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MANITOBA, FISHERIES COMMISSION 
 
 1910-11 
 
 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 (With Appendices.) 
 
 COMMISSIONERS: 
 
 J. B. HUGO, Winnipeg 
 D. F. KEID, Selkirk 
 
 EDWARD E. PRINCE, Ottawa 
 (Chairman) 
 
 OTTAWA 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU 
 191 1 
 
MANITOBA FISHERIES COMMISSION 
 
 1910-11 
 
 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 (With Appendices.) 
 
 COMMISSIONERS: 
 J. B. HUGG, Winnipeg 
 D. F. REID, Selkirk 
 
 EDWARD E. PRINCE, Ottawa 
 (Chairman) 
 
 OTTAWA 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU 
 1911 
 
 145221 
 
Hi! 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Introduction 5 
 
 Fish licenses first issued, 1887 6 
 
 S. Wilmot and various Orders in Council 6 
 
 Alberta separated and domestic and commercial licenses 
 
 dropped 7 
 
 Over-fishing- 8 
 
 Average Whitefish catch, Lake Winnipeg, 1904-9 9 
 
 Extent of waters 10-11 
 
 History of the fisheries 11-17 
 
 Methods of fishing (winter and summer) 17 
 
 Closing of summer fishing unnecessary 18-19 
 
 Fall fishing 20 
 
 Alleged depletion of Manitoba waters 21 
 
 Control of foreign companies 22 
 
 Middlemen 22-23 
 
 West will require more fish 23 
 
 Decrease in size of fish and proposed remedy 23-24 
 
 Under-sized whitefish on 1 the market 24-25 
 
 Sturgeon and caviar export prohibited 25 
 
 Close seasons (permit for cold storage) 25-26 
 
 Tullibee close season abolished 26-27 
 
 Improve routine of issue of licenses 27-28 
 
 Fewer and better paid officers 28 
 
 Patrol boats 29 
 
 St. Andrew's Eapids and Walhalla dam 29-30 
 
 Fishways necessary 30 
 
 Eoyalty on fish 30-31 
 
 Hatcheries failure of some, Big Island, &c 31-32 
 
 Gold-eye worthy of attention 32 
 
 Stocking waters pickerel, bass 32-33 
 
 Biological investigations in Manitoba, need for 33 
 
 Claims of Indians and settlers 34 
 
 Ample notice of change in regulations 35 
 
 Lowering of Lake Dauphin 35 
 
 Annual statistics more details necessary 36 
 
 Extensions of time 36 
 
 Regulations recommended General 37-38 
 
 Lake Winnipeg, &c 38-43 
 
 639 
 
 14522 H 
 

 REPORT OF THE MANITOBA FISHERIES COMMISSION. 
 
 [on. L. P. BRODEUR, 
 
 Minister of Marine and Fisheries. 
 
 I SIR, We have the honour to submit the complete and linal 
 port on the Fisheries of the province of Manitoba and part of the 
 waters to the north, in the district of Keewatin. These fisheries Appointment of the 
 we were authorized to investigate by order in council, dated March Comim ssu>n. 
 16, 1909, in which order in council we were constituted a commission 
 to inquire into and report on the conditions and requirements of the 
 fisheries in question, in view of the fact that the necessity appeared 
 for a complete revision of the fishery regulations, in order to meet 
 the changed conditions in this western portion of the Dominion of 
 Canada. 
 
 From time to time regulations have been enacted, which as the 
 fisheries developed, it became necessary to amend or to entirely recast. 
 So long ago as 1865, the necessity was realized by the inhabitants of Early Fishery 
 the enforcement of legal restrictions respecting the fisheries, and the Re S ul on 1865 
 Governor and Council of Assiniboia received in the year named a 
 petition bearing 180 names, calling attention to the state of the 
 fisheries in the Red river and Assiiiiboine./ It was pointed out in the 
 petition that the fishery had been injured by the erection of barriers, 
 or weire, which, it was stated, had caused a great destruction of fish, 
 and had prevented a majority of the people from obtaining a fair 
 share of fish food, upon which so many were largely dependent. It 
 was decided as appears from the minutes of the Council of Assini- 
 boine, held May 30, 1865, that ' It shall be unlawful to erect any weirs 
 or barriers in any part of the Red river or Assiniboine, and on receiv- 
 ing information of the existence of any such weirs or barriers, any 
 magistrate shall be empowered after July 1, to order any constable to 
 remove the same.' This is apparently the first fishery regulation 
 enacted in respect to these western fisheries. 
 
 In his report for 1873, the Commissioner of Fisheries pointed 
 out that, included amongst oth^r services assumed by the Dominion 
 of Canada in the Manitoba Act, was the protection of the fisheries, 
 and he called attention to the minute passed by the Northwest Coun- 
 cil in September, 1873, which invited action by the Federal Govern- 
 ment. In this minute the council stated that, ' They are of opinion 
 that the time has arrived when steps should be taken with a view to 
 preventing any serious diminution of the supply of whitefish. That 
 in view of the fact that in certain portions of the Northwest Territory, 
 and more especially in the vicinity of Norway House, the inhabitants! 
 are entirely dependent upon fish for food, the council suggests that 
 steps should be taken by the Dominion government to prevent persons 
 from setting nets or weirs in the main channels of rivers, or at any 
 points through which fish are in the habit of passing to their spawn- 
 ing grounds in such a manner as to prevent the ingress of the fisb, 
 luid to enforce such regulations 3s may, from time to time, appear 
 necessary for the preservation of the fish. The council also desire to 
 
 5 
 
6 
 
 Application of 
 Fisheries Act, to 
 Manitoba. 
 
 First licenses 
 issued 1887. 
 
 Investigation of 
 Manitoba Fisheries 
 by the late 
 Mr. Wilmot. 
 
 Various changes 
 in Regulations, 
 1892-1910. 
 
 suggest to the Dominion government that measures should be adopted 
 to prevent the accumulation of sawdust in rivers and streams in 
 such parts of the Northwest Territories wherein saw-mills have been 
 or aro about to be erected.' 
 
 For some years after confederation, no special regulations having 
 Dominion authority were in force in Manitoba; but in the session 
 of the Dominion Parliament of 1873-74, a statute was passed, 37 
 Victoria, Cap. 28, providing for the extension of the Fisheries Act to 
 Manitoba, as well as to Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, 
 by proclamation. In a report, dated December 31, 1874, the Commis- 
 sioner of Fisheries stated that the provisions of this Act were not all 
 of them appropriate to the fisheries of the provinces named, and special 
 local regulations would be necessary. Pie added that to ascertain 
 what regulations were advisable, an investigation had been made and 
 many valuable suggestions had been forwarded to Ottawa, but fur- 
 ther investigations were desirable before adopting any system of 
 regulations and restrictions similar to those in force in the more 
 eastern provinces. 
 
 In 1887, the license system was introduced in Manitoba. In the 
 eastern provinces, fishing under license had been systematically car- 
 ried on from the time of confederation, but there was no such system 
 in force in the west until the date named, and it proved to be from 
 the commencement quite a successful experiment. Official reports 
 state that the method of licensing was most successful, and prevented 
 violations of the law as well as defined the respective fishing locations 
 of the licensees. At the start, 130 gill-nets licenses were issued, and 
 three drag seine licenses, but pound-nets which had been used for 
 sturgeon, were prohibited. 
 
 Among the early regulations applied to the province was a close 
 season for whitefish from October 20 to November 1, but the regula- 
 tions, six in number, passed July 18, 1889, altered this close season 
 to October 5 to November 10, and provided also a close season for 
 pickerel (dore) from April 15 to May 15; and a sturgeon close sea- 
 son from May 1 to June 15, as well as a trout close season from Octo- 
 ber 1 to January 1. There was also a prohibition of the use of 
 explosives in fishing, and a provision providing that waters might be 
 set apart for the sole use of Indians for food purposes. 
 
 In July, 1890, Mr. Samuel Wilmot, Superintendent of Fish Cul- 
 ture, Ottawa, visited the waters of Lake Winnipeg, and, under 
 instructions from the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, he fully 
 inquired into the alleged depletion of whitefish, and reported on 
 desirable regulations, which were submitted to the minister in a de 
 tailed memorandum, printed in the Department of Marine and Fish- 
 eries' report for 1890, to which memorandum reference, is made in 
 subsequent portions of the present report. A new set of regulations 
 based on Mr. Wilmot's report was thereafter framed, and these, with 
 various amendments which have been made from time to time, have 
 practically remained in force until the present time. The regulations 
 were amended in 1892, 1893 and in 1894, and on May 8, 1894, they 
 underwent a further recasting and assumed the form which has con- 
 tinued to the present time. 
 
 In these regulaions a distinction was made between > 
 
 (a) Commercial and domestic licenses, the former being valid 
 from May 1 to August 31, and the latter from the date of issue to 
 December 31, of each year. 
 
(&) The limit of net specified as ten thousand yardfe to each License conditions, 
 fishing- tug, and three thousand yards to each sail boat; but no com- 
 pany or firm was entitled to have more than a total of twenty thou- 
 sand yards of net. 
 
 (c) It was intended to limit all gill-net fishing after 1894, to 
 domestic licenses in Lake Winnipeg-, though pound-nets were to be 
 used under commercial licenses, four to each company, the mesh being 
 4.J incjies in the pot. This really abolished commercial gill-netting, 
 had the prohibition been carried out, but as a matter of fact, it was 
 not carried out, and pound-nets were never adopted generally by the 
 commercial fishermen in Lake Winnipeg. Gill-nets were also per- 
 mitted of four-inch mesh for tullibee; drag seines of four-inch mesh, 
 and gold-eye gill-nets in the Bed river of three-inch mesh. 
 
 (d) The following close seasons were at this time in force : 
 Whitefish, tullibee, &c., October 5 to December 15, though on close seasons. 
 
 Lake Winnipeg, for settlers, the close season was fifteen days shorter, 
 namely, from October 5 to November 30. 
 
 Pickerel, April 15 to May 15. 
 
 Trout, September 15 to May 1. 
 
 Sturgeon, May 15 to July 15, and finally a weekly close time was 
 enacted from six p.m. Saturday to six a.m. Monday of each week. 
 
 (e) Indians, it was provided, might have free licenses for food, 
 but not for sale. 
 
 (/) One condition was applied to all commercial licenses, viz. : 
 that fishing under such licenses could be carried on only outside 
 certain prescribed limits, or, as the regulation expressed it, ' outside 
 the excluded limits as shown on the map descriptive of Lake Winni- 
 peg, which accompanied the annual fisheries report of 1890.' 
 
 In 1897 the regulations were again thoroughly revised, and re- 
 ceived new authority by order in council, dated October 14, 1907. 
 Under 'these revised regulations the distinction between commercial 
 find domestic licenses still remained. The excluded limits above 
 referred to continued; the permission to use pound-nets under the 
 former conditions was allowed, but certain changes were made in the 
 close time annually and weekly, and in the mesh of nets used for 
 various fishes. All the various sets of regulations described were 
 framed so as to apply to the whole of the western provinces of Can- 
 ada, excepting British Columbia. They were described as Fishery 
 Regulations of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta 
 and the Northwest Territories. One of the most important parts of 
 our work has been to change this system of applying the same regu- Regulations applied 
 lation. to all these western provinces, and the time has come for to all Western 
 eliminating from the Manitoba and Keewatin Regulations all refer- 
 ences to the more western waters. These Manitoba waters differ in 
 so many marked respects from the waters to the west, that the 
 regulations which were designed to apply to all have never proved 
 very satisfactory, and those which we now recommend are applicable, 
 and are intended to apply, to the waters only of Manitoba and the 
 adjacent waters of the district of Keewatin to the north. 
 
 The one marked abuse in connection with the regulations which Distinction between 
 
 have for over twenty years been in force, has been that, while a dis- Domestic and 
 
 *. .. -IT jjj.- Commercial license.- 
 
 tinction was drawn between commercial licenses and domestic not rea iiy carried 
 
 licenses, there actually existed no such distinction in practice, out. 
 Domestic licenses have universally and constantly been used for 
 commercial purposes, and it has been a matter of common criticism 
 
 
8 
 
 Complaint of 
 depletion of 
 Manitoba waters 
 in the past. 
 
 that the idea of the domestic license has never K-en carried out at 
 all. In our present recommendations we meet this difficulty by 
 abolishing the commercial and domestic license and by providing 
 for fishing licenses only, apart from the settler's permit for fishing 
 for his own use. 
 
 It has appeared to us necessary to provide for only one type of 
 fishing license, namely, the license to be used by the genuine fisher- 
 man, one license for summer fishing and another license for winter 
 fishing and, instead of the domestic license to be used for food pur- 
 poses, it has appeared to us that the issue of a settler's permit would 
 amply suffice. Under this permit any settler or Indian can fish at 
 any time for his own domestic needs. 
 
 Inasmuch as tugs are absolutely necessary on the lakes, we have 
 provided for a special tug license, which will enable these vessels to 
 do limited fishing, otherwise there was the possibility that steam 
 tugs would not be operated in towing boats of the fishermen, an 
 important accommodation, unless such tugs had some fishing 
 privilege accorded them. As a matter of fact, this commission has 
 abolished the Commercial Company's license altogether, the object 
 being to remove all control by commercial companies or combines, 
 and to place the fisheries, as far as possible, in the hands of the bond 
 fide fishermen. 
 
 In tracing back the history of the Manitoba fisheries there are 
 certain points which have been prominent in all discussions in the 
 past, viz.: the alleged overfishing and excessive destruction, especially 
 of whitefish, and the waste of fish when actually caught, and similar 
 abuses. Under the old regulations a fishing company could use 
 20,000 yards of gill-net and the use of this quantity of gill-net by 
 the fishing companies, it was alleged, led to excessive catches, more 
 than could be conveniently handled. The fishing was carried on over 
 too long a period, late into the fall, so that, when the autumn storms 
 came up, the nets drifted away and vast quantities of fish decayed 
 and were lost. Fishing was also carried on in bays, and, in some 
 cases in the mouths of some of the important rivers, which was, 
 another cause of excessive destruction of fish. There was also a vast 
 destruction of spawning fish. The commercial fishermen made great 
 captures of whitefish actually at the spawning time for the purpose 
 ol securing quantities of eggs for conversion into a kind of bait, 
 used especially in the French sea fisheries, and for purposes of caviar. 
 All these unfavourable conditions tended to intensify the prevalent 
 popular opinion that the Lake Winnipeg fisheries were being grossly 
 abused, and that their total depletion was only a question of a few 
 years if such conditions had continued. These abuses have been very 
 largely, if not altogether, met by the passing of one restrictive regu- 
 lation after another, so that the amount of commercial net to each 
 company was reduced. Reserved limits inshore were defined, and 
 commercial netting excluded therefrom the period of commercial 
 fishing each year was reduced to two months and a half, and a num- 
 ber of other restrictions were instituted which have had a very bene- 
 ficial effect. 
 
 The commission, in reviewing the reports and records of the 
 Manitoba fisheries for over thirty years, has been struck by the con- 
 tinual recurrence of the complaint that the Lake Winnipeg and 
 Manitoba waters were being over-fished, and that the total depletion 
 of the fisheries was threatened. These fears have happily never been 
 realized, and it is a proof of the wonderful productivity of Lake 
 
9 
 
 Winnipeg and the Manitoba waters that, in spite of the abuses to 
 which we have referred, anid in spite of the over-fishing, the yield of 
 fish has marvellously kept up, and that, notwithstanding a prevalent 
 feeling of uneasiness in regard to the present condition of these 
 waters, with the restrictive regulations which we now recommend 
 there is, in our opinion, no fear of the exhaustion of these fisheries 
 in the immediate future. 
 
 as po 
 
 ANNUAL CATCHES ON LAKE WINNIPEG AND SUGGESTED LIMITATION. 
 
