES. 249 



and how he chose ; and the principal rivers were in the 

 hands of the Hudson's Bay Company, whose agents were 

 continually embroiled in dispute and strife with other 

 fishermen. Some idea of the extent to which over-fishing 

 was carried, may be gathered from the fact that on one 

 river alone no less than twelve thousand fathoms of net 

 were found set, besides appliances for sweeping every 

 pool of its upper waters. The Government, at the 

 suggestion of Mr. Nettle, re-entered into possession of 

 all the salmon rivers flowing through the Crown pro- 

 perty — fisheries which each succeeding year will increase 

 in value — and the existing system of " leave and licence " 

 was thereupon organized : the former for the season, the 

 latter for a term of years, the one applying to rivers, the 

 other to fishing stations along the shores of the Gulf. 



These measures were adopted not so much with a view 

 to benefit the revenue as for the purposes of protection 

 and increase, for the enforcement of which fishery over- 

 seers were subsequently appointed in each district. 



The result of this system, the working of which has 

 now been fairly tested, has been the complete preserva- 

 tion of the salmon fisheries from impending destruction, 

 an increase in the take of fish of at least fifty per .cent. ; 

 and a reduction of their price in a corresponding ratio, 

 besides an addition to the revenue which far exceeds the 

 whole expense of the supervision. 



