DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

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patriotic work from sordid motives, by selling the eggs from the mother fish, (which
nature in her wisdom destined for their own waters,) to be carried to a foreign country
to enrich waters there with this valuable fish from which Canada can derive no
benefit whatever, but rather decimating her own waters of a rich source of wealth,
by satisfying the greed of a few fishermen, only for self-aggrandizement, and entailing
upon this country great loss to her fisheries for the present and the future.
The number of whitefish eggs collected for this hatchery the past autumn was
about 40,000,000. Many of these have since died from the effect of fungoil growth,
and absence of fertilization. The warm weather at the spawning time created
disease amongst the parent fish that were penned up, and many died; great quantities
of eggs were thrown away, being incapable of receiving impregnation.
It is feared the usual number of fry will not be forthcouiing next spring.
Considerable repairs and improvements will be necessary to make this hatchery
reach the standard it ought to be in. The whole of the lower fiat should be utilized
for hatching purposes, by removing from it the quarters now occupied by the officer
in charge and his family. A comfortable dwelling should be built for them close to
the hatchery, where perfect supervision could at all times be had of the budding,
and machinery connected with it. An estimate of the cost of these improvements
has been given.
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