 We have taken special pains to ascertain with as much accur-acy 
 ssible, the total annual summer catches of whitefish in recent 
 years. The difficulty of collating from the official published reports 
 accurate totals of the catches in different years has been great, owing 
 to the lack of uniformity in the statistics, and the inclusion of winter- 
 caught and fall-caught fish, and other confusing methods, however, 
 we have elsewhere referred to, the following figures we believe to be 
 ss accurate as it is possible for such fishery returns to be. In compil- 
 ing these accurate returns from the figures on their books, the fish 
 companies have most willingly aided us, anid the inspector of fish- 
 eries, Mr. W. S. Young, took special pains and much trouble to get 
 at the exact figures and enable us to compile the returns. 
 
 SUMMER-CAUGHT WHITEFISH LAKE WINNIPEG. 
 
 In the round. 
 
 1904 .................... 5,244,194 Ibs. 
 
 1905 ....... . ............ . . 3,780,188 " 
 
 1906 .................... 3,565,908 " 
 
 1907 ........... . .......... 1,272,000 " 
 
 1908 ...................... 2,335,000 " 
 
 1909 ...................... 2,162,298 " 
 
 ___ n 
 
 Total .................. 18,359,590 " 
 
 Or an average of 3,100,000 Ibs. 
 
 During the past year, 1910, we have included statistical investiga- 
 tions in our work, and have amassed a variety of returns of the takes 
 of fish, and we find that on Lake Winnipeg the summer-fishing for 
 the season of 1910, totalled up to 2,469,845 Ibs. of whitefish in the 
 round. This we consider a far more satisfactory showing than might 
 have been anticipated. The total catch specified in the regulations 
 for 1910 required that not more than 2,400,000 Ibs. of whitefish 
 should be taken; but the last lifts of fish, just before the season 
 legally closed were far heavier than the most experienced men could 
 have foreseen. As a matter of fact, during the last few days of the 
 season, a reduced amount of net was placed in the water in order to 
 avoid any excess in the catch over the specified legal quantity, but 
 the total catch was as stated above. There was also an undoubted 
 misunderstanding in regard to the total catch as defined in sub- 
 section 4 of section 12 of the regulations, dated April 18, 1910, which 
 was regarded as applying to whitefish ' in the round/ whereas on 
 the lake it was generally understood by the fishermen and .the fish 
 buyers that the total quantity specified was to apply to * dressed ' 
 fish. In the recommendations we make in the present report, the 
 limit we specify is for 'dressed' whitefish. It is generally held by 
 practical men in the fish business that the difference between the 
 dressed ' fish and fish in the ' round ' is about one-eighth of the total 
 
 dressed" v. 
 
10 
 
 weight, and we have found in the course of our investigations at the 
 fishing stations that this is a pretty accurate estimate, and that the 
 entrails and waste products in the fish constitute about one-eighth, 
 or 12i per cent of the weight of the ' round ' fish. 
 
 As evidence that there is still an abundance of whitefish in Lake 
 Winnipeg 1 may be instanced the early date on which the fish com- 
 panies closed down operations. Although fishing operations were 
 allowed by the regulations to end on August 15, each company had 
 secured its allotted quantity before that date, and closed down on the 
 following dates respectively: 
 t Northern Fish Company, George's Island, July 1. 
 
 Northern Fish Company, Black river, July 3. 
 
 Northern Fish Company, Warren's Landing, July 7. 
 
 W. Robinson Company, Black river, July 7. 
 
 W. Robinson Company, Warren's Landing. July 9. 
 
 Roderick Smith, Sandy Island, July 20. 
 
 S. Sigurdson, Selkirk Island, August 5. 
 
 EXTENT OF THE WATERS. 
 
 Area of the 
 several lakes. 
 
 Tributaries of 
 Lake Winnipeg. 
 
 Very few persons who have not visited the large lakes of Mani- 
 toba have any adequate idea of the vastness of these waters. Their 
 productive character has astonished all who have investigated the 
 fish and fisheries of Manitoba; indeed it is estimated that the lakes 
 and rivers of this province form about one-fifth of its total area, the 
 area of its various lakes being as follows : 
 
 Square miles. 
 
 Lake Winnipeg 9,460 
 
 Lake Winnipegosis 2,086 
 
 Lake Manitoba '. . . . 1,775 
 
 Lake Dauphin. . . . 
 Lake St. Martin. . 
 Swan Lake. ..... 
 
 Shoal Lake 
 
 Waterheii Lake. . . . 
 
 Dog Lake 
 
 Ebb and Flow Lake. 
 
 196 
 
 125 
 
 121 
 
 102 
 
 76 
 
 64 
 
 39 
 
 A total area of more than 14,000 square miles. Such a lake as Lake 
 Winnipeg covers an area which makes it rank amongst the great 
 k'kes of the continent. It extends from latitudes 50-54 N. Lat. It 
 has a very large number of important rivers emptying into it, the 
 principal rivers being the Great 'Saskatchewan, the Winnipeg river, 
 the Red river, the Little Saskatchewan, the Brokenhead, the Bear, 
 the Black, the Bloodvein, the Beaver, the Catfish, the Bad Throat, 
 the Pigeon, the Berens, the Pelican, &c. Moreover, some of these 
 larger rivers have already received important tributaries before 
 entering the lake. Thus, the principal rivers discharging into the 
 Red river are the Assiniboine, into which again empties tbe 
 Qu'Appelle and. the Souris, the Little Saskatchewan and the Bird- 
 tail; and, still further up in the L T nited States territory, there are, 
 it is said, about twenty important streams pouring inlto this river. 
 It is impossible to give the list of streams and of lakes 'which empty 
 into the Winnipeg river. Some of them like the English river and 
 the Rainy river the latter in its course receiving the waters of 
 

 11 
 
 countless lakes and tributaries and flowing into Lake of the Woods 
 which empties into Winnipeg river. The tributaries of the Rainy 
 river are very numerous. Some of the lakes, like Lac Stenl, are of 
 large size, over a hundred miles long. Thus, by the Red river and 
 the Winnipeg river an immense territory between the Mississippi to 
 the south and the height of land west of Lake Superior on the east, 
 and to the height of land on the northeast bordering the Hudson Bay 
 legion, every lake and stream empties into Lake Winnipeg. The 
 Great Saskatchewan from the Rocky Mountains receives the Stur- 
 geon, Vermilion, Battle, and rather rivers, and, not least, the South 
 Saskatchewan into which the Red Deer river, the Bow arid Elbow 
 rivers empty far away to the west. All these immense tributaries . 
 
 pouring into Lake Winnipeg empty by the Great Nelson river to 
 the north with its vast expanse of lakes like the Play-Green lakes 
 and others. It is not too much to say that a body of water like Lake 
 Winnipeg, receiving the drainage of such an immense area of coun- 
 try, provides all the conditions for an abundant fish supply which, 
 with proper care, can only be described as inexhaustible. There is 
 little doubt that most of these lakes have contained, at some time or Whitefish very 
 other, whitefish, though various natural causes and the destructive widel y distributed, 
 character of man's fishing operations may have diminished their 
 abundance in some cases, or perhaps exterminated them. Archbishop 
 Tache, in his sketch of the Northwest, speaks of the Attihawmeg, 
 which is found throughout the country, the lakes, large and small, 
 being nearly all frequented by them, and they, providentially, swarm 
 even in some of the lesser lakes, which otherwise would be without 
 resource, and many parts of the country would otherwise be unin- 
 habitabile. ' I am entitled to speak on the subject,' said the Arch- 
 bishop, 'for I have lived for whole years on whitefish as my prin- 
 ciple food and frequently the only food.' 
 
 HISTORY OF THE FISHERIES OF MANITOBA. 
 
 The history of the fisheries of Manitoba is a story of marvel- Growth of the 
 lous development. Thirty years ago whitefish were so abundant that Manitoba Fisheries, 
 it was claimed by the authorities that restrictive or protective 
 measures were really not required in order to preserve the fish in 
 abundance, so plentiful were the swarms of fish in these waters. In 
 an old (fisheries) report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, 
 for the year 1872-3, there is, however, a fear expressed that, as the Fear of depletion 
 population increases, some preservative laws might be advisable to Y ears a s- 
 prevent the serious diminution of the supply of so valuable and 
 esteemed a food fish as the Manitoba whitefish. At the time referred 
 to, the total catch of fish on Lake Winnipeg was estimated at 160 
 tons, or between 70,000 and 80,000 fish. The Hudson's Bay Com- 
 pany's employees are stated to have taken annually at Fort Alex- 
 ander 30,000 whitefish on an average, while the Indians and half- 
 breeds, to whom the fish was a staple article of food, consumed 40,000 
 or 50,000 more. The market price was stated to be sixteen shillings 
 per hundred, that is, about one dollar per 100 pounds, or a cent a 
 pound, and l a large number of whitefish are brought down from the 
 lake for sale at Winnipeg.' The total value of the whitefish catch 
 was estimated at 640 stg. or a little over $3,000 per annum. The 
 commercial utilization of this fish must have been carried on in a 
 somewhat desultory way, though Fishery Officer D. Gnim, in a re- 
 port dated October 14, 1875, referred to a joint stock company having 
 
 
12 
 
 Lake Winnipeg 
 Fish Co., 1872. 
 
 Pioneer Commercial 
 Fishing Co. 
 Messrs. Reid & 
 Clark. 
 
 1883 Catches on 
 Lake Winnipeg. 
 
 been formed in 1872 by a few enterprising men to supply the city 
 of Winnipeg 1 with fish. This joint stock company built a half-decked 
 boat of some tonnage, and had a supply of drag seines and other 
 nets on board, and made several trips from Winnipeg to the Little 
 Saskatchewan river where they established their fishing station. 
 They brought in their catches to Winnipeg, chiefly whitefish, fresh 
 and salted, but the enterprise did not prove to be a paying one, and 
 they gave it up, and confined their boat to freighting goods and pro- 
 visions to the various points on the lake. 
 
 The first real commercial fishing enterprise for supplying the 
 market with fish was commenced in 1882 by Messrs. Reid and Clark, 
 who began with one sailboat on Lake Winnipeg, and they brought 
 down their catches to the city of Winnipeg. The operations were, to 
 a large extent, an experiment, but the results were encouraging, and 
 in 1883, they increased their operations, employing two sail boats, and 
 their catch was as follows : 
 
 Lbs. Value. 
 
 Whitefish 72,867 $3,041 
 
 Pike 51,850 1,061 
 
 Pickerel or dore 2,400 480 
 
 Total 127,117 
 
 $4,582 
 
 Lake Winnipeg, 
 
 1884. 
 
 In 1884, the firm named placed a steam tug, the Lady Ellen, on 
 
 First fishing tug on the lake. This was the first steam fishing tug placed on Lake Win- 
 nipeg, and the catches made by it largely increased the total output 
 of fish. The catch in 1884 increased five-fold, the fish being chiefly 
 exported to the United States, as that was at the time the only avail- 
 able and readily reached market.* The following were the amounts 
 of fish: 
 
 Lbs. Value. 
 
 Whitefish 359,000 $14,036 
 
 Pike. . 561,833 13,855 
 
 Total 920,833 
 
 $27,891 
 
 In 1885 the exports of Lake Winnipeg whitefish to the United 
 States were: 
 
 Lbs. Value. 
 
 Whitefish 759,730 $32,500 
 
 Pike 670,433 21,877 
 
 Pickerel (dore) 33,515 1,340 
 
 Tullibee 1,600 80 
 
 Total 1,465,278 
 
 >5,797 
 
 Other fishing 
 companies, 1885. 
 
 The above fish were cleaned and salted and also shipped in a fresh 
 condition while a proportion were frozen, winter-caught fish. Messrs. 
 Reid & Clark handled about 167 tons of fresh fish and 2,270 half bar- 
 rels salt whitefish. Other parties now entered into the industry; 
 Captain Banfield placed a schooner on the lake, while Messrs. Mathe- 
 son, J. Hanson and D. McGregor each had a sail boat employed in 
 carrying on the fishery. In 1886 another firm entered the business, 
 the well-known firm of Messrs. C. W. Gauthier & Co., of Sandwich, 
 Ont., who brought to the lake a plant valued at $1,500, and who 
 secured a catch of fish which they shipped to Windsor, Ont., and 
 

 13 
 
 which was valued at $1,206. Messrs. Reid & Clark operated two large 
 barges, the North Star and the Wallace, and expended about $20,000 
 on ice houses, freezers, &c., to provide for a largely increased busi- 
 ness. The total export of fish from the lake was, however, little more 
 than that of the preceding year in quantity, viz. : a million and a 
 half pounds, valued at $54,360. The death of Mr. Clark, of the 
 pioneer fishing firm on the lake, in 1887, resulted in the dissolution 
 of the firm of Messrs. Reid & Clark, and Captain William Robinson 
 took over the plant and continued their operations. Freezers and ico 
 houses increased, more tugs and boats were employed and the total 
 yield of the fisheries doubled in extent and value. No less than 
 seven tugs and barges and 65 sail boats were engaged on Lake Win- 
 nipeg at this .time, and the total catch was 2,677,547 pounds, valued 
 at $114,808, of which 1,591,247 pounds of the value of $65,441 were Lake Winnipeg 
 exported to the United States and the remainder were sent to Ontario catch > 1887 - 
 or used locally. 
 
 In 1892 the Manitoba Fish Company was_ formed, and took over 
 the business of Messrs. Gauthier & Co., and this year the limit of net 
 for each commercial company was reduced from 40,000 yards to 
 20,000 yords, commercial operations being confined to the specified 
 limits at the north end of the lake, and the weekly close time during 
 which the nets were to be raised for 36 hours were carried out. 
 
 In 1893, there were 13 steam tugs and 30 sail boats, and a total Lake Winnipeg 
 of 67,350 fathoms of gill-nets used on the 'lake. The total value of f|^ n e outfits ' 
 the boats and gear was $190,800, and the total catch of fish was 
 3,873,281 pounds, about 140 men being employed in the fisheries i-ii 
 that year. 
 
 On the other lakes of the province, the development of the Lake Manitoba 
 fisheries was less marked. On Lake Manitoba, in 1855, commercial Fl sheries. 
 fishing was commenced by Messrs. Smalley and Chantler, of West- 
 bourne, who handled 100,000 pounds of fish in that year. Mr. Hugh 
 Armstrong, of Portage la Prairie, handled 240,000 pounds, Peter 
 'McArthur 75,000 pounds, and R. Bullock, of Selkirk, 77,000 pounds, 
 a total catch of 492,000 pounds, and the operations were wholly 
 carried on through the ice in winter. 
 
 In respect to Lake Winnipegosis, so late as the year 1894, com- Fisheries of 
 mercial fishing can scarcely be said to have been carried on, as the 
 fishermen on the lake operated only in a limited way and sold their 
 fish to the trading firms or to the recognized fish companies. 
 
