Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI. GENERAL REMARKS--CONCLUSION. A few suggestions seem to be indicated by the " Official Circulars," and to arise out of the general subject. Some of the questions contained in those circulars refer to injurious practices which often attend the catching of fish, as the taking them out of season, the throwing over offal, &c.; others to the descriptions of nets, lines, and tackle employed; others, to defects in curing and packing; and some general queries respecting the operation of the Reciprocity Treaty. 1. The taking fish out of season and other injurious practices.--The answers to this query would imply that the fishermen know no distinction between one period of the year and another for the taking of fish. They take them whenever they can obtain them, at the spawning season as at any other time. These queries are specially applicable to the herring fishery. Since 1860, a restriction called close-time has been adopted on the west coast of Scotland, which makes it illegal to catch herring between the 1st of January and 31st of May. Such restriction, however, does not exist on the east coast, where the fishery is under the protection of a Government Board. The writer can offer no suggestions that would restrict the time for herring fishing in Nova Scotia, while so large a number are dependant upon the fisheries for subsistence, to whom a restriction of any sort would be a calamity. An injurious practice exists in the capture of Digby herring by means of weirs. A correspondent writes, that in Digby Basin, "he has known parties to take out of their weirs every year more small herrings for manure than would load several vessels." "No wonder," he adds, "that they complained of the fishing falling off." This practice is greatly to be...
