BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 169 
The Weir-Boats. — The weir-boats are well built and substantial, 
ranging from fifteen to twenty feet in length and holding from two to 
four or five hogsheads of fish. They cost from $50 to $350 each, the 
average being about $200. The number required for fishing a weir 
depends wholly upon the strength of the tide and the size and depth 
of the weir. Some of the largest have 4 or 5 boats, while the average 
has only 2. 
The Regulations of the Weir Fisheries by the Canadian 
Government. — The Canadian Government exercises a jurisdiction 
over its weir fisheries. It claims to have entire control of the water 
below high-water mark, and before a weir can be constructed the fish- 
erman is obliged to obtain a license, for which he pays $5. When the 
locality of the weir has been decided upon, the fisherman makes out 
his application on a blank, which requires from him certain informa- 
tion, including the statements that the privilege selected is not within 
600 feet of any weir already built ; that the building of a weir there will 
not interfere with the fishing of any weir in the locality, and that it 
does not interfere either with private rights or with navigation. If 
considered favorably by the local fishery officer, it is indorsed by him 
and forwarded to the head inspector for the province, who issues the 
license in due form. If the place selected has not previously been 
occupied, the owner of the land is given preference, and is allowed to 
put up the weir if he desires, but, if he does not care to utilize the priv- 
ilege, the applicant for same must obtain from him a written statement 
that he has no objection to his utilizing it. When once the privilege 
has been granted the man holding the license has preference over any 
other, and as long as he is willing to pay the yearly license of $5 he can 
retain it, even though he may not see fit to keep his weir in repair; or, 
in fact, it is not necessary that he should build the weir, for as long as 
he pays the license he controls the privilege. It sometimes happeus 
that a fisherman will purchase numerous privileges which he considers 
valuable and sell them at an advance to his neighbors, though ordina- 
rily the man who takes up the privilege builds and fishes the weir. 
When for any reason the fishing has been unremunerative, and the fish- 
erman is unable or thinks it inexpedient to rebuild the weir, he is not 
compelled to pay the license until such time as he finds it desirable to 
resume active fishing operations. He, however, does not forfeit his 
right to preference in case a new license is to be granted unless after 
another application has been made for the same privilege, he refuses to 
pay the license fee. 
Prevention of Damage to Weirs from Moving Ice. — Owing to 
the amount of drift-ice in this locality the weirs are often badly dam- 
aged, and sometimes entirely destroyed, during the winter months. A 
fisherman at Letite has devised a plan for overcoming this difficulty. 
He selects large fragments of rock, weighing from 1 to 1 \ tons each, 
drills holes in them and inserts eye-bolts. To these the stakes are 
