UC-NRLF A3 OF THE UNIVERSITY C, °F ; George Davidson 1825-1911 Professor of Geography University of California Review of Improvements —OF— CANADA BETWEEN 1896 AND YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 1903 SUMMARY OF FISH BREEDING FISH PACKING AND SHIPMENTS OF FISH. ISSUED BY ORDER OF THE MINISTER OF MARINE AND FISH OF CANADA. . January 19O4 Review of Improvements — OF — CANADA BETWEEN 1896 AND YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 1903 — AI,SO— SUMMARY OF FISH BREEDING, FISH PACKING AND'SHIPMENTS OF FISH. ISSUED BY ORDER OF THE MINISTER OF MARINE AND FISHERIES OF CANADA. January 15)04. /B Review of the Progress and Development of the Depart- ment of Marine and Fisheries since 1896, and Comtemplated Improvements This pamphlet is prepared with a view of presenting to the public, evidence of the great progress and improvements made in connection with both branches of the important Department of Marine and Fisheries, of Canada. Many persons interested in our great waterways and fisheries, who have not the time or opportunity to read elaborate and detailed annual reports, will find in this summary, the information which has so frequently of late, formed the subject of enquiry. Besides, the number of annual reports published by Parliament is limited, and, therefore, the interested public cannot fail to appreciate this effort to chronicle the progress in aids to navi- gation and fish breeding. New Aids to Navigation and Improvements during1 the Fast Six Years. Owing to the adoption of a more liberal policy during the past six or seven years, many improvements in lighting appara- tus and fog-alarms, have been introduced. The increased trade of the past six years, on the coast, ocean and inland waters of Canada, demanded more and better aids to navigation, and the requirements of the shipping interest, mariners and fishermen, have been considered. The following comparative statement shows the increased total expenditure during the year 1903 over 1896. M596866 Comparative Statement of Total Expenditure for the Fiscal Years 1896 and 1903. 1896 1903 Ocean and River service $181,451.71 Ocean and River service $415,688.08 Lighthouse and Coast " 466,057.55 Lighthouse and Coast " 968,697.76 Scientific Institutions... 81,699.92 Scientific Institutions... 125,155.79 Marine Hospitals 36,683.36 Marine Hospitals 48,822,99 Steamboat Inspection .. 26,321.27 Steamboat Inspection .. 32,143.90 Civil Govern. Salaries.. 70,703.71 Civil Govern. Salaries.. 74,050.00 Total $862,917.52 Total $1,664 558. 52 It will be observed that the largest increase in expendi- ture is in connection with Ocean and River Service, and Light- house and Coast Service of Canada, caused by the correspond- ing increase of lighthouses, fog-alarms, steamers and buoys and the general expansion and effectiveness of the service. The following statement in detail, conveys some idea of the great attention given in recent years, to the several branches of this service and the cost involved. Comparative Statement of Expenditure for Lighthouse and Coast Service for the Years 1896 and 1903. 1896 1903 Salaries & allowances Salaries & allowances of Lightkeepers.. $199,348.61 of Lightkeepers. . $222,879.38 Maintenance & repairs Maintenance & repairs to lights 225,691.07 to lights 305,632.20 Construction of lights 17,662.28 Construction of lights. 405,342.42 Agencies, rents and Agencies, rents and contingencies.... 15,372.14 contingencies 19,366.14 Signal service 5,338. 76 Signal service 6,895.75 Repairs to wharves'. . 2,644.69 Repairs to wharves i»735^9i Salaries of temporary Officials 6,845.96 Total $466,05755 Total $968,697.76 The total cost of maintenance of Lighthouse and Coast Service in 1896 was $448,395.27, and construction of lights $17,662.28, total in 1896 $466,057.55 ; and for the year 1903, maintenance, $563,355-34, construction, $405,342.42, total in I903, $968,697.76. The additions and improvements, are the result of careful consideration of the wants of navigation, from year to year, but the additions made during the year 1903, is most notice- able, arising from the applications for lighthouses and fog- alarms and the progressive policy adopted by the present administration. Since the year 1896 one hundred and fifty -six towers and en- closed Lighthouses have been built and fifty Pole Lights have been erected, making a total of two hundred and six new lights put in operation. The following table will show the number of new lights established in each district. New Brunswick, ... 5 Lighthouses, and 12 Pole Lights, Nova Scotia, ..... 