328 SALMON FISHING IN CANADA. 



gi'ounds or supply their places for that year at least. And after 

 all, lean from exertion and thin food, dark and slimy from the 

 physical drain and unhealthy action incident to the procreative 

 state, perhaps sluggish and heavy with thousands of ova, or busied 

 in the exhaustive labour and anxious cares of depositing their 

 prohfic burden, they are ruthlessly slain by the spear. With 

 every dead or wounded fish, there perish in embryo from ten to 

 thirty, forty, Hftj, even as high as sixty thousand. Spawners 

 and melters both suffer. Is it possilde to exaggerate the ruinoiis 

 consequences of .such improvidence ? 



There are also other features in this practice contributing to 

 the waste and injustice it entails. The salmon so taken by spear 

 are, comparatively .speaking, worthless as a marketable commodity. 

 But being easily taken, the captors willingly dispose of them at 

 miserable price.s, and in barter for the cheapest kinds of goods, 

 for rust)' pork and moulded biscuits. The wrong to the public 

 of sufiering the richest and finest fish in American waters — the 

 precious capital of our rivers — to be thus traded in Avhen almost 

 valueless, and under- circumstances that admit only of unscrupulous 

 fi.shermen and dishonest traders deriving some mean benefits 

 there!:!)-, is ob-\-ious. These dealers adroitly searifv the ugly 

 portions, disguise their ill-conditioned bargain by dry salting or 

 hot pickle, and concealing the unwholesome fish at the bottom of 

 the tul")s, or chspersing them amongst other sound pii.-ces. thus 

 palm them off upon the public. Costing little at prime, the sale 

 is a ready one below average market price. If consumers were 

 but once to see a few specimens of unseasonable salmon struck 

 by the spear, they would remember the loathsome sight, and 

 rather than venture the chances of again eating .such deleterious 

 food, would eschew sahnon altogether. 



If the river fi.sheries become exhausted through this custom, 

 the whole public suffers ; because these streams are the nurseries 

 which breed supplies and fiumish wealtli to the long shore and 



