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218<br />
The export to the United States amounted to 2,O63,lOI pounds, and with<br />
2,585,143 pounds for home consumption, and 1,'125,000 pounds used by Indians, makes<br />
The aggregate catch for 1888, 6,3'3,25O pounds.<br />
THE CLOSE SEASON.<br />
The close season this year has, according to the reports of overseers, been carefully<br />
observed by licensed fishermen and traders; but complaints still come in<br />
regarding the slaughter of whitefish by Indians during the vital period in the propagation<br />
of fish, I would recommend asking the co.operation of the Indian authori—<br />
'ties in the direction of restricting the Indians from catching whitefish during the<br />
oso season, by urging them to fish more in deep water and in the open season,<br />
instead of waiting till the spawning beds are covered and then catching them when<br />
in a helpless condition. A great deal of the good accomplished by a stringent<br />
enforcement of the regulations is negatived by the wanton destruction of fish by<br />
1idians during the close season.<br />
There is still some controversy as to the correct dates for a close season for<br />
'whitefish, and I have been making diligent enquiries, as well as experiments, to fully<br />
test the matter. I am pretty well satisfied of the correctness of the existing dates,<br />
although in some localities if the period was extended somewhat later it might prove<br />
a still further protection. I have been catching fish at specific dates and forwarding<br />
them to Mr. Wilmot for examination. I sent some specimens of whitefish, as well aa<br />
ova, to him in the early part of last season, together with my remarks thereon<br />
wInch elicited the following reply:—.<br />
NEWCASTLE, ONT., 28th February, 1888.<br />
ALEX. McQUEEN, Esq.,<br />
Inspector of Fisheries.<br />
"DEAR Your favor of the 11th inst. to band, as well as other letters of &<br />
jrevious date relative to the spawning of whitefish in your waters. The samples of<br />
eggs iii glass jars, came here in fair condition, but so far as the present appearances<br />
are concerned it would be impossible to form a very correct opinion as to their ripeness<br />
for emission by the parent fish.<br />
"As mentioned in my previous letters I fully conclude that your whitefish spawn<br />
about the same time as they do on Lakes Erie and Huron—that is in November and<br />
December. We gather all our eggs of the whitefish for our hatcheries in Ntvember<br />
and after many years of practical application in the matter, we find November is the<br />
'true month to gather them, as they are then in the ripest stage for impr&'gnation.<br />
No doubt some eggs might be obtained in this stage even earlier than November,<br />
but they would be exceptional. There would also be found a number of eggs fit for<br />
laying in ihe beginning of December; but to form a general view of the matter, as<br />
to when the greatest bulk of the eggs are shed by the fish, November is certainly the<br />
rnonth; and hence it is that the Department has considered that month as the most<br />
oorrect time to adopt as to the close season for whitefish. This same month is also.<br />
inidoubiedly the proper one for the close season for salmon trout.<br />
"Whilst I am at all times anxious and willing to receive the views and opinions<br />
o1' the officers and fishermen regarding this important subject of the correct<br />
apawning season of fish, yet I have so frequently found them so varied, and so directly<br />
opposite in many cases, that I have been compelled to form the conc.lusins as to<br />
correct spawning times, from my own personal observations, coupled with the actual<br />
experience of my officers who annually collect the eggs for our several hatcheries,<br />
and this must surely be the best test, from the fact that unless the eggs are ripe, they<br />
will not flow from the parent fish, and if not ripe they will not become impregnated;<br />
so that after some 16 years experience of this kind, I feel assured that the conclusions<br />
I have coir to, are based upon the most satisfactory evidence that can po.ibly be<br />
obtainel. From this data then, and from the samples of eggs sent me from your Proviuce,<br />
I can come to no other conclusion than that the close season for your whitefish<br />
should be the whole month of November. 1 am well aware, and your observation
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