34 do "4 do P. E. Island, .... 15 do " i do Quebec, . , 38 do "6 do Ontario and above Montreal, .44 do " 23 do British Columbia, ... 20 do "4 do Total 156 50 In addition to this, a number of lights are about completed, and will be put in operation next spring. Tenders have been invited for several more. Lighthouses to be put in Operation Next Spring- and Others for which 'lenders have been Invited. New Brunswick, . . 2 buildings erected, lights to be put in operation next spring, do i fog-alarm building under construc- tion. 6 Nova . Scotia, , „ do Quebec, Ontario, . . . . . British Columbia Total . buildings erected, lights to be put in operation next spring, buildings under construction, new lighthouses to be put in oper- ation next spring, which includes Lower Traverse lighthouse and Belle Isle fog- alarm. The Lower Traverse Pier and Lighthouse will cost in the vicinity of $95,000.00. The Pier is completed and the Lighthouse under construction. The Belle Isle fog- alarm building will cost about $20,000.00. new towers have been erected and will be put in operation next spring, lighthouse under construction. 27 These figures will increase the number of lighthouses built since the year 1896 to 183, adding 50 pole lights erected, will make a total of 233. Lightships Constructed. Two steel lightships, with the most approved equipment and illuminating apparatus, have been recently completed. One lightship has been placed upon the Lurcher Shoal, in the Bay of Fundy and will be a great aid to ocean going vessels and others making the harbour of St. John, N. B., during the present winter. The other lightship will be placed off the Island of Anticosti in the spring. These vessels have been built at a cost of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH. Comparison of the Total ft umber ot Lights in the Domi- nion of Canada, in the Years 1896 and 1903. 1896 1903 Lightstations . . . .616 Lightstations . . 79$ Lightships 13 Lightships ... i^ Pole Lights. . . , .136 Pole Lights . . . 186 765 T,OOO The fog-alarm stations operated by machinery are included in the above number. The number of fog-alarm stations for 1896 was 82, and this number has been increased to 94 in 1903, six of the alarms are sirens operated by compressed air. Improvements in Buoy Service in the St. Lawrence River Between Montreal and Quebec. Previous to the spring of 1899, the buoy service between Montreal and Quebec had been' performed under contract, but this system would not admit of expansion without constant changes in the contract price. A change was made by the purchase of the steamer "Shamrock," which was built and fitted with hoisting apparatus for buoy work, and the work placed specially in charge of an engineer appointed to maintain the' service. Changes and Improvements in Buoys and Moorings. Improvements have been made in classifying the steel buoys as first and second class, according to their importance and condition, and the spar buoys as first, second and third class. Each buoy is numbered under letters of the district to which it belongs, Q. Quebec district, C. Chatnplain district, L. Lake district, which includes Lake St. Peter, and M. Montreal district. The anchors and mooring chains have been improved and a large number of inferior buoys, have been replaced by new ones. About 100 Martin patent anchors have been added since 1899, to replace the old fashioned stock anchors, and the mushroom anchors have also been largely increased. The spar buoys are swift current buoys, ballasted with cast iron rings to keep them upright. The total number of buoys maintained between Montreal and Quebec in round numbers is 250. They are placed in the Spring and taken up in the Fall. CHANGES BETWEEN Quebec and Portneuf since 1896. Eleven spar buoys added. " " Portneuf and Montreal. Ten conical buoys substituted for can buoys. " " Lake St. Peter and Varennes. Eight can buoys substituted for conical buoys. «' " St. Augustin and Pointe aux Trembles. Five can buoys substituted for spar buoys. " " St. Augustin and Portneuf. Three can buoys substituted for spar buoys. " " Quebec and Platon. Fourteen can and conical buoys substituted for spar buoys. The can and conical buoys above men- tioned are all steel, the conical painted red are starboard buoys and the can painted black are port hand buoys, according to the rules of the Depart- ment. Gas Buoys added in 1903 Owing to the introduction of acetylene gas by the Department, a large number of gas buoys were put in position in November last ; the total number now between Montreal and Lake St. Peter is 16, but 12 of these were placed between Montreal and Sorel, for the benefit of the late arrivals among ocean going steamers. The advantage of these gas buoys has been said to be twofold, the steamers are enabled to proceed at night as well as during the day, going to and from Montreal without any unnecessary stoppage, during the autumn navigation. 