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99<br />
which required both vigilance and determination to suppress. The greatest<br />
encouragement to this illegal work is furnished by the facility with which the pro..<br />
ceeds of illegal fishing can be sent to market by railways.<br />
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.<br />
Overseer Stymiest, of Tabusintac district, reports a decrease in the catch of<br />
salmon and smelts. But one lobster factory was in operation, and the catch was<br />
very small. Bass grow scarcer every year, the few nets set this season did not catch<br />
enough fish to pay for the labor of attending them. The number caught by the<br />
Indians with hook and line grows smaller every year.<br />
Overseer Robichaud, of Neguac and Portage Island district, reports a fair catch of<br />
salmon, which he says would have been better, but for the serious damage done to<br />
nets by heavy gales during the fishing season. Herring were plentiful in the bay,<br />
but the catch made was only for home consumption. Boisterous and wet weather<br />
interfered with cod fishing, and the catch was less than last year. Lobster fishing<br />
commenced fairly, and the fish seemed plentiful, but after three or four weeks' fishing,<br />
they became so scarce that the factories closed. Mackerel fishing was a total<br />
failure; not a single s hool entered the estuaFy. Bass fishing has ceased to be a<br />
profitable industry in this part of the river. Smelts were not so plentiful as last year,<br />
and as fewer nets were fished the catch was not so large.<br />
Overseer Noble, of Escuminac district, reports a fair catch of salmon, for which<br />
higher prices than ever before were paid. M:LcLerel fishing here, as elsewhere, was<br />
a total failure; not a school entered the inner bay. Bass fishing is now pursued<br />
only by Indians with hook and line, and their catch grows smaller every year.<br />
While the catch of smelts was smaller than last year, prices were higher, and fisher..<br />
men got better returns. Excessive oyster raking continues during the whole open<br />
aeason, summer and winter, which will in a few years exhaust the beds.<br />
Overseer Williston, of Bay du Viii, reports a small increase in the salmon catch<br />
of his district, but a total failure in bass fishing, which now no longer offers any<br />
inducement to prosecute it. Gaspereaux were plentiful in the river, and the<br />
improved demand, consequent on the poor catch in St. John, led to more vigorous<br />
fishing than usual. He says: "I have a great increase to report in the catch of<br />
oysters. They are now fished steadily from the commencement of the open season<br />
in September until the close season begins in June. At this excessive rate of fishing<br />
and by so great a number of boats, it is quite impassible that the beds will hold out<br />
many years longer." Smelts show a smaller catch than last year, but a better<br />
demand for frost.fish has resulted in a much larger catch of this fish which was formerly<br />
used only for manure. The growing demand for eels and flounders is turning<br />
more attention to the capture of these species, which hitherto have not been caught<br />
for export in this district.<br />
Overseer Wyse, of Ohatham and Lower Newcastle district, reports as follows :—<br />
"Our salmon fiehery w not so productive in this district as usual, but the steady<br />
demand at good prices throughout the whole season made up for the smaller catch.<br />
Bass were so scarce that fishing for them has almost ceased below Ohatham Formerly<br />
large numbers were caught in this district, but now few are seen. The con.<br />
tinued destruction of young bass in smelt nets above Middle Island, and excessive<br />
winter fishing in the North.West have almost exhausted the stock in our river.<br />
While the destruction of young bass in bag-nets continues no possible hope of any<br />
improvement in this fishery can be entertained. On the contrary nothing can be<br />
more certain than that it will grow worse with every succeeding year. Gaspereaux<br />
are again becoming plentiful because of late years few have been taken, and the fish<br />
have had a chance to increase. A good catch has been made. When smelt fishing<br />
nommenced last fall the weather was favorable and the catch was enough for all the<br />
requirements of trade. The falling off in the catch in January was the life of the<br />
business, for, had the supply continued overstocked markets would have kept prices<br />
so low that profitable returns would have been impossible. The export of frost-fish<br />
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