 The fisheries of Lake Winnipegosis remained comparatively 
 undeveloped until about twenty years ago. Settlers began to come 
 into the country at that time, and fishing operations were carried on 
 in the first instance for their own use and soon developed into a 
 cojnmercial fishery. In 1896, there were representations made to the 
 Dominion government to allow commercial fishermen from outside 
 to come on to the lake, and the district inspector was asked to report. 
 He reported that the settlers already on the shores of the lake, and Recommendation 
 who were coming in in considerable numbers, could do all the fish- that fishing be 
 ing and that any commercial fishing should be confined to the north residents, 1896. 
 end of Birch island, that is the north end of the lake, which had 
 heretofore not been very much fished, that region being comparatively 
 inaccessible. Lake Winnipegosis at this time had no railway com- 
 munication, but in 1897 the railway reached the lake and gave a 
 great impetus to the fishing. One tug was placed on the lake and 
 63 fishing boats, and a large number of eastern fishermen sent in 
 applications to operate commercially ; but in order to prevent danger 
 
Cedar Lake 
 sturgeon fishery. 
 
 Summer fishing 
 stopped on 
 Lake Manitoba, 
 1905. 
 
 Summer fishing 
 stopped on 
 Lake Winnipegosis, 
 1906. 
 
 Waste of fish in 
 summer fishing. 
 
 Requests to re-open 
 summer fishing on 
 Lake Winnipegosis. 
 
 of depletion the licenses were confined to actual settlers, and a maxi- 
 mum number of 100 licenses was fixed by the department. This 
 action prevented a number of the fishermen from the east coming on 
 to the lake. One fishery carried on in these waters or, rather, in the 
 waters of Cedar lake, was the sturgeon fishery, a great many of these 
 valuable fish being shipped from the north via Lake Winnipegosis. 
 At this time there were two companies operating on the lake which, 
 se was generally recognized, were under the control of large United 
 States firms. These companies carried on their own fishing opera- 
 tions during the summer, but in the winter the fishing was carried 
 en chiefly by the settlers and by fishermen who sold their catches to 
 the companies. Strong representations were made, that, in order to 
 preserve these lakes (Lakes Winnipegosis, Manitoba, &c.) and to 
 benefit the local population, the summer operations should be either 
 still more curtailed or should be stopped altogether. On March 13, 
 1905, an order in council was passed prohibiting summer fishing 
 altogether on Lake Manitoba, so that no summer operations could 
 be carried on from April 1 to November 30 in each year. Similar 
 action was taken next year in regard to Lake Winnipegosis, and, on 
 March 28, 1906, an order in council was passed closing Lake Winni- 
 pegosis, Lake Dauphin and tributaries, from April 1 to November 
 30 in each year, thus entirely doing away with summer fishing 
 operations on these lakes. The main ground for the action taken 
 was that, in the view of the department, the benefit of summer fish- 
 ing to the local population was small as compared with the great 
 benefit resulting from winter fishing, as, in addition to the earnings 
 from the actual fishermen, there was considerable benefit to the 
 farmers teaming the fish, and much money circulated in supplies; 
 while, in addition better prices were obtained by the fishermen for 
 their winter-caught fish than for summer-caught fish. Indeed, it was 
 stated to the department that the difference in price received by 
 fishermen in winter was considerable, being, 4c. to 5c. per pound, 
 whereas the price for fish caught in summer was 2c. per pound or 
 even less. Moreover, it was asserted that 25 per cent of the summer- 
 caught fish were lost owing to storms which prevented the overhauling 
 legularly of the nets, and the fish being left in the meshes died and 
 polluted the lakes. In order to afford greater protection to fishermen 
 on the lake, and to further the interests of the residents, the Indians, 
 half-breeds, &c., living aroundi the lakes, it was regarded as wise and 
 necessary to maintain the summer fishing prohibition referred to, 
 although actual settlers were still permitted to fish for food for their 
 own use but not for sale. 
 
 During the sittings of the commission, strong representations 
 were made on several occasions urging that Lakes Winnipegosis and 
 Manitoba be re-opened for summer fishing operations, but in our 
 interim report, we, as a commission, decided that it was desirable 
 to continue the prohibition with a view to restoring the abundance 
 of whitefish and pickerel; and it is interesting to note that a num- 
 ber of the prominent parties who urged the removal of the summer 
 prohibition, have since commended the commission for their decision 
 to maintain the closure of summer fishing on these two lakes. 
 
 METHOD OF FISHING. 
 
 It is desirable to briefly state some of the features in the 
 methods of taking fish in the waters of Manitoba. Whereas in more 
 
15 
 
 easterly waters, as on the Great Lakes, &c., there are at least ten 
 different methods of taking fish, that is, ten different kinds of gear, 
 on Lake Winnipeg and Manitoba waters generally, gill- nets only 
 are used. There is considerable hook fishing for cat fish and coarse nrfndpal gear used 
 fish with baited hook, and in the Red river drag seines are operated in Manitoba, 
 and a few dip nets. The large destructive pound nets, which are 
 so commonly used in eastern waters, have not been permitted for at 
 least 20 years in Manitoba waters, excepting in certain lakes in the 
 Keewatin district where a special concession was made chiefly for 
 the purpose of capturing sturgeon. A quarter of a century ago, the po 
 Selkirk Fish Company and Messrs. Gauthier & Co., experimented unsuccessful. 
 with pound nets in Lake Winnipeg, but they did not appear to be 
 as successful as in eastern waters. Pound nets are used every fall 
 for Dominion hatchery purposes on grounds where the parent white- 
 fish assemble for spawning purposes, and the method is much prefer- 
 able to taking the fish in gill-nets as the quality of the spawn in 
 gilt-netted fish is not only inferior but often quite useless for hatch- whitefish 6 useless 
 ery purposes. f r hatchery 
 
 The Commission found that very widespread criticism was being 
 expressed by the public in regard to the methods adopted for supply- 
 ing the Winnipegosis hatchery with spawn by the use of gill nets. It 
 was asserted and the assertion was supported by much evidence given 
 at the sittings of the commission, that the privilege of gill-netting 
 white-fish in the close season for hatchery purposes had been, very 
 seriously abused, and had proved a total failure, as comparatively few 
 eggs were obtained, and these were altogether in too bad condition hatchery, 
 for hatchery purposes. Notwithstanding the small quantity of spawn 
 which was sent to the hatehry, a very large quantity of whitefish 
 was obtained which were transported from the lake in carloads and 
 bought and shipped by the fish companies. 
 
 Gill-netting, as at present carried on, includes steam tug fishing, 
 sail boat fishing and skiff fishing, while the winter fishing operations 
 are carried on by nets fished through holes made in the ice. The tugs pi sll j n g 
 used vary in tonnage from 10 to 25 tons, and each tug is allowed to 
 use a specified quantity of nets, namely, S.,000 yards. Large steamers 
 are provided by the companies for carrying fish both in a fresh and 
 frozen condition, these steamers being valued at from $10,000 to 
 $30,000. The sail boats are about 32 feet long, two-masted and half- 
 decked, and are built principally in Selkirk. A sail boat costs about * 
 $400, fitted with sails, &c. The skiffs employed are light carver-built Fighin , kiffg 
 row boats, costing probably about $15 each, some costing more, others 
 less. Gasoline motor boats have been tried experimentally in they 
 lake fishing, but have not been up to this time adopted. 
 
 The gill-nets used in summer fishing are Scoth twine (linen). 
 about No. 40, and are 18 to 24 meshes in depth, an increase in the 
 depth of nets as compared with a few years ago, when, on an average 
 the nets were about 15 meshes ; but for winter fishing much shallower 
 nets are used. In most places, indeed, many of the nets are not more 
 than from 6 to 12 meshes deep, according to the depth of the water of 
 the localities fished. , 
 
 The method of reaching the summer fishing grounds is as fol- 
 lows: The fishing boats are towed out from the fishing station usu- fishing grounds, 
 ally about daybreak by the fish company's tugs. The fishing stations, 
 it may be explained, are usually at some point conveniently access- 
 ible to the fishing grounds, either on an island or at some prominent 
 
16 
 
 Taking up the 
 catch of fish. } 
 
 The fish ho\r 
 handled. 
 
 Grading the fi<h 
 as to size. 
 
 Freezing the fish 
 
 point where there is good harbour accommodation. There are seven 
 fishing stations belonging to the four companies now on Lake Win- 
 nipeg, and, at these stations there are fish houses, freezers, net-reels, 
 and boarding and dining accommodation for the fishermen. Indeed, 
 each fishing station is a miniature fishing village and usually in- 
 cludes a store where the fish company sells supplies. On arriving at 
 the fishing ground, one to thirty miles distant from the fishing- 
 station, each boat pays out its net, about 18 pieces of 166 yards or 
 more each, to the limit of the 3,000 yards allowed by law. These 
 pieces of net are leaded along the bottom line and corked along the 
 top line, so that they hang upright in the water, and they are low- 
 ered to the bottom where the schools of fish congregate. In paying 
 put the net, the buoy is thrown out first, and the anchor stone at- 
 tached to the same line is lowered to the depth desired, and the net 
 attached to it . is gradually paid out until the whole net is at the 
 bottom of the water. A second anchor stone is then dropped over 
 board, and a second buoy put out when the whole of the net is paid 
 out, so that there is a floating buoy marking the one end of the net 
 and a second buoy marking the termination or other end of the net, 
 showing the spot where the net lies anchored at the bottom. Each 
 boat takes up its position at a sufficient distance from the other boats, 
 the boats being dropped off from the tug as the various grounds are 
 reached, until all are located and the tug then waits for the last 
 boat to set. If there is a fair wind, and the weather is very favour- 
 able, the boats, instead of being towed back, hoist their sails and 
 sail' back to the harbour. After the ne thas remained in th ewater 
 about twenty-four hours, that is over night, the tug returns with the 
 boats to their respective fishing locations, and each boat proceeds to 
 haul up its nets and to take the fish out. The fishermen pull the 
 fish out of the meshes by hand, as each part of the net is hauled up 
 over the gunwale. There are usually three men in each boat, and, 
 as the tug takes the boats back to the fishing station, the crew clean 
 the fish and sort out the various kinds. On arrival at the dock of 
 the fishing station, the fish from each boat are weighed in boxes, and 
 credit is given to it for its respective catch. Part of the catch may 
 be cleaned at the station, and in rough weather the whole of the catch 
 is usually brought in and cleaned on the dock. In warm weather, 
 each boat takes its supply of ground ice in order to chill the fish as 
 they are taken from the nets and to keep them in good condition until 
 they are brought to the fishing station. After lifting the gang of 
 nets, the boat crew proceeds to re-set them, usually moving a little 
 according to the direction the fish are found to be running, though 
 they may set partly on the same ground occupied during the pre- 
 vious 24 hours. The fish are carefully washed after reaching the 
 dock at the station, and are assorted in metal pans that is, the fish 
 are graded as to size in three sizes, eight fish to the pan, six fish to 
 the pan, and four fish to the pan, which are called respectively, 
 ' small,' l large ' and jumbos.' The galvanized iron pans, as they are 
 filled with fish, are placed in bins and a layer of ground ice and of 
 coarse salt is spread over each row of pans, which are thus iced and 
 piled up in successive layers. The bin, when all the pans are placed 
 in position, is filled up with ice and closed up. From this method 
 of packing them in pans, it will be seen that neither the ice nor the 
 salt touches the fish at all, the pans being so arranged as to admit 
 none of the ice or salt which surround them outside. The following 
 
17 
 
 ay they are taken out and the pans are opened. Each cake of frozen 
 fish is then dipped in water and a thin coat of ice is thus formed 
 around it . The fish thus treated are then packed in wooden boxes, 
 ench holding- about 125 pounds; the boxes are nailed down and placed 
 in the freezer to await the arrival of the steamer which will carry 
 them to the large freezers at the shipping points, such as Selkirk. 
 Kach steamer has a capacious freezer in which the boxes of fish arc 
 placed for the trip down the lake. 
 
 In addition to the freezing method described, an increasing Fresh fish, 
 quantity of fish is shipped without being frozen in pans at all. The 
 fish i< kept fresh by being covered with broken ice, in boxes, one 
 hundred and fifty pounds in each box, and they are shipped in the 
 same manner as the frozen fish; but, on arrival at the main shipping 
 point, they are transferred immediately to refrigerator cars and to 
 the express companies for despatch without delay to market for 
 immediate consumption. 
 
 The winter fishing is an entirely different enterprise. The fisher- Winter fishing 
 men generally go out late in the fall to some distant fishing ground, methods, 
 being conveyed by the last steamer leaving for the north before the 
 winter ice forms. The men are conveyed to the winter fishing camps, 
 many of them as much as 200 miles from their homes. They have 
 full winter supplies with them and dog-trains, and each fisherman 
 i? allowed 1,500 yards of net. The mode of operation is as follows: 
 A hole is cut through the ice and a long pole, thirty or forty feet in 
 length, is inserted through the hole and pushed along under the sur- 
 face of the ice which is usually not more than three or four inches 
 thick at that time, so that the pole is readily seen through the ice, 
 and as it is pushed along holes are made at intervals through which 
 a forked stick is inserted for working the pole further along until 
 it has traversed a distance the full extent of the net to be fished. 
 To the pole a line is attached, and when the full length of line has 
 been paid out the net is attached to one end and can thus be easily 
 pulled through the water under the ice. An anchor-stone is attached 
 to the net which causes it to sink to the bottom, while the upper 
 line, or cork line, keeps it floating in an upright' position in the 
 water. The net is left down at the bottom, say, for 24 hours, and Taking up the 
 if the weather permits it is hauled up through one of the holes and catch, 
 the fish taken out and the net replaced or reset as before. The net, 
 as it is hauled up through the ice with its catch of fish, of course 
 freezes at once and the fish taken out of the meshes are soon frozen 
 hard so that they cannot be cleaned, and they are usually shipped to 
 the market in the round condition. To protect the fishermen from 
 the severity of the winter winds, a canvas screen is often placed 
 around the upper hole to enable the men to work sheltered from the 
 blast. As a rule, two men work together on the same gang of nets, 
 one being, 'generally, the owner of the gear and the other an assistant. 
 The fish piled up on the ice after being taken from the net, are 
 either boxed up at once or are piled up on the sleigh and conveyed 
 by dog-team to the different camps where they may then be boxed 
 up ready to be loaded on the teams which take them to the railway . 
 
 shipping points, a distance it may be of from a few miles to two fro^thf camps, 
 hundred miles. These teams are provided by the farmers, princi- 
 pally, and they receive for freighting the fish on an average one cent 
 per pound per mile per hundred miles. The fish companies at the 
 commencement of the season usually make a contract with each 
 fisherman (see copy of contract, Appendix No. 1) so that each com- 
 
 145222 
 
18 
 
 Fisherman's 
 contract with 
 buyers. 
 
 Small freezers 
 for fall fish. 
 
 Tests of fishing 
 grounds made by 
 Commission. 
 
 Summer closure 
 on L. Winnipeg, 
 by O.C. April 18, 
 1910. 
 