9 Proposed Gas Buoys Between Batiscan and Port St. Francis. As before stated, acetylene gas has been introduced by the Department for gas buoys, and this will enable the Department to establish buoys after the opening of navigation more rapidly than the use of pintsch gas, which is made by special apparatus adapted to the pintsch gas only. The ship channel between Batiscan and Port St. Francis, will be lighted by gas buoys for a distance of 30 miles, as soon as the buoys can be procured. ENLARGING THE SCOPE OF THE DEPARTMENT. Gas Buoys on the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Kingston. The Department of Marine and Fisheries acquired from the Railways and Canals Department of Canada, 39 gas buoys and the steamer "Scout." These buoys have been maintained between Montreal and Kingston, by the Department of Marine and Fisheries and have given great satisfaction to the large number of vessels engaged in the carrying trade, from Montreal and other points on the St. Lawrence river. Orders have been placed for 1 1 shallow draft spar gas buoys at a cost of $1,600 each, to be put in position between Montreal and Kingston, and 13 of the same kind for the ship channel below Montreal. Gas Store Holders for Lighthouses between Montreal and Kingston. In addition to the gas buoys the Department is procuring 42 steel store holders for converting lighthouses between Montreal and Kingston into automatic gas lights, and 40 gas lanterns. 10 Gas Buoys for other Localities. Gas buoys for Halifax, Nova Scotia, have been ordered, one, a combined gas and bell buoy, will cost $2,700. This will make 4 gas buoys leading into Halifax harbour. One com- bined gas and bell buoy has been ordered for Parry Sound harbour. Buoys between Quebec and Gaspe on the St. Lawrence River. 50 Can and Conical Buoys. 1 6 Gas Buoys. Steel can buoys are now being made in the workshop of the Quebec Agency and a number of steel buoys, are being substituted for wooden can buoys. Steel Coast Buoys in Maritime Provinces and British Columbia, Canada. The expenditure on account of construction of steel buoys since 1896, made by contract, amounts to about $53,000. These buoys consist of automatic whistling buoys, Trinity pattern bell buoys, United States pattern bell buoys, conical and can buoys. The number made under contract is as follows : Automatic Whistling Buoys, i p. Average cost without moorings $730 each Trinity pattern bell buoys.. 8. $0 do 900 U. S. pattern bell buoys 16. do do 545 Can buoys 96. do do 104 Conical buoys 82. do do 178 Swift Current buoys 16. do do 230 Made at Quebec Agency Workshop 10. do do 200 " Many of these buoys have been required to rep1 ace buoys that disappeared, but a large number has been added to the list of steel buoys that were in position in 1896. The coast steel buoys numbered 170 in the year 1896 and in 1903 they number 250, showing an increase of 80 steel buoys on the coasts of the Maritime Provinces and British Columbia These buoys are maintained in position by Dominion steamers. 11 Buoy Service on the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay, Canada. There are 4 gas buoys and 5 bell buoys on the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay and a large number of wooden buoys. Total Number of Buoys in the Waters of the Dominion of Canada. The total number of buoys in the harbours, bays, rivers and lakes is about 3,700 made up as follows ; — Steel buoys 315 Gas buoys . 68 Wooden buoys 3>325 More important than merely the increase in the number of wooden buoys, is the increase in localities or harbours buoyed. The harbours and districts in the Dominion now buoyed number about 330, an increase since the year 1896, of 50 districts. Ocean and River Service. The foregoing particulars relate to improvements in Light- house and Coast Service, but an equally remarkable increase in expenditure and efficiency in Ocean and River Service has taken place. The lighthouses and fog-alarms require periodical delivery of illuminants, coal and other supplies, and the Coast and St. Lawrence River buoys constant attention and renew- ing. Additional steamers have been built and others pur- chased, to effectively meet the requirements of the various branches of the service. Although all the steamers are not classed under Ocean and River Service, yet for convenience the steamers added to the fleet of Dominion steamers under the control of the Marine and Fisheries Department, is given in the following statement : The " Lady Laurier " was built to replace the "Newfield" which was wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia. This steamer is equipped with the newest and most improved cablejlaying and lifting gear, and will be used when necessary for cable work between Halifax and the Magdalen Islands. 