DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

200
4.—LICENSES.
A prevalent practice is for the "buyer" of a particular locality to apply forand
obtain the licenses br all the fishermen whose fish he purchases. By retaining these
till the end of the -eason he secures a sort of hold on the fishermen to the extent of
practically controlling their catch. This practice also affords a plausible excuse to
the fishermen for the non-production of a license when demanded by the fishery
officer.
As a remedial measure, and because of the destructible nature of a paper license,
I would suggest that every fisherman to whom a license has been issued, or for whom
one has been obtained, should be supplied with a small metal tag, properly stamped
with a device not easily counterfeited, bearing its number, the quantity of nets
licensed and the year for which issued. I would also, suggest that fishing boats be
numbered, and a record of them kept at the Department; thus enabling the in-.
spector to detect unlicensed boats after sufficient time had been allowed to obtain
licenses.
5.—POUND-NETS.
I would strongly advise that no more pound.net licenses be issued under any
oircumstances, for the following reasons: Owing to the small size of the meshes,
large quantities of fish are caught which are too small to be of any marketable value;
hence they are thrown overboard to rot and foul the fishing grounds, and the large
numbers caught in these nets as compared with gill nets accounts for the greatly
reduced catch reported from year to year. The fouling of fishing grounds by dead
£sh and offals is well known to cause the fish to desert the localities where such
practice p evails, and to this, as well as to the large numbers of pound-nets set, is to
be attributed the depletion of the whitefish fisheries of Lakes Ontario, Brie and
fluron, especially on the American side.
From conversations with fishermen of from twenty to forty years experience, I
m induced to believe, that it would be greatly to the interests of the fisheries and
the fishermen were pound-nets entirely prohibited, at least for a term of years. But
should this be deemed too abrupt a measure, without one or two years' notice, then
I would recommend that the leaders be of 2 or 3 inch mesh, and the hearts not less
than 4 or 5 inch, thus allowing the smaller fish to escape, instead of destroying
•verything which comes into the pound. No doubt, this measure cannot be adopted
without meeting with vigorous opposition from the fish "buyers" in Canadian
waters, who have no regard for the future of these valuable fisheries, so long as their
present needs are supplied; but, I have reason to believe that the bona fide fisher-.
men, and all others interested in the perpetuation of the Canadian fisheries would
approve of any action on the part of the Government, with a view to fostering and
protecting the valuable i.nterests from which they derive their livelihoods.
6.—UNITED STATES' FISHERMEN IN CANADIAN WATER5.
Lake Ontario :—From personal observation and diligent enquiry, I am war-.
ranted in saying that fishermen come over from Saclrett's Harbor and Cape Vincent,
more especially duiing the months of September and October, set their nets in the
vicinity of Amherst Island, and the Ducks, lift their nets and return before the over-.
aeer can get there.
Lake Erie :—So far as I have been able to learn United States' fishermen do not
resort to Canadian waters. With a few exceptions in the vicinity of Druinmond
Island, where the boundary line is not well defined, there are no Americans fishing
in the waters of Lake Huron.