Excerpt from Fifth Annual Report of the Game and Fisheries Department, 1911

Sir, - I again have the honour to submit for your consideration, which I hope will receive your approval, the Report of the Department of Game and Fisheries for the twelve months ending 31st October, 1911.

The usual Statistics, Reports of Inspectors, Wardens, Overseers and Deputy Wardens, and other matters in connection with the administration of this Department, will appear in the usual form, for the information of yourself, your colleagues and the public in general, which I trust will be satisfactory to all concerned.

Laws and Regulations.

While conservation of natural products of the Dominion is at present receiving, to some extent, from the authorities the attention this very important matter deserves, it is difficult to realize the continuation of the destructive and unwise policy of those entrusted with the formulation of the laws and regulations pertaining to one of the most valuable natural products of the Province, viz., the fisheries. Nature's laws of reproduction should be observed and strictly enforced. Failure to do so incurs serious penalties. Nature has wisely ordained and provided seasons in each recurring year which the various animals, birds and fish are to devote to the propagation of their respective species. I would like to know what possible excuse or reason the Department of Marine and Fisheries at Ottawa can adduce for their short-sighted and unnatural conduct in abolishing the close seasons. as they have done for a number of years past. Even by the widest stretch of imagination we cannot credit them with having done so with the intention of protecting and perpetuating this very valuable asset of the Province. It is to lie hoped that recent changes will result in wiser counsels prevailing, and that the Province will in the near future be conceded its undoubted right to protect and dispose of its own property without vexatious interference. The wisdom of observing and respecting nature's laws I can illustrate by a practical case. Some six years ago, from a combination of unfortunate circumstances, our most valuable native game bird, whose habitat is the whole Province - the Ruffed Grouse, more generally known as the Partridge, was almost exterminated. What would have been the result had we followed the unwise course the Department of Marine and Fisheries have adopted for years past regarding nature's close season for fish in Ontario? In the case of the Ruffed Grouse we had two close seasons, and then reduced the open season to one month, with the result that they have been more numerous during the last two seasons in our northern woods than for many years past.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге Fifth Annual Report of the Game and Fisheries Department, 1911 (Classic Reprint)