 Limit specified for 
 total summer catch 
 O.C., April 18, 1910 
 
 pany receives its quota of the winter catch for which the contract 
 was signed before the fisherman left for the fishing grounds. As 
 the companies usually furnish supplies to the fishermen, these con- 
 tracts are a guarantee for repayment by means of the catches of 
 each fisherman. It is interesting to note that along the west shore 
 at the south end of Lake Winnipeg, a number of small freezers have 
 been built by Icelandic settlers and by fish companies, the purpose 
 of these small freezers being- to store the catches of pickerel and 
 coarse fish taken in the fall, in September, October and early Novem- 
 ber. This fall fishery is far less extensive than the winter fishing 
 and much less so than the summer fishing operations; but it occu- 
 pies the local men in the interval between the summer fishing and 
 the winter fishing operations. And, as many of these small freezers 
 are carried on upon co-operative principles, this is a desirable feature 
 as encouraging thrift and enterprise amongst the actual fishing 
 population. 
 
 THE QUESTION OF CLOSING SUMMER FISHING. 
 
 We have already presented in the interim report, dated Novem- 
 ber 26, 1909, certain important conclusions, thirteen in number, to 
 which the evidence received at out public sittings led us; and to 
 these conclusions we shall refer in more detail and support them 
 by the further information we have received. This information was 
 gained in our extended tour of investigation made to the fishing* 
 grounds of Lake Winnipeg by the whole of the members of the com- 
 mission during the summer operations, and by special visits to Lake 
 Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba and to the northern fishing areas 
 of Lake Winnipeg for the purpose of testing the alleged exhausted 
 fishing grounds there after the close of the summer operations, and, 
 finally by an investigation during the fall fishing, these last visits 
 being made by a sub-committee of the commission. The report of 
 this sub-committee forms Appendix 
 
 To the main portion of the interim report, unanimously agreed 
 to by the commission as a whole, there were added two majority re- 
 ports, each bearing the signatures of two members of the commis- 
 sion one report distinguished as addendum A (Page 11 of the in- 
 terim report) which urged that Lake Winnipeg had reached such a 
 serious condition in the opinion of the majority that the total 
 closing of the lake to all summer fishing was justifiable, commencing 
 with the present year 1911, such closure to continue until evidence 
 was forthcoming that the fishery resources of the waters named had 
 recovered in a measure their former plentitude. This recommenda- 
 tion for closing Lake Winnipeg was adopted by the department, and 
 would have come into force during the present year, 1911, in the 
 ordinary course of events. By order in council, dated April 18, 1910. 
 Sec. 12, Sub-sec. 9, it is provided that ' after the year 1910, com- 
 mercial summer fishing shall be prohibited in Lake Winnipeg.' 
 
 The second majority report, distinguished as Addendum B. 
 (page 12 of the interim report), suggests that there should be a 
 limit imposed on the annual catch of whitefish taken during the 
 summer season, June 1 to August 15, and this recommendation of 
 two out of three of the commissioners was adopted by the depart- 
 ment commencing with the summer fishing operations of 1910. By 
 order in council above named, Sec. 12, sub-sec. 9, it was provided 
 that ' During the summer commercial season of 1910, not more 
 than two million four hundred thousand (2,400,000) pounds in the 
 
19 
 
 round of whitefish shall be taken. As soon as such quantity is 
 caught, the inspector of fisheries shall order all nets to be taken out 
 of the water.' 
 
 With respect to the closing of Lake Winnipeg, we feel bound Danger of 
 at once to call attention to the important fact, that evidence of the depletion of 
 decline of the fishery resources of Lake Winnipeg to the serious extent Lake Winnipeg, 
 generally alleged has not been amply borne out by our subsequent commSfon^ tests, 
 investigations; but that, in spite of the excessive fishing, or over- 
 fishing, as has been alleged, the supply of whitefish in Lake Winni- 
 peg is still enormous and gives no sufficient ground for serious fear 
 as to the future. The sub-committee which visited the fishing ground 
 after the end of the summer fishing operations, and personally tested 
 special localities which had been abandoned because of the supposed 
 total depletion of fish, found evidence by setting nets that the deple- 
 tion was far less serious than had been alleged, and that the means 
 taken for thoroughly investigating the state of these grounds estab- 
 lished this remarkable result, that the fears anticipated by many were 
 not realized and that the areas referred to did not show signs of the 
 danger of immediate exhaustion. It is true that the size of the fish 
 appeared to have decreased somewhat, but the quantity of whitefish 
 abounding in these areas had not decreased to the extent that had 
 been commonly claimed'. We do not think, therefore, that, in view Not necessary to 
 
 of this evidence, and in view of the facts ascertained, the con- carry out closure of 
 
 . , . i j n i -I i summer fishing on 
 
 tmuaiice ol the prohibition of summer nshing is justifiable; and L Winnipeg. 
 
 we strongly recommend, therefore, that the first part of sub-section 
 9 of section 12 of the order in council of April 18, 1910, be rescinded. 
 To close down summer fishing operations in any case would be a 
 most serious step and have far-reaching consequences on the indus- 
 tries of the province. And this important fact must be borne in . 
 mind, that Lake Winnipeg is the only source of supply for fresh summer important 
 \vhitefish 011 which the western Canadian and other markets in the for the province. 
 Dominion can depend, and the closing down of summer fishing 
 would therefore deprive a large part of our population of any supply 
 of fresh whitefish during the summer season. The summer fishing 
 is carried on in a part of this great lake, the shores of which are 
 almost entirely without population and not likely to be settled for a g hores not 
 considerable time on account of the special nature of the country populated where 
 and its not being adapted for agricultural purposes. The somewhat 
 satisfactory signs which our further investigations have shown as 
 to the state of the fish supply in the northern portion of Lake Win- 
 nipeg, would not justify, in our opinion, the industrial dislocation to 
 vrhich we refer, viz. : the stoppage of an important fishery enterprise, 
 ?nd the cutting off of a valued and necessary supply of fresh fish 
 for our own local needs in the west and for eastern markets. An 
 additional safeguard against any dianger of depletion was provided 
 by the limit of the total summer catch, which was placed at 2,400,000 
 pounds last season. Considerable dissatisfaction arose from the fact Lj m j t O f 2,500,000 
 that in the order in council the expression c In the round ' was used, Ibs. of whitefish 
 which, of course, considerably reduced the total amount of fish, and ^Winnipeg!* 
 the proportions which by arrangement each company was prepared to 
 handle. From the information which has been placed before us there 
 is strong reason to believe that the limit of 2,400,000 pounds was not 
 originally intended to refer to ' round 7 -fish, but to 'dressed' fish, 
 and our recommendation would, therefore, be, that a maximum limit 
 of the summer catch be provided, but that it be placed at 2,500,000 
 pounds of whitefish in a dressed condition. 
 14522 2 
 
20 
 
 FALL FISHING. 
 
 Grounds for not In our special interim report, dated at Winnipeg, July 12, 1910, 
 
 SufidSSg Cl lITo f and forwarded to Ottawa at that time, we recommended that the 
 prohibitoii of fall fishing be not enforced pending the presentation of 
 the final report of the commission, in which this matter of fall fish- 
 ing would be dealt with on the basis of the further investigations 
 carried on by us. We pointed out, in the report mentioned, that 
 ampfle notice had not been given of the change in the regulations; 
 that if the fall fishing were suddenly closed down without ample notice, 
 financial loss would be incurred by a deserving class of local fisher- 
 men; that the necessary gear was prepared ready for use; that sup- 
 plies of wood had been cut, and ice had been put up as in former 
 years; and that all these preparations had been made in the belief 
 that, if any prohibition of fall fishing were contemplated, it would 
 not be enforced suddenly or without sufficient notice. The recom- 
 mendation made by us, that the prohibition be in the meantime post- 
 poned, was adopted by the Hon. the Minister of Marine and Fish- 
 eries, and the prohibition was not enforced during the fall of 1910. 
 In view of the strong representations made and petitions laid before 
 the commission from actual settlers living along the shores of the 
 south end of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba, and in view of the 
 fact that the said settlers had been located for the past 25 years on 
 their homesteads along the shore, principally on account of the fish- 
 ing which they carried on in a small way for the purpose of aiding 
 in enabling them to make a living, we regard their case as one 
 deserving special consideration. The fishing which they have car- 
 ried on has been only a limited one, conducted during a part of the 
 fall when they secured small quantities of pickerel, jackfish and 
 coarse fish, these fish being put on the market in a fresh condition; 
 and, were the fishery entirely stopped, there would actually be no 
 fresh fish available for the markets of the province, excepting fish 
 from other provinces. In all the other provinces of the Dominion 
 there is a considerable fall fishery, and supplies of fresh fish reach 
 the markets of these provinces, and we think it desirable that such 
 a source of fresh fish for the Manitoba markets should not be closed 
 down entirely by a prohibition in the fall. We have above referred 
 to the fact that, along the west shore of Lake Winnipeg, at the south 
 end, the local settlers have, in recent years shown considerable enter- 
 prise by building smal icehouses and freezers for the special purpose 
 of receiving the catches of fish made in the fall. These icehouses, 
 15 in number, tog-ether with 14 freezers, are owned solely by Ice- 
 landers, and are valued at nearly $17,000; they are located at various 
 points from Big Island to Winnipeg Beach, especially at Gimli, at 
 Nes and at Arnes. Attention was called to the hardship and finan- 
 cial loss which would follow on account of the freezers and ice- 
 houses owned by the settlers being put out of operation, if fall fish- 
 ing was entirely stopped, and at a meeting of the council of the 
 municipality of Bjfrost, May 26, 1910, resolutions were passed laying- 
 stress upon this important consideration, and the resolution was for- 
 warded to the department at the time. Other representations have 
 followed, the last being a, series of resolutions passed at a meeting- 
 held! at Nes last January, when fishermen from Nes, Arnes and 
 Hnausa were present, and they expressed the view that the pickerel 
 and coarse fish were increasing in the south part of Lake Winni- 
 peg, and that it would be a great hardship for them were they pre- 
 
21 
 
 ?nt<?d from taking 1 them, and that, owing' to the local conditions on 
 lake, winter fishing cannot he carried 011 there to any extent. 
 
 r nder these conditions therefore, we think that fall fishing might . 
 
 . . . Allow fall fishing 
 
 >e allowed in Lake Winnipeg, south ol an imaginary line drawn under conditions 
 
 east and west from the northernmost point of Big- Island, and in stated, 
 the southern part of Lake Manitoba, in the waters adjacent to the 
 locations of the actual settlers along the lake shore, the limits to be 
 defined by the fishery inspector, who would require to see that this 
 fafll fishing- was not carried on. upon recognized whitefish grounds. 
 We are of opinion that a limit of 1,000 yards of gill net of not less 
 than 4-inch extension measure is desirable, and that the license fee 
 be $3 and the period of fishing from September 1 to October 15. It 
 seems also necessary to require that skiffs only, not sail boats, should 
 be used in "this fishery, as we are satisfied that ample fishing could 
 be done if skiffs only were allowed, and it would tend to keep the fish- 
 ery within proper limits. When in our interim report we recom- 
 mended the closing of the lakes to fall fishing, we had in view prin- 
 cipally the protection of the white fish and the undersized pickerel, 
 which it was alleged had been largely taken during these fall opera- 
 tions. By prohibiting the use of the 3f-iiich mesh, the taking of 
 small pickerel will be obviated, and there is less danger to the white- 
 fish as the particular grounds which we have specified are regarded 
 as mainly coarse fish waters. 
 
 ALLEGED DEPLETION OF MANITOBA WATERS. 
 
 Iii our interim report, we stated our conclusion that : { All the Depletion and 
 lakes of Manitoba have been over-fished, and that some of the more 
 valuable species such as the whitefish and yellow pickerel have de- 
 creased very seriously in size and in abundance, and that the stur- 
 geon, the most valuable fish found in these waters, is on the point 
 01 extinction and can only be preserved by stringent measures.' 
 
 But with the continued prohibition of summer fishing in Lakes 
 Winnipegosis and Manitoba, and the limitations we have re.com- 
 mended in Lake Winnipeg, namely, (1) the considerable decrease in 
 the amount of net and gear to be fished by the fishing tugs; (2) the 
 limitation of total annual summer catch of whitefish; (3) the delimi- 
 nation of the area to be commercially fished in summer; (4) by a 
 strict observance of the shortened fishing season; and (5) by con- 
 fining the main fishing operations strictly to the actual fishermen 
 residing in the province, we think these safeguards will suffice at 
 present to preserve the supply of fish, and indeed ensure permanent 
 abundance, with the aid of hatcheries. It is, however, necessary in 
 our opinion, that there should be increased strictness in requiring 
 the observance of the regulations, that the limitations previously 
 in force, and those which we now recommend, should be most rigidly 
 adhered to. In our former report, we pointed out that such regula- 
 lions as those relating to the quantity of net fished by tugs and by n eceary 
 boats, and the size of the mesh prescribed by law, had not been 
 scrupulously observed, though we still adhere to our opinion that the 
 close seasons have, on the whole, been well observed, and that fishing 
 operations have ceased on the date, or even before the date, specified 
 in the existing regulations. Of course, over the area so vast as the 
 waters of the province of Manitoba, it is difficult, with a limited 
 staff of officers, to see that all parties everywhere carry out the law. 
 Infractions of the regulations can indeed be effectively prevented 
 
22 
 
 'Control of foreign 
 combines in the past 
 
 Canadians now own 
 the outfits of 
 Manitoba fisheries. 
 
 Canadian market 
 will secure more 
 and better fish. 
 
 U.S. firms buy 
 Manitoba fish. 
 
 Middleman's 
 
 disproportionate 
 
 profits. 
 
 Responsibilities of 
 Canadian fish firms. 
 
 only by some more efficient patrol or an improved system of official 
 supervision, and to this matter we refer at length in our present 
 report. 
 
 We have laid stress in our interim report on the control so long 
 exercised by foreign fish corporations and combines. We stated that 
 we had ( abundant evidence that the Manitoba fisheries have been 
 unduly controlled by foreign fish operators who have dictated the 
 prices of fish and have secured the major portion of the profits. The 
 people of Manitoba have benefited little from these great lake fish- 
 eries. Moreover, inferior grades of fish have been sold in the Cana- 
 dian market, while the better grades, including the larger size fish, 
 (have been exported to the United States markets.' The commercial 
 crisis which affected so seriously the large United States fish com- 
 panies about four years ago had this result, that the property really 
 owned by these companies in Manitoba was disposed of and was 
 bought by Canadians; and, so far as we cars' ascertain, the freezers, 
 ice-houses, tugs, boats and gear at present employed in the fisheries 
 of the province are owned by Canadians and not by United States 
 citizens. An important change such as this should benefit the pro- 
 vince in numerous ways. Canadian labour will now be solely em- 
 ployed in the fishing and handling operations, and the catches taljen 
 by our fishermen will in no way be directly controlled by United 
 States fish firms. These foreign firms occupy now merely the posi- 
 tion of purchasers of fish after they are caught by our own fisher- 
 men and handled by Canadian fish companies. Such being the case, 
 there is every reason to hold that Canada will not only benefit in the 
 ways indicated, but will henceforth be able to secure supplies of the 
 best qualities of fish, and not be supplied merely with inferior grades 
 and with ' culls ' that the United States markets decline to take, and 
 which were formerly placed on our own markets. 
 
 While the United States companies now are simply the pur- 
 chasers of our catches of Canadian fish, they are such heavy pur- 
 chasers, having contracts with Canadian companies whereby a regu- 
 lar supply of fish in accordance with the requirements of the fish 
 business is secured, that entire freedom from the control of the large 
 firms 011 the other side of the boundary line is well nigh impossible. 
 The high price of fish which the Canadian consumer complains about 
 arises, it must be admitted, from the methods of the middlemen who 
 acts as a medium between the fish companies and the small retail 
 dealers. The evidence secured in Wimi-peg showed that, the middle 
 man may make as much as three cents per pound profit on whitefish, 
 whereas the fisherman himself receives on the lake not more than 
 three cents per pound for his fish, and the Canadian companies who 
 handle the fish and store them in their freezers, or ship them fresh 
 on ice, do all this work on a very small margin of profit. It must 
 be remembered that the Canadian companies not only erect and oper- 
 ate freezers and store supplies of ice, build and supply the tugs 
 which are such a convenience to the fishermen in their fishing opera- 
 tions, furnishing supplies and in a multitude of ways facilitating the 
 fishing operations, but they also have the responsibility of the rise 
 and fall of the market, and of maintaining the channels of business 
 generally. These companies operate the fishing stations, supply nets,, 
 and make advances to the fishermen without which the industry could 
 not be carried on, and they do all this on a far less margin of profit 
 than the middlemen who merely sells the fish to the retail dealers, 
 
23 
 
 It will thus be seen where the price of fish becomes excessive, and we 
 
 are of opinion that fish caught in our Canadian waters by Canadian 
 
 fishermen should be sold to the retail dealers at the same rate per 
 
 hundred pounds as it is sold to United States buyers or to what are 
 
 called middlemen. We had abundant evidence that retail dealers 
 
 applying to the fish companies for supplies of fish were refused on 
 
 the ground that, under the existing system of selling to middlemen, 
 
 the fish companies declined to sell to the retail Canadian dealers. If p u bn c wou ld 
 
 it is possible, by some departmental measures, to carry out such an benefit if fish sold 
 
 arrangement whereby the fish companies shall sell directly to the Dealers* retail 
 
 retail dealers at the lowest possible prices, Canadians may then 
 
 secure as cheap fish and as good quality as the customers of the 
 
 large companies in the United States, and a great object will in this 
 
 way be accomplished. There is really no reason in the nature of 
 
 things why Canadians should be content with inferior qualities of 
 
 their own fish; they should have the best quality of fish at lower 
 
 prices than buyers in foreign markets pay for them. 
 
 If the recommendation we make is feasible, as we think it is, Consumer pays 
 the price of fish would be much lower to the ordinary consumer. from profits. 
 Under present conditions the Canadian citizen, when buying fish, 
 actually pays a profit to four different persons engaged in the fish 
 business: (1) a profit to the fisherman, (2) to the wholesale fish 
 dealer, (3) to the jobber or middleman, and (4) to the retail fish 
 dealer. These accumulated profits, some of them altogether dispro- 
 portionate undoubtedly cause the prices of fish in the retail markets 
 cf Canada to be far higher than there is justifiable reason for. Our 
 Canadian fish markets should be supplied not only with the best 
 qualities of fish, but with fish at the lowest prices. 
 
 THE GROWING WESTERN POPULATION WILL REQUIRE FISH. 
 
 One very important point to which we referred in our former Greater demand 
 
 , i . i T i. j? i i T_ for fish in Canada, 
 
 report was the increasing demand lor an ample supply of nsh which 
 
 will be required by the vast population which is pouring into the 
 Canadian West. We said that it could not ' be denied that the main 
 market has been hitherto in the United States and the home market 
 has been limited. With the wonderful development of Canada and 
 the rapid growth of new towns in the west, the demand for fish is 
 lapidly increasing. It is imperative that every effort should be made 
 to restore these fisheries to their former plenlitude, in order to pro- 
 vide a great staple food for the future populations of the Dominion/ 
 This increased demand has already become a reality, and several 
 important fish merchants in their evidence alluded to the larger 
 proportion of whitefish which they could now dispose of in the 
 Dominion as compared with the small demand a few years ago, when 
 practically 90 per cent of the whitefish was shipped to United States 
 markets, and the Canadian demand was so very small that it was 
 practically ignored by some of the fish companies. One large Sel- 
 kirk fish dealer stated that over one-third of his catch of whitefish 
 was sold in Canada and he was satisfied that over 300 tons of other 
 fish were used in the Dominion. 
 
 DECREASE IN THE SIZE OF FISH. 
 
 We adverted to the alleged decrease in the average size of white- Increased mesh of 
 fish and pickerel and our further inquiries have convinced us that S 
 4 a minimum size limit for -the more important food fishes is abso- 
 
24 
 
 Fish should be 
 mature before 
 capture. 
 
 lutely necessary. We, therefore, recommend that certain sizes of 
 fish should be specified in the regulations, below which no fish can be 
 legally captured. We also recommend that the legal mesh of the 
 various nets should be increased/ An increase in the size of the 
 mesh of nets means, of course, that quantities of net hitherto legally 
 and now legally in use would become useless unless sufficient notice 
 of a change were given and time allowed for wearing out the present 
 .nets and for obtaining a supply of new nets of larger mesh. We, 
 therefore, in our present recommendations, have adopted the plan of 
 gradually increasing the size of mesh with a sufficient interval of 
 time to allow the fishermen to provide themselves with nets in accord- 
 ance with the proposed new regulations. We cannot resist the con- 
 clusion that by gradually increasing the mesh in this way less hard- 
 ship will be felt by the fishermen and the fish firms and the average 
 size of fish taken will, of necessity, be improved. The question has 
 been discussed at great length by the Commission as to the mini- 
 mum size of whitefish which matures or produces eggs. The view 
 has been widely expressed that a large quantity of the whitefish 
 taken in the waters of Manitoba, say two pounds or under, have not 
 reached maturity and have never had the chance to spawn. Of 
 course, if vast quantities of fish are captured before they have had 
 a chance to spawn, the result must be serious for the future of the 
 fisheries, and, whatever the facts may be, it seems desirable to 
 increase the average size of fish taken so that the majority of the 
 fish shall have a chance of depositing their eggs or of reaching a 
 mature condition, when their eggs can be utilized for hatchery pur- 
 poses. 
 
 UNDER-SIZED WHITEFISH ON THE MARKET. 
 
 During the present winter the fact was called, to the attention 
 of the Commission that several carloads of whitefish, caught in the 
 waters at the north end of Lake Manitoba, were found by the buyers 
 after purchase, to be fish of such small average size, that it was 
 necessary to hold them back until catches of larger size fish could be 
 secured to mix with them before exporting the whole. In this way 
 alone was it possible to raise the average of the shipment to a market- 
 able size. These small whitefish, it is well known to the .fishermen, 
 are really a drug in the market, there is so little demand for them. 
 There is practically no sale for such under-sized fish, not exceeding 
 2 pounds in weight, and a large quantity of such whitefish, caught 
 during the preceding winter (1909-10) are, the Commission is aware, 
 still held in cold storage at Winnipeg because there has been found 
 in be no sale for them. There appears to be no way of effectually 
 stopping this capture of whitefish, immature and of small size, so 
 long as pickerel or dore nets, of a mesh so small as 4 or 44-inch 
 extension measure, are used on grounds frequented by whitefish. 
 
 We are convinced that it will be absolutely necessary to require 
 the use of nets of not less than 51-inch extension measure if such a 
 destruction of small whitefish as that we refer to is found to continue. 
 It would in our opinion be the duty of the Inspector of Fisheries to 
 see if the abuse we refer to ceases and if the capture of small white- 
 fish continues, in the way we have described, the Department should 
 on the report of the Inspector refuse to sanction the issue of licenses 
 for nets of less mesh than 5i-inch extension measure, on grounds 
 known to be the resort of whitefish. Small meshed nets should not 
 be permitted on any area in the lakes of the province where there is 
 a certainty of whitefish being captured in any considerable quantities. 
 
25 
 
 e evidence as to the existence of whitefish grounds and of 
 pickerel grounds, that is, of areas where either of these fish pre- 
 dominated during the various fishing seasons, was somewhat contra- 
 dictory, and the Commission had great difficulty in deciding whether 
 or not any areas of large extent, or defined by fairly definite bounds, 
 could be distinguished and regarded as whitefish grounds, or, on the 
 other hand as pickerel grounds. Fishermen of large experience 
 assured the Commission, in their evidence, that such grounds could 
 be distinguished, while other witnesses stated that both fish occurred 
 on the various fishing grounds and no distinct areas could be separ- 
 ated in the way claimed by other witnesses. The only feasible course 
 appears to be to rely upon the opinion of the Inspector of Fisheries. 
 He could readily ascertain before recommending licenses if it was 
 safe to allow small-meshed pickerel nets or refuse them, and in this 
 way reduce, or entirely put an end to, the destruction and shipment 
 of small under-sized whitefish for which there is no demand. 
 
 STURGEON. 
 
 Iii our interim report of November 26, 1909, page 10, we recom- 
 mended that the export from the Province of Manitoba of sturgeon 
 and of caviar, which is the prepared and cured roe of the sturgeon, be 
 prohibited on and after January 1, 1910. Four reasons had weight 
 with us in making this recommendation, namely: (1) the undoubted 
 decline in the supply of sturgeon in the lakes and rivers of the pro- 
 duce. This decline is much greater than the published statistics 
 indicate; and, indeed, the returns during the last four or five years 
 have not indicated catches of sturgeon in Manitoba waters proper, 
 but have included large takes of sturgeon in the Nelson river and in 
 the northern waters in Keewatin, never before commercially 
 exploited. (2) Sturgeon have always been a staple article of food 
 \vith Indians, and in past years the Department has laid stress on 
 the importance of this fish as a source of sustenance for the Indian 
 tribes, especially the northern tribes. (3) The increased value and 
 the increased demand, especially in foreign markets, for caviar and 
 smoked sturgeon; and the greatly increased prices consequent on this 
 growing demand has stimulated a desire on the part of fish firms to 
 make large catches of sturgeon. Wherever sturgeon occur in Can- 
 ada, there has been, in recent years, every effort made to capture 
 them, and, it must be added, to exterminate them. (4) The action 
 of the International Fisheries Commission, which, in the code of 
 regulations prepared by them, provide that sturgeon fishing should 
 be stopped for four years, is of weight in this connection. Their 
 regulation No. 14 (International Regulations, dated May 29, 1909) 
 recommended that the Dominion and United States governments 
 should carry out a total prohibition of sturgeon fishing in the bound- 
 ary waters along the international border for a period of four years. 
 The ground for this regulation was the critical state of the sturgeon 
 supply. We, therefore, adhere to the recommendation we made, that 
 the export of sturgeon and sturgeon products be totally prohibited 
 for the present. 
 
 ENFORCEMENT OF CLOSE SEASON. 
 
 We pointed out, in our former report, that fish, whether caught Fish not to be 
 in Manitoba waters or elsewhere, should not be possessed or handled handled in close 
 during the close seasons specified by the regulations; but it is a s< 
 matter of general knowledge that a vast quantity of fish caught in 
 
26 
 
 the legal season is held in cold storage during the period of warm 
 weather until it can be marketed later in. the year with safety. Con- 
 siderable quantities of fish are indeed sold during the close season 
 on the ground that they are fish shipped from other provinces where 
 the close seasons do not coincide with the Manitoba close seasons. 
 We are of opinion that this state of things is bound to lead to abuse 
 as it is impossible for officers to distinguish between the fish of the 
 same kinds from different provinces, and the only effective method 
 of dealing with this abuse is to wholly prohibit the sale of a particu- 
 lar kind of fish during the period prohibited by law in the Province 
 of Manitoba. We think it necessary, as we have already stated, that 
 dealers having legally-caught fish in cold storage should be allowed 
 to hold them in storage under authority of a written permit from the 
 Inspector of Fisheries. If such a system were carried out, it would 
 secure that fish illegally caught in close season could not so 
 readily be possessed or sold. The Commission, when visiting the 
 fish markets and the fish dealers' stores in Manitoba, found that 
 there was a regular sale of fish in the close season, and that the law 
 was indeed being openly and widely violated; but the excuse offered 
 was that some of the fish so detected had been shipped from Ontario 
 where the law allowed them to be caught and handled at a time when 
 they were prohibited in the Province of Manitoba. The strict 
 enforcement of the close season would, of course, involve this, that 
 no whitefish whatever could be sold for two months, from September 
 15 to November 19, and that no pickerel, or dore, could be sold from 
 the 15th of April to the 19th of June each year. * 
 
 TULLIBEE CLOSE SEASON ABOLISHED. 
 
 In the regulations prior to 1907, tullibee and lake trout were 
 included in the whitefish close season, as has been the case for many 
 years, and the capture of this fish has, therefore, been prohibited 
 from October 5 to December 15; but in our interim report, section 
 9, subsection 2, page 9, we pointed out that a tullibee close season 
 was unnecessary and any reference to that fish be eliminated from 
 the close season regulations. "JVe did so for several reasons, amongst 
 ethers: (1) because tullibee are extremely abundant, and, indeed, 
 are superabundant, and, while other fish have decreased in recent 
 years, they have shown not only no decline but a considerable growth 
 in abundance; hence no special protection seems, at present, neces- 
 Tullibee not sary for this fish. (2) They are a fish not held in much estimation, 
 
 esteemed. They are not a good quality of fish for the market or for ordinary 
 
 food purposes. They are very frequently affected by parasites, 
 and vast numbers of this fish show the back perforated by a 
 parasitic worm, this parasitic worm being especially noticeable 
 in winter, though the members of the Commission examined speci- 
 mens at the fishing stations taken during the summer fishing which 
 are full of these whiteish parasitic organisms. There is a sale for 
 tullibee in United States markets when the herring are scarce, but 
 in a general way they are regarded as a poor food fish. There is 
 little demand for them, and they bring very low prices, and it is not 
 justifiable to enforce a close seoson to keep up their abundance. We 
 
 * The Legislature of the State of Nebraska, it is stated, is taking steps 
 to prohibit the storage of fish during close season, taken from the public 
 waters. The proposed law will also prevent the importation of fish into 
 the State during the closeseason, vide N. Y. Fish Gazette xxvii., 6. 1911. 
 
27 
 
 have had strong views placed before us in favour of the small meshed 
 net, 3f-inch, foi' tullibee, on the ground that tullibee cannot be taken 
 in quantities in a larger mesh net, and that they form an important 
 part of the feed for dogs, also the Indians and half-breeds have de- 
 pended on supplies of tullibee for food during the summer, and that 
 it would be quite a hardship if they were not allowed to take them 
 with the appropriate mesh of net for their own use, and the net to be 
 of short length, not more than fifty fathoms. In the interests of the 
 fisheries as a whole, we have not recommended any mesh less than 4 
 inches in the lake, and we adhere to this recommendation because we 
 think it is in the interests of the fisheries in general. The tullibee 
 is a peculiar fish, and a word or two descriptive of it may be appro- 
 priate. It is a representative western fish, not characteristic of the 
 eastern waters, and belongs to the whitefish family. It may be cor- 
 rectly described as a lesser whitefish, but it is altogether inferior to 
 the recognized whitefish, or even the true fresh-water herrings, such 
 as the gold eye, which as we have stated, is dn increasing demand 
 as a smoked fish on the markets. Tullibee have been said to occur 
 only along the north shore of Lake Superior in the east, but they are 
 certainly very abund'ant in Manitoba waters and certain lakes in the 
 Northwest. 
 
 ISSUE OF LICENSES. 
 