12 Dominion Steamers Built and Purchased Since 1896. " BRANT," *' DRUID," " MINTO," built in ..... 1898 — Winter service. 1898 — Lighthouse and buoy service. 1901-02 — Buoy service below Que- bec on St. Lawrence River. LADY LAURIKR," built . 1901-02 — Lighthouse and coast service, Nova Scotia. 1899 — Buoy service between Mon- treal and Quebec on the St. Lawrence River. 1902 — Buoy service between Montreal & Kingston. 1901— Fishery protection service, British Columbia. 1901 — Fishery protection service, British Columbia. .1901 — Hydrographic survey, Lake Superior. . .1902 — Tidal survey, Gulf St. Lawrence. . . 1903 — Lighthouse and buoy service, St. Lawrence River. . .1903 — Patrol steamer, St. Law- rence River. . 1903 — For sweeping channel above Montreal, and buoy service, Total cost of these steamers, $751,786.46. Total Expenditure for Ocean and River Service. 1896 . . . $181 451.71. 1903 . . . $415,688.08 The largest item in this expenditure, viz., $280,376.06, includes the maintenance and repairs to steamers and the payments for the steamers " Gulnare " and " Bayfield." "SHAMROCK," bought " SCOUT," rebuilt . . . ' ' KESTREL, ' ' built in . " GEORGIA," bought <'JGUI,NARE," . . !"!" 8 cictf ! Zr S§3 i 0' CO 2,345,592 0,056,604 obi Tji i o * 2, •saijautreQ •paXojdnia w i~i§ i SiS J> O >c .»M x — w5 *ii oco to x to " B (M Si -H 22 The aggregate values of the other most important kinds of commercial fishes in the Dominion, in comparison are as fol- lows : — 1895 1901 Cod $3,638,519.00 $4,039,394.00 Herring 2,786,516.00 1,865,394.00 Mackerel 736,655.00 1,372,459.00 Haddock 444,703.00 782,16300 Whitefish 767,307.00 783,459.00 Trout 702,589.00 663,642.00 Smelts 451,108.00 485,874.00 Halibut 270,901.00 394,021.00 Pickerel 303,296.00 339,686.00 Hake 210,856.00 304,212.00 Pollock 148,767.00 227,218.00 Oysters 192,292,00 179,488.00 Fishery Licenses The Fishery Licenses have also steadily increased since 1895, notwithstanding that since the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Imperial Privy Council, the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, in so far as the inland waters and rivers of the latter are concerned, have assumed the issuing of Fishery Licenses as a Provincial function, following the es- tablishment of the right of disposal of proprietary interests. The following statement shows a present total issue of 11,- 610 Fishery Licenses, against 8,427 in 1895 : FISHERY LICENSES. 1895 1901 Increase British Columbia 1,801 4,156 North-West Territories 174 697 Manitoba 322 5C6 The West 2,297 5,359 3,062 23 New Brunswick 3,775 3,654 Increase Nova Scotia 479 372 Prince Edward Island 804 840 Gulf of St. Lawrence 272 296 Lobster Licenses 800 1,089 Maritime Provinces 6,130 6,251 121 Grand total 8,427 11,610 Increase 3,183 Fish Breeding-. In 1895 there were only fourteen Fish Hatcheries, from which was distributed about two hundred million fry, while in 1903, there are twenty-one such establishments, and the distribution of fry will be increased fifty per cent over that of 1896, viz : about three hundred millions. These hatcheries are located as follows : 5 in Quebec, 5 in New Brunswick, 3 in Ontario, 3 in Nova Scotia, 3 in British Columbia, i in Manitoba, i in Prince Edward Island. Lobster Breeding1 in Pounds. The question of giving every assistance to the replenish- ing of the Lobster fishery, both by artificial means and by following nature as closely as possible, has received careful attention by the Department, and as result the experiment of enclosing live female Lobsters in pounds during the open season, and releasing them when the close season commenced, has been tried and proved very successful. The experiment was conducted in a pound owned by Mr. H. E. Baker and located at Forchu, in Cape Breton County, 21 N. S., and resulted in releasing, when the close season commenced, some 50,000 female lobsters which had been secured during the open season. Some of these lobsters spawned whilst in captivity and from