 We have expressed ourselves very strongly in the interim, report Cumbersome 
 on the laxity in the enforcement of the regulations, and pointed out issue, 
 to what causes this laxity was due. But, apart from the question of 
 insufficient supervision and control of fishery operations, there is one 
 point of considerable importance respecting the matter of issuing 
 (licenses which we think has had a good deal to do with the laxity 
 011 the part of the fishermen and the fishing firms in the observance 
 of the regulations. The method of issuing licenses requires to be 
 greatly improved. We find that it is the rule for all licenses to be 
 made out and issued by the department in Ottawa. The method is 
 as follows : Applications are sent in by the fishermen to the Inspec- 
 tor of Fisheries in the province, who enters them on official forms and 
 forwards them to Ottawa with his remarks and recommendations and 
 with the requisite fee. For effective supervision of the fishing opera- 
 tions, the license should be issued immediately, so that it may be in j ssue before 
 the hands of the fisherman before he begins to fish. But this we find fishermen begin 
 is never done, and, under the present cumbersome and roundabout oper 
 system, the fishermen, as a rule, goes to the fishing grounds, carries 
 on his fishing operations for several months, and, on his return from 
 the fishing grounds may then possibly receive his license, though 
 we have found that as long a period as five or six months may elapse 
 after the fishing is all over, before his license reaches him, Thus, 
 his license which is his authority for commencing to fish and for 
 carrying on fishery operations, is never in his possession until long 
 after the fishing is completed. This grossly lax method has a ten- 
 dency to render the license, and the conditions attached to it, unim- 
 
 . . i / i TT J.T n -i ' i Laxity m issue of 
 
 portant the eyes of the fisherman. He goes to the nsning-grouna license leads to 
 
 before he has received his license, and not knowing whether he will neglect of 
 receive a license at aill. He has no means of becoming acquainted regu 
 with the fishery regulations which are printed on the back of the 
 license, and there is no doubt that a large number of the fishermen 
 never see the conditions of the license until long after the fishing' is 
 started. The present system calls for a rad'ical change, but, in 
 
28 
 
 Reorganization of 
 officers necessary 
 owing to vast area 
 to patrol. 
 
 Central Inspector's 
 office necessary 
 whence licenses 
 should issue. 
 
 Weekly returns of 
 licenses to Ottawa. 
 
 Better paid and 
 
 >etter pa 
 fewer offi 
 desirable. 
 
 Criticism of 
 present staff 
 
 Existing defects of 
 local officers. 
 
 addition to the serious laxity arising- from the non-issue of the 
 licenses, there is an absolute necessity for the reorganization or for 
 the modification of the official fishery staff in the province if any 
 effective improvement in the observance and enforcement of the law 
 is to be accomplished. 
 
 Few people are able. to realize the vast extent of the area which 
 the officers have to cover, and the immense \valo is which should be 
 regularly patrolled if proper supervision is to be exercised. The scale 
 011 which the fishing operations is carried on, both in winter and 
 summer, is most extensive, and it would appear that for interests 
 so vast as the fisheries of Manitoba and Keewatin, there should be a 
 division of labour and that one officer should not have to .cover such 
 an immense geographical area as the present conditions require. 
 There should be some central inspector's office in the province, estab- 
 lished where the principal officer could be consulted by parties on 
 fishery business. He should have authority to issue licenses and 
 save the serious delay which at present is so great an obstacle to the 
 effective working out of the government's policy of protection and 
 preservation of fish. He should make weekly returns to the depart- 
 ment of the licenses issued and remit the fees collected. For the 
 leasons which are apparent, we do not favour the present system of 
 a numerous staff of poorly paid fishery overseers, and a still more 
 inadequately paid staff of fishery guardians. The whole territory 
 should be under the supervision of six or eight active and properly 
 paid fishery overseers, who would have their patrols specified by the 
 principal officer or district inspector, and who would report regu- 
 larly to him as to the way in which the fishery regulations are being 
 observed, and to have the duty of distributing to the fishermen their 
 jkhery licenses before they actually commence to fish. We consider 
 it important that, before any fisherman puts his nets in the water, 
 he should have in his possession his license, which is his authority 
 to carry on fishing operations. The present system is not satisfac- 
 tory, and there is a widespread feeling in the province that some 
 change must be made in the method of official supervision. If the 
 inspector were located in Winnipeg, he would be more central and 
 more accessible for the province generally than at Selkirk; and the 
 overseers, at present, are neither well placed nor have sufficient 
 salary to justify their active efficiency. Moreover, many of the 
 fishery officers have no aptitude for effective patrol duties, while the 
 poorly paid fishery guardians, in many cases, do practically no duty 
 at all, some of them being apparently, not acquainted with the regu- 
 lations, and, of course, make no attempt to enforce them, often for 
 the reason that they are ignorant of what the law is, but more fre- 
 quently because most of them are relatives or friends of the local 
 fishermen, and some of them actually engage themselves in the fish- 
 ing operations. It is hardly to be expected that a local resident with 
 poor pay, will run the risk of the displeasure of his friends and 
 neighbours, and possibly even suffer at their hands, if he attempts 
 to enforce the law, and the necessity is plain, for the patrol duties 
 to be performed by men who are not locally resident, but who have 
 the qualifications to perform their duty as active officers, and a salary 
 sufficient to enable them to devote themselves solely to their fishery 
 officer's work. We are convinced that, by abolishing the present 
 staff of poorly paid officers, and replacing them by a smaller number 
 of properly paid officials, the work would be done far more effectivley 
 and without any very material increase in cost. 
 
29 
 
 BOATS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE PATROL. 
 
 We have in several places in this report referred to the necessity Present patrol 
 of better supervision and the inadequacy of the present patrol, and st JJJJe not 
 of the boats or means for enabling' the officers to make their visits 
 of inspection. We pointed out, on page 6 of our interim report, 
 that with such a boat as the present patrol steamer The Lady of the 
 Lake, the inspector cannot carry out a proper supervision, as the boat 
 is not at all suitable for the special work which it has to do. It is 
 too large a boat; and parties engaged in illegal operations can get 
 ample warning of its approach; while, on account of its build, it 
 cannot safely remain on the lake after the ice begins to form in the 
 late fall. At the present time, we may point out, the patrol steamer 
 i? in Gull harbour, having been frozen in and unable to reach Sel- 
 kirk at the commencement of the winter on account of the forma- 
 tion of ice only a few inches thick at the mouth of the Red river 
 In our opinion, the inspector should have a powerful steamer, low- 
 housed, and so constructed that she could make her way through the necessary ^ 
 thin ice in the Red river, and be able, indeed, to remain on the lake 
 and to be the last boat on the lake at the commencement of winter. 
 If such a boat, powerful and well-ironed, were provided, the patrol 
 work could continue up to the last momenit, the comparatively thin 
 ice in the Red river could be kept broken, and she could carry on 
 the hatchery work, collecting and conveying the eggs most effectively, 
 and be able also to be of assistance to the lighthouse keepers, who, 
 at present, are left 011 the islands late in the fall. It may be claimed 
 that all the steamers on the lake run risks of being kept out by ice, 
 and during the past fall no less than thirteen steamers and tugs had 
 to winter at different points on Lake Winnipeg, and, as we have said, 
 the fishery patrol steamer has had to winter at Gull harbour because 
 she could not get further than the entrance to the Red river early 
 in November, being prevented from getting up the river by the form- 
 ation of thin ice, and she had to return to Gimli on the west shore 
 of the lake, and put off all her shipment of whitefish eggs, so that 
 they had to be sent by rail to the hatchery at Selkirk, otherwise they 
 would all have been lost. Such a steamer as we suggest, well-ironed 
 and constructed, and able to make her way through a few inches of 
 ice and thus keep navigation open, would, at the same time, be far 
 more effective for following up the illegal fishing in the summer 
 time, and would be generally of far more utility to the fisheries, 
 When it is borne in mind that the lake is open in the fall long after 
 ice. is made in the Red river, the importance of such a boat as we 
 have said is apparent. At present, no boats get up the Red river 
 from Lake Winnipeg after the ice is three or four inches thick, but 
 there is no reason why a properly built fishery patrol boat should be 
 unable to reach Selkirk late enough to take the . last supplies of 
 whitefish eggs from the Little Saskatchewan river and other points. 
 
 On the other lakes, such as Wimiipegosis and Manitoba, a small 
 launch, either steam or gasoline, should also be placed for patrol 
 duty during the fall, or spawning season. At present, the officers 
 have no means of making a proper tour of inspection at that import- 
 ant period of the year. 
 
 
 OBSTRUCTIONS ON RED RIVER AND PE-MB1IU R1VKR. 
 
 St. Andrew's 
 
 Great complaints have been made that the new government locks Rapids locks 
 at St. Andrews rapids have cut off the supply of fish which formerly 
 
30 
 
 Walhalla dam in 
 upper waters. 
 
 migrated up and down the Red river. It is claimed that few or 
 no fish can now be secured by the local people in the river above the 
 locks. A similar complaint has been made respecting an obstruct- 
 ing dam on the upper waters of the Red river, or, rather, 011 the 
 Pembina river, at a point about 140 miles above Selkirk. This dam, 
 at Walhalla, in the state of North Dakota, was visited by a sub- 
 committee of the commission, who interviewed Mr. J. F. Major, the 
 builder of the dam and who was formerly the owner of it, but sold 
 it to the Walhalla Milling Company, of which Mr. F. G. Steams is 
 m ana g'cr. Mr. Stearns, when the complaint was brought before him, 
 replied that his company were not prepared to do anything so long 
 as the obstruction built by the Dominion government lower down 
 at St, Andrews rapids, prevented the ascent of fish. He claimed 
 that it was useless putting in a fishway up above if the fish were 
 totally stopped 100 miles below. He stated, however, that the com- 
 pany would be prepared to put in a fishway at the Walhalla dam, 
 which is about 4 feet high (though it can be raised to a height of 7 
 feet when required), if the Dominion government put in a fishway, 
 or provided some passage for fish, at the obstructing St. Andrews 
 rapids locks below. The Walhalla clam is 100 feet long, though the 
 r.verage width of the Pembina river is not more than about 30 feet. It 
 i? a very small, sluggish stream, and appears to be frequented mainly 
 by pickerel, jackfish and suckers, which formerly abounded in great 
 numbers. The United States Consul General, Mr. Jones, Winnipeg, 
 had some correspondence on the matter of these obstructions, and 
 he pointed out that, ' as the Red river is an international stream, 
 its source being within the state of Minnesota, draining a large por- 
 tion of that state as well as North Dakota, and flowing for three- 
 quarters of its length through the territory of the United States, 
 he would be interested to have an expression of opinion as to the 
 effect of the St. Andrews locks upon the supply of fish in the upper 
 stretches of the river. And it may be added that the feeling along 
 necessary, the banks of the river is that the locks have proved most detrimental, 
 and that, if any improvement is to be effected a fish pass will be 
 required at the government locks, and then a fishway can be pro- 
 vided at the Walhalla dam on the Pembina river above. 
 
 Fish firms do not 
 contribute adequate 
 revenue. 
 
 Fishermen cannot 
 bear heavy fees. 
 
 Fish firms should 
 pay royalty on fish 
 they handle (c. 
 per pound). 
 
 KOYALTY ON FISH. 
 
 There is a widespread feeling in Manitoba, a feeling which we 
 strongly share, that, considering the immense value of the annual 
 catches of fish made in Lake Winnipeg and the other lakes of Mani- 
 toba, the firms who handle the fish, and derive substantial profit, 
 have not contributed in any proper proportion to the revenue of the 
 Dominion. The license fees charged have been ridiculously small, and 
 the commission found that the fish firms were not all unwilling to 
 contribute a larger amount to the revenue in whatever way it might 
 be thought desirable. An increased license fee would practically 
 amount to a heavier payment by the actual fishermen, and it appears 
 unfair to impose a heavier tax on them; hence the most feasible 
 method appears to be the collection of a royalty on the total amount 
 of fish handled; by the respective firms. We are of opinion that at 
 the close of the summer fishing and at the close of the fall and win- 
 ter fishing, each fish firm should be required by law to make a return 
 of the amount of fish which is in their possession or which has passed 
 through their hands. This return it would be easy to compile from 
 
31 
 
 the books of the respective firms, and on these returns, which should 
 be sworn to as correct, a royalty, say of one-quarter of a cent per 
 pound on all whitefish, pickerel and sturgeon, should be collected by 
 the Dominion. An increase:! revenue of this kind would not only 
 put the fish firms in a fairer position in the public eye, but would 
 justify the government in a larger expenditure both on hatcheries 
 and on the supervision and enforcement of the fishery regulations, 
 and the improvement of the fisheries generally. 
 
 HATCHERIES. 
 
 In our interim report we urged that increased attention should ^ ew hatcheries 
 be given by the department to extend the hatchery operations by 
 electing new hatcheries and by increasing the efficiency of their 
 operation. We referred to the prevalent feeling in the province 
 respecting the serious mismanagement which happened in certain 
 seasons formerly, whereby some hatcheries practically were not in 
 operation for one or two seasons. Manitoba fisheries during those 
 seasons lost the benefit of the output of young fish which should have 
 been secured had the arrangements been properly and effectively 
 carried out. As a matter of fact, a large quantity of whitefish were 
 
 taken in the spawning season, and this whitefish, we understand, _. 
 
 , . 11,1 11,1 ,1 i i i Certain hatcheries 
 
 were shipped by the carload to the markets and sold, but the hatch- f a ii ec j to operate to 
 
 eries, which should have benefited by the catch of these spawning * he loss of the fish 
 fish, received either no "spawn at all, or the supplies of spawn were in 
 such bad condition that they were practically useless, and the hatch- 
 eries could not he properly operated. The evidence brought before 
 the Commission clearly proved that on Lake Winnipegosis this was 
 emphatically the case, and that there was a serious lack of proper 
 management, and that the system adopted for securing spawn was an Winnipegosis 
 altogether unreliable and undesirable one. We are aware that the ^iki 6 * ^ 
 department, when the matter came to its attention, had a special 
 officer sent to Lake Winnipegosis and we have every reason to 
 believe that recently a great improvement has taken place and that 
 matters have been put on a more workable basis. On Lake Winni- 
 peg the supplies of spawn for the Selkirk and Berens river hatcheries 
 pre obtained on the Little Saskatchewan or Dauphin rivers, and 
 almost every season, on account of the early making of the ice, there 
 is great risk that the supplies of spawn cannot be brought down 
 from there; hence we think it highly desirable that a hatchery plant 
 should be erected on the Little Saskatchewan river, which could be Little Saskatchewan 
 carried on not only as an independent hatchery but could be used for hatchery necessary, 
 taking care of the supplies of eggs and holding them for shipmen-t 
 later to other hatcheries, if the conditions at the time were not 
 favourable. The experience of many years has shown, that the Little 
 Saskatchewan river can be relied upon for abundant supplies of eggs. 
 We do not think that the Selkirk hatchery is an ideal one for white- 
 fish, which, ever since its construction has been the principal fish 
 included in its operation, an?d we are of opinion that greater promi- 
 nence should be given to the hatching of pickerel at this hatchery, 
 The pickerel, or dore, is an increasingly valuable commercial fish, and Selkirk hatchery 
 to keep up the supply in Lake Winnipeg, or in Manitoba generally, "I^J^nd be a 
 or to substantially increase the supply, is most desirable. The Sel- distributing centre, 
 kirk hatchery bein<g centrally located, it would form an admirable 
 distributing point for shipping whitefish and pickerel to the various 
 parts of the province. The building of other hatcheries in Mani- 
 
Big Island hatchery 
 would benefit south 
 end of Lake 
 Winnipeg. 
 
 Gold-eye hatchery 
 worthy of attention 
 
 toba is a matter of urgency, inasmuch as these waters are entirely 
 m Canadian territory and the Dominion benefits fully by the 
 improvement in, the fish supply in contrast to the Great Lakes in 
 which any hatchery operations in Canada would benefit the United 
 States fisheries on those lakes. We cannot lay too great stress on 
 the building of new hatcheries, and we strongly recommend that, 
 if investigations show that at Big 'Island, or in the waters in the 
 neighbourhood, supplies of spawn can be relied upon, a large hatchery 
 should be built in that region, the object of which would be to 
 improve the supply of whitefish in the lower portion of Lake Winni- 
 peg. As a Commission, we would strongly recommend that a trial 
 'be made this year as to the possibility of obtaining ample supplies 
 of spawn, so that if the results are favourable, there will be nlo delay 
 in the erection and equipment of a new hatchery at Big Island. In 
 this connection we would call attention to the increasing importance 
 of that excellent food fish, the gold-eye, which has been acquiring 
 popularity as a smoked fish in reoent years. If attention could be 
 paid to the procuring of the eggs of gold-eyes, and planting quanti- 
 ties of them in the lower endi of the lake, the gold-eye industry 
 could be, jwe think, largely increased and developed. 
 
 More extensive 
 pickerel hatchery 
 desirable. 
 
 Black bass asked 
 for Lake Dauphin, 
 
 Introduction of 
 black bass. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR STOCKING WATERS AVITII FISH. 
 
 The importance of the yellow pickerel, or dore, from a com- 
 mercial standpoint has vastly increased in recent years. When 
 dressed, they stand handling and shipping even better than white- 
 fish, and are hard and sweet fish, so that amongst certain sectionfj of 
 the population they are even preferred to whitefish, and in some 
 markets command even a higher price than whitefish. Hence, it is 
 highly desirable that the supplies of this fish in the Manitoba lakes 
 and rivers should, if possible, be increased, and we would strongly 
 recommend that more extensive hatching of pickerel be carried 011 
 in the Dominion Government hatcheries, and that in such waters 
 as the Red river, Shoal lake, and other waters that might be named, 
 stocking operations should be carried on upon a vastly increased 
 tcale, so that this excellent fish, the yellow pickerel, may be obtained 
 in increased quantities for the market. While dealing with the ques- 
 tion of introducing fresh supplies of fish fry, and of re-stocking 
 waters with fish, we may mention that the Commission has had 
 brought before it some requests for the introduction of black bass 
 into Manitoba waters. For example, Lake Dauphin, which is rapidly 
 becoming a popular summer resort, is not well adapted for such 
 iish as whitefish, and the local residents strongly urge that black 
 bcss be planted in these waters. We have also had brought before 
 us an application for the stocking of Rock lake with black bass, and 
 there are a number of other lakes which are also well adapted for 
 stocking with black bass ; and, as this fish is not only a good one for 
 the table but ranks as one of the best game fish, affording great 
 sport to the summer residents and attracting tourists from long dis- 
 tances, we are of opinion that the question of planting black bass in 
 these waters should be given the most favourable consideration. 
 
 There are really no game fish in Manitoba, though any number 
 of available lakes exist which, there is good ground for thinking, 
 might be well stocked with sporting fish which would be a great 
 attraction and benefit to the people of the province generally. We 
 realize that indiscriminate stocking of waters with new kinds of 
 
33 
 
 fish is unwise; and we suggest that, in some of the lakes which, on 
 examination, appear to be suitable, enclosures of small area might 
 be made by means of stakes and wire netting, anjd a comparatively 
 small number of fish, ,say, ten to twenty- live adult black bass, placed 
 therein for experimental purposes. In most cases, local parties inter- Bass experiments 
 ested in the matter would bo able to watch the progress of the fish, 
 and report as to their condition, such parties being members of 
 sporting clubs, or if the fishery officer living near be available IDC 
 could carry on this supervision and report 011 the success or failure 
 of the experiment. To place black bass, as has hitherto been done, 
 in lakes about which no full or sufficient information has been ob- 
 tained, is, we are convinced, a mistake and a waste of fish. * The 
 suitability or nonsuitability of the water in selected lakes could be 
 ascertained before extensive stocking is carried out. The quality 
 of the water, the suitability of the food, the temperature, chemical 
 conditions, &c., would all be included in such an experiment, and if 
 these conditions were not favourable the department would have 
 accurate information concerning them. We also think, in this 
 connection, that some enclosures might be made where whitefish 
 could be placed, especially the fry, or young, of whitefish, so that 
 their growth could be observed. The commission has had one great 
 difficulty facing it, namely, the diversity of opinion as to the size 
 or age at which whitefish reach a mature or spawning condition. 
 Various opinions have been expressed by experts, and perhaps the 
 most feasible method of putting the matter to a test would be to 
 plant whitefish fry in a small lake, say a square mile in area, and 
 have the lake watched anld the growth of the fish reported upon 
 from time to time. If such a lake be selected and there are many 
 lakes available within easy reach of the railway tracks the experi- 
 ment would be much more likely to be normal than when the fry 
 are placed in an artificial pond or enclosure where the conditions 
 would be altogether unnatural. 
 
 NEED FOR BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MANITOBA. 
 
 The commission have been continually impressed with the 
 absence of accurate information both as to the habits, growth, the 
 food and other points in the life history of the valuable fishes which 
 have aboun'ded in the waters of Manitoba. The determination of the 
 movements of the fish, of the feeding grounds and spawning resorts 
 of the whitefish, pickerel, sturgeon, gold-eye and other commercial 
 species, could be readily accomplished, if a biological station were 
 founded on Lake Winnipeg or at some suitable place. The views 
 of experienced fishermen are most .contradictory on such important 
 matters as the size at which whitefish first contain spawn, or reach 
 the mature breeding' stage. The food of the whitefish seems to be 
 a matter still in doubt in the minds of most of the practical men, 
 and as an example it may be stated that a bottle of acquatic organ-- 
 isms was sent to the chairman of the commission as probable food 
 of whitefish, which was wholly different from the food of that fish 
 as studied in the eastern lakes. The question of the grey-back pick- 
 erel is another matter which came before the commission, and wit- 
 nesses claimed that it was a diminutive fish and never reached any 
 size, while others hold the opinion that it may be the young- of a 
 larger kind of pike-perch. The food and spawning of the sturgeon 
 
 145223 
 
34 
 
 are important matters to decide in Manitoba waters. All these 
 points can be decided by exact biological study, and the time seems 
 opportune for some steps to provide for the province such a station 
 for scientific and fishery research as the Dominion government has 
 established in other provinces. Trained and qualified men can, of 
 course, alone carry on biological researches in such lakes as those of 
 Manitoba, but the University of Manitoba will soon have men equip- 
 ped for such work, and; on the professoriate are already men of dis- 
 tinction in various scientific fields, whose, services could no doubt 
 be secured were a biological station established. Two members of 
 the commission had the advantage of meeting Sir John Murray in 
 Winnipeg and he was enthusiastic as to the splendid field awaiting 
 scientific investigation in the Manitoba lakes. A biological station 
 seems a necessary and desirable institution for aiding the fisheries, 
 and as a commission we would urge such a station as a pressing 
 need. 
 
 CLAIMS OF INDIANS. 
 
 Former needs of 
 Indians. 
 
 Settlers' and 
 Indians' permit for 
 food purposes. 
 
 License for Indians 
 when fishing 
 commercially. 
 
 Former supples of 
 "hung" fish for 
 Indians' use. 
 
 One important feature in the fisheries of Manitoba in the past 
 has been the requirements of the Indians in supplying the Indian 
 bands with food and with fish for their dogs, and, in 1890, the late 
 Mr. Samuel Wilmot, when reporting on the fisheries of the pro- 
 vince, placed first this matter of the claims of the Indians, and, as 
 he termed it, the interests of the Department of the Interior. He 
 stated that at that time the Indians had suffered from a lack of 
 whitefish, which in former years had been obtained in great abund- 
 ance, and the decline was attributed to over-fishing at the mouth of 
 the rivers by the fish traders. In the recommendations made at the 
 time, it was provided that while the restrictions and regulations 
 should apply to Indians and Half-breeds just as to settlers and other 
 'white people, a special clause was devised whereby the Department 
 of Marine and Fisheries might set apart waters for the exclusive use 
 of the Indians, and grant free licenses to Indians and their bands to 
 fish during the close season to provide for their own necessities but 
 not for sale or traffic. 
 
 In our present recommendations, we do not follow along the 
 lines of this provision, as we think that the time has come when the 
 Indian and the white settler might be given the same privilege in 
 order to enable them to provide for actual food purposes. As the 
 Indians had in recent years more and more been engaging in the 
 fisheries for market, and entering into competition with the white 
 fishermen, we think that the time has come when they should be 
 placed in the same position as the white settler, and be required to 
 take out an ordinary license when engaging in commercial fishing; 
 but that, along with the white settlers they should be allowed free 
 permits to obtain fish for their own; actual use but not for sale. 
 Formerly, the Indians resorted to the spawning grounds, such as at 
 the Grand Rapids at the mouth of the Great Saskatchewan, and at 
 the mouths of other rivers, where the whitefish are crowded in spawn- 
 ing schools for the purpose of depositing their eggs. The fish were 
 at that time easily caught, and were prepared as hung fish; The fish, 
 without being cleaned, had simply a cut made in the tail through 
 which a stick was inserted anJd about ten fish were suspended on this 
 stick which was placed horizontally so that the fish hung head down- 
 wards. A cut was made at the gills of the fish so that the blood 
 
35 
 
 escaped, and if a slight frost came on, the fish were hardened and 
 made quite an excellent food; but there was, no doubt, considerable 
 waste in some seasons owing to warm weather, so that the 'hung' 
 fish became tainted, and often useless for food. These fish were sold 
 in, large quantities to the Hudson's Bay Company's stores by the 
 Indians, who, it is stated, during the winter months often repurch- 
 ased them at considerably enhanced prices. There is now no necessity 
 for this procedure, or for the preparation of 'hung' fish generally. 
 An Indian provided with a net canj fish through the ice as readily as 
 the white man and obtain at any time sufficient fish to supply his 
 actual domestic needs. It would certainly be a hardship to deprive 
 either the Indian or the settler of this free permission to obtain the 
 limited quantity of fish which is needed for strictly food purposes: 
 Hence, we recommend the issue of a free permit to Indians and to 
 white settlers; but we do not favour the continuance of the pro- 
 vision that waters may be set aside for the exclusive use of Indians 
 or that licenses be granted to bandsi of Indians. 
 
 It will be noticed that in our recommendations we have sug- 
 gested the reduction of the fee for jackfish nets and fish hooks and 
 small gear which are mainly used by the Indians, Half-breeds and by 
 the resident settlers for a comparatively limited fishing, limited both 
 as regards amount of gear used and as to the length of time in 
 which the fishing is carried on each season. 
 
 AMPLE NOTICE ' OP CHANGE OF REGULATIONS NECESSARY. 
 
 As will be seen from the statements on the preceding pages of 
 this report, the regulations for the province of Manitoba have been 
 lepeatedly amended and changed, and some of these amendments 
 have been made at very short notice, so that there has arisen con- 
 siderable complaint that losses and much dislocation of the fish busi- 
 ness have arisen owing to these sudden and unexpected amendments Inconveniences of 
 to the regulations. We think this complaint is a very important ^e < law. ChangeS ^ 
 one, and one which the department should most carefully consider, 
 so that in any changes contemplated in the regulations at any time, 
 there should be ample notice given to the fishermen and to the fish 
 firms, in order that they may prepare for any such contemplated 
 changes. Thus, if it appears necessary to at any time make changes 
 affecting the winter fishing anld the fall and summer fishing, notice 
 should at the latest be given on a date at leaist six months preceding gj x mon ths notice 
 the carrying out of any such change or changes. Such ample notice before changing the 
 is absolutely necessary in view of the fact that the nets are manu- ^^^ 
 factured in Scotland, and that an^y changes affecting the nets and 
 gear involve the ordering of new nets from the Scottish manufac- 
 turers, consequently ample notice should be given to all parties 
 interested. 
 
 LOWERING OF LAKE DAUPHIN. 
 
 When the commission took evidence at Dauphin, a matter was 
 brought before it having reference to the desire on the part of the 
 settlers around the lake that means ought to be taken for lowering 
 the water in order to facilitate the gathering in of the hay crop. 
 Many of these settlers rely largely on their crop of hay for their Lake Dauphir. 
 living, and, when the lake is high the meadows are overflowed, so n ' 
 that great quantities of fish, especially jackfish are scattered over 
 
36 
 
 these meadows, and, it is said, they are taken out with pitchforks 
 and other implements. From some of the evidence taken, it appears 
 that the hay meadows are not very frequently overflowed, one witness 
 stating that it was not more than once in ten years that the lake 
 rose so high, and, as Lake Dauphin is becoming 1 a popular residential 
 resort, over 10 cottages having been built on its shores, and Dauphin 
 Beach having acquired a reputation as a holiday resort, we do not 
 recommend that any steps should be taken to lower the lake. We 
 may add that we were not able to visit the lake or see the actual con- 
 ditions. 
 
 DETAILED ANALYSIS NECESSARY FOR ANNUAL STATISTICS. 
 
 Uniformity not 
 observed in 
 statistical returns. 
 
 Different catches 
 for each fishing 
 area should be 
 recorded. 
 
 Fishermen and fish 
 firms should make 
 sworn returns. 
 
 Owing to the widespread statements that the supply of fish has 
 decreased in Manitoba waters, and that excessive catches have been 
 made, the commission paid a good deal of attention to the returns 
 published in official reports covering a considerable period. They 
 found at every point that it was hardly possible to estbalish any 
 correct comparisons owing to the manner in which the statistics were 
 compiled by the various fishery officers and reported by the inspec- 
 tor. It is absolutely necessary that the quantities of each kind of fish 
 should be separately stated for each lake or fishing area, and that 
 the summer, winter and fall catches should be all separately detailed. 
 The present system of aggregating the returns renders it impossible 
 to find exactly how the catches of fish have risen or declined in par- 
 ticular waters or localities. Thus, in the returns of. fish taken in 
 Lake Winnipegosis, the catches include the takes of fish in the alto- 
 gether separate waters of Water Hen and Dauphin lakes, and sim- 
 ilarly in the returns for Lake Manitoba the catches on Lake St. 
 Martin are included; and the returns from Lake Winnipeg include 
 all its tributaries. In some of the former reports the returns arc* 
 most confusing, the catches on the Red river being classified along 
 with the returns of the islands of the north end of Lake Winnipeg, 
 such as Berens, Reindeer and Selkirk islands. There has been, and 
 still is, no uniformity in the method of compiling these returns, 
 and for statistical purposes the figures given are practically useless. 
 It would be not difficult to devise a complete statistical form where- 
 by the catches in ail the separate lakes and localities could be given 
 and the totals made out in such a way that from year to year com- 
 parisons could be made and the increase or decrease of the fish, 
 locally as well as generally, accurately ascertained. The suggestion 
 we make that the fishermen should be required to make sworn 
 returns, and that the fish companies or fish dealers should aUso be 
 required at regular intervals to furnish accurate sworn returns of 
 the quantities of fish handled by them, should bo effective hi bring- 
 ing about a more satisfactory state of things, so that in the future 
 the annual statistics of the fisheries of the province would have 
 some value and some accuracy. The takes of fish under settler's 
 and Indian permits would require to be included in the classified 
 returns. 
 
 EXTENSIONS OF TIME UNDESIRABLE. 
 
 Extensions of time 
 undesirable and as 
 a rule inopportune. 
 
 The department is, at times, strongly pressed to temporarily 
 modify the regulations, especially in regard to the length of the fish- 
 ing season. Requests for extension are sent to Ottawa and urged 
 
37 
 
 with great force, owing, in some cases, to a serious shortage in the 
 season's catch of fish. It is pointed out, in behalf of the fishermen 
 and the fish firms, that, they wove prepared 1 to handle as large, or 
 a larger catch of fish than usual, and that they will suffer serious 
 loss if an extension of time be not granted to enable them to make 
 up for the deficiency in the catch. To this commission it appears 
 strange that, during a season in which the fish appear, for some 
 reason OT other to be especially scarce, requests should be made 
 for an increased destruction of them, and that a longer time should 
 be allowed, because of the apparent scarcity of fish. In our opinion, 
 when the fish, for some reason, appear to be scarce, that is precisely 
 the time that they should be conserved, and the extensions asked for 
 appear, therefore, to be unwise and unnecessary from a fish protec- 
 tion point of view. Such extensions, we have information to show, 
 have often proved of no benefit at all to the parties who asked for 
 them. When an extension is asked and the season is lengthened 
 it often results in fishing operations being continued after the 
 stormy season has begun, entailing great loss of gear, and certainly 
 a waste of considerable catches of fish. The seasons specified in the 
 regulations should, in our opinion, be very strictly and closely ad- 
 hered to both in the interests of the fish supply and in the interests 
 of the parties who are engaged in the fish industry. 
 
 DRAFTING OF A NEW SYSTEM OF FISHERY REGULATIONS FOR THE 
 
 PROVINCE OF MANITOBA AND PART OF THE DISTRICT 
 
 OF KEEWATIN. 
 
 As we have pointed out in the body of our report, the existing 
 regulations cover not only the province of Manitoba, but the very 
 different waters of Saskatchewan and Alberta where the conditions Alberta and 
 are wholly unlike those of the Manitoba waters: Hence, a totally g 
 revised set of regulations is necessary, and, as we understand that Manitoba 
 a new set of regulations is being prepared especially for the more regulations, 
 western provinces, we beg to recommend the following series of 
 revised regulations for waters which we were commissioned to 
 investigate and report upon. It will be noticed in this code of regu- 
 lations which we suggest that a number of provisions are dropped 
 altogether which have long formed part of the Manitoba regulations, 
 but the time has come for a thorough revision, and we, therefore, 
 beg to recommend the following provisions as suited to the present 
 requirements of the fisheries in question. 
 
 GENERAL. 
 
 (1) Fishing by means of nets or other apparatus without license 
 or permit from the Minister of Marine and Fisheries is prohibited 
 in the waters of Manitoba and the District of Keewatin. 
 
 (2) No license shall be granted to any person unless he is a 
 British subject, resident in the Dominion.- of Canada, and the actual 
 owner of nets, boats and fishing gear for which the license is 
 granted. Applications from residents living in the immediate local- 
 ity of the waters applied for shall have the preference in the grant- 
 ing of licenses. 
 
 (3) Any resident settler, including Indian, is eligible for an 
 annual fishing permit to fish not more than one hundred (100) yards 
 
38 
 
 of gill-net for domestic use, but not for sale or barter. Such permit 
 shall be issued free, and fishing under it shall be permissible at all 
 times. 
 
 (4) No license shall be transferable unless by special permission 
 obtained from the District Inspector of Fisheries. 
 
 (5) Every person) holding a fishing license or permit shall, at 
 the end of the fishing season, make a sworn return of his total 
 catch of fish to the fishery inspector by whom the license or permit 
 was issued. 
 
 NOTE. As there are two important fishing seasons, namely, the 
 summer fishing season and the fall and winter fishing season, these 
 returns should be made twice a year, namely, on or before September 
 30 for the preceding summer fishing, and March 31 for the preceding 
 fall and winter fishing. 
 
 (6) All boats, buoys and nets shall be legibly numbered, by 
 means of tags or otherwise. Boats shall have their number painted 
 in black on a white ground on either side of the bow, the figure or 
 figures to be not less than) 6 inches in height and the numbers on 
 the buoys shall be so placed as to be readily seen without raising 
 them from the water, and the numbered tags on the nets shall be so 
 attached as to be visible when the nets are in boxes or on the net 
 reel. The numbers for all such boats, buoys, and nets shall be fur- 
 nished by the Inspector of Fisheries for the District at the time of 
 the issue of the license. 
 
 (7) Not more net shall be used or operated unlder any net 
 license than is specified in the said license, and such net shall not 
 be used or operated by any person other than by the licensee or per- 
 son in whose name the license is issued. 
 
 (8) Every person or firm buying fish from fishermen, or hanid- 
 ling fish after capture by fishermen, shall make a true affidavit on 
 or before March 31 of each year for the fall-caught and winter- 
 caught fish, and on or before September 30 for summer-caught fish, 
 such sworn return or affidavit to specify the kinds of fish bought or 
 handled by such person or firm, and to state the exact quantities of 
 each respective kind of fish purchased from the fishermen such 
 affidavits to be mailed to the Inspector of Fisheries on or before the 
 dates named above. 
 
 (9) Angler's permits. (The General Fishery Regulations dated 
 October 14, 1907, which have hitherto applied to the Manitoba waters 
 and to Dominion waters generally should continue to apply in the 
 province of Manitoba.) 
 
 SPECIAL. 
 
 Lake Winnipeg 
 
 Summer Fishing. 
 
 Whitefish gill-nets for summer fishing, June 1 to August 15. 
 
 Length of net and fee 
 
 Yards. Fee. 
 
 Tug license, not more than.. .... 5,000 $50 
 
 Sail boat license, not more than. . 3,000 10 
 Skiff license, not more than. . . . 1,500 5 
 
39 
 
 Mesh of net 
 
 The mesh of net shall not be less than 5J in. extension 
 
 measure until June 1, 1912, on and after which date the 
 
 mesh shall be not less than 5 in. Extension measure, 
 
 and on and after June 1, 1913, the nets shall be not 
 
 less than 5| in. extension measure. 
 Sturgeon gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 300 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 12 in. extension measure. 
 Fee $3. 
 Cat fish gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than! 6 in. extension measure. 
 Fee $3. 
 
 Winter Fishing. 
 
 Whitefish gill-nets for winter fishing, Novembr 20 to March -1. 
 
 Length Not more than 1,500 yards under each license. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 5^ in. extension measure until March 1, 
 
 1912 X on and after which date the mesh shall be not less 
 
 than 5^ in. extension measure, and on and after March 1, 
 
 1913, the mesh shall be not less than 5| in. extension 
 
 measure. 
 Fee $5. 
 Pickerel gill-nets 
 
 Length Not more than 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension) measure. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 Tullibee, Gold-eye or Jackfish gill-nets 
 
 Length Not more than 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension measure. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 
 Fall Fishing. 
 
 Gil-nets for fall fishing, September 1 to October 15. 
 Length Not more than 1,000 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension measure. 
 Fee $3. 
 
 NOTE. (1) The license for fall fishing shall not be granted to 
 any parties excepting applicants, who are settlers actually in the 
 locality specified on the license. 
 
 NOTE. (2) Skiffs only, not sail boats, to engage in this fall 
 fishing. 
 
 NOTE. (3) In the two areas in Lake Winnipeg and Manitoba 
 defined in the body of this report, fall fishing should alone be carried 
 on, namely 
 
 (a) South of the north point of Big island, Lake Winnipeg; 
 (&) In the south portion of Lake Manitoba on grounds 
 
 which are not recognized whitefish grounds. 
 The fisheries inspector should determine the exact areas where 
 this fall fishinjg- can be safely carried on. In every case, the areas 
 to be fished must be closely adjacent to the location where the actual 
 settlers live. 
 
40 
 
 Red River. 
 *Drag seines 
 
 Length Not longer than 66 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 3 in. extension measure. 
 
 Fee $25. 
 
 Period of fishing June 20 to September 1. 
 Jackfish or grass-pike gill-nets 
 
 Length Not longer than 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 3|- in. extension measure. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 
 Period of fishing Nov. 20 to March 1, following. 
 Cat fish baited hooks 
 
 Not more than 200 hooks under each license. 
 
 Fee $2. 
 
 Fishing for cat fish with baited hooks may be permitted 
 under license in other rivers at the discretion of the 
 district inspector. 
 
 Lake Wirmipegosis and Water Hen Lake. 
 
 Gill-nets for winter fishing, November 20 to March 1. 
 Whitefish gillrnets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 51 in. extension measure. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 Pickerel gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 4J 'in. extension measure. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 
 Length Not more than 1,500 yards under each license. 
 
 Jackfish gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension measure. 
 Fee $5. 
 
 In Dawson bay arid in the waters of Lake Winnipegosis north of 
 a linie running east and west from the north end of Birch island no 
 nets having a mesh of less than 5|-inch extension measure shall be 
 permitted. 
 
 Fishing operations under pickerel and Jackfish gill-net licenses 
 shall be permitted only on ground^ specified by the local fishery 
 officer. 
 Lake Manitoba 
 
 Gill-nets for winter fishing, November 20 to March 1. 
 \Vhitefish gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 5| in. extension measure. 
 Fee-45. 
 
 Pickerel, Jackfish and coarse fish gill-nets. 
 Length Not exceeding 1,500 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension measure. 
 Fee-45. 
 
 *Iii view of the destructive character of drag seines the commission is 
 of opinion that in and after January 1, 1912, no seine licenses should be 
 granted. This would mean the prohibition of drag seines in all the waters 
 of Manitoba. 
 
41 
 
 Lake Dauphin 
 
 Gill-nets for winter fishing November 20 to March 1, next fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 Jackfish gill-nets 
 
 Length Not exceeding 1.500 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 4 in. extension measure. 
 Fee $5. 
 Lac du Bonnet 
 
 Sturgeon gill-nets and baited hooks 
 
 (1) Fishermen's sturgeon license authorizing the licensee 
 to use 
 
 (a) Gill-nets. 
 
 Length Not exceeding 200 yards. 
 
 Mesh Not less than 11 in. extension measure, 
 and' 
 
 (fc) 200 baited hooks. 
 
 Fee $5. 
 
 (2) Settler's sturgeon permit authorizing the licensee to 
 use 
 
 (a) Gill-nets. 
 
 Length Not exceeding 100 yards. 
 Mesh Not less than 11 in. extension measure, 
 (i) 50 baited hooks. 
 
 Permit to igsue free, on condition that the fish caught be for the 
 licensee's food purposes only. 
 
 CLOSE SEASONS. 
 
 Pickerel (dore), gold-eyes, pike or jackfisfy April 15 to 
 June 20. 
 
 Whitefish and trout September 15 to Novemebr 19. 
 
 Sturgeon May 15 to June 15. 
 
 None of these fish shall be possessed, bought or sold in Manitoba 
 during this close season, whether such fish be from the waters of 
 this province or other provinces, or elsewhere, provided that a spe- 
 cial permit to hold fish in the close season may be issued by the 
 inspector of fisheries. 
 
 WEEKLY CLOSE TIME. 
 
 Seines, nets or other apparatus used for catching fish, shall be 
 so raised or adapted as to admit of the free passage of fish through, 
 by or out of the same, from six o'clock on every following Saturday 
 afternoon to six o'clock on every following Monday forenoon, 
 and during such close time, no one shall catch fish, by any 
 means whatsoever, and any fish so taken, caught or killed, together 
 withi the nets or apparatus used, shall be forfeited, but this shall 
 not apply to fishing operations from November 20 to March 1, both 
 days inclusive. < 
 
 SIZE LIMITS FOR FISH. 
 
 Whitefish. No whitefish of less than two and one-quarter 
 pounds weight in the round, or two pound's weight dressed shall be 
 had in possession. 
 
 145224 
 
42 
 
 Yellow pickerel or dore. No yellow pickerel or dore of less than 
 one and a quarter pounds weight dressed or one and a-half pounds 
 weight in the round, shall be had in possession, provided that grey- 
 back pickerel or saugers are excepted from this size limit. 
 
 Sturgeon. No sturgeon of less weight than 18 pounds in the 
 round or 12 pounds dressed, shall be had in possession. 
 
 PROHIBITIONS. 
 
 Closure for three years. Fishing for sale or commercial pur- 
 poses is prohibited for a period of three years, 1911, 1912 and 1913 
 in Shoal lake, Lake St. Martin and Pine Island lake and Playgreen 
 lake. 
 
 Closure of Summer Fishing. Fishing is prohibited in Lakes 
 Winnipegosis, Manitoba and Dauphin from March 2 to November 
 19, both days inclusive. 
 
 Fishing with nets during the period from August 16 to Novem- 
 ber 19 in each year is prohibited in the province of Manitoba, ex- 
 cepting as provided by the fall fishing recommendation on page 39. 
 
 Pound-nets and Trap Nets and Bare Hooks Prohibited. Pound 
 nets and trap nets and bare unbaited hooks or grapnels for fishing- 
 purposes are prohibited. 
 
 Prohibition of Fishing near St. Andrews' Locks. No fishing of 
 any kind, other than hook and line fishing, generally known as 
 angling is permitted within a distance of 500 yards from the entrance 
 piers . at the lower end of the lock and the upper end of the lock 
 canal, St. Andrews' rapids. 
 
 Prohibition of Summer Commercial Fishing in Specified Areas 
 in Lake Winnipeg. In Lake Winnipeg and certain adjacent waters 
 commercial summer fishing is prohibited in five areas defined as 
 follows : 
 
 (1) South of a line drawn from Dancing point on the west 
 shore of Lake Winnipeg to Saskatchewan point, thence northeasterly 
 to Pigeon Point and thence northwesterly to the northern extremity 
 of Berens island and thence northeasterly and terminating on Sandy 
 Bar about five miles north of Berens River mouth. This 1 area in- 
 cluding lake St. Martin and Pine island lake and connecting waters 
 of Dauphin river (or Little Saskatchewan river). 
 
 (2) West of a line drawn from the extremity of Long point 
 northwesterly to Selkirk Island and along the west shore of Selkirk 
 island to Ice Harbour, and terminating at Buffalo river on the west 
 shore of Lake Winnipeg and including Cedar lake and Cross lake 
 and! the connecting waters of the Great Saskatchewan river and 
 Grand Rapids. 
 
 (3) The waters of Limestone bay inside of a line drawn across 
 the entrance of the bay from Limestone point to the west shore of 
 the lake, 
 
 (4) The waters north of a line drawn from Montreal point, 
 west to a point about ten miles direct west and thence north to Mossy 
 Point, including Playgreen lake, Little Playgreen lake arid the 
 various channels of the Nelson river, and the east and west branches 
 of the same. 
 
43 
 
 (5) East of a line drawn from Big Stone Point to George 
 island and along the east shore of the said islantd to its norther- 
 most point, thence north to and terminating at Bird's Nest Point. 
 
 The whole respectfully submitted, 
 
 J. B. HTJGG, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
 D. F. KEID, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
 EDWARD E. PRINCE, 
 
 Commissioner and Chairman. 
 February 28, 1911. 
 
 
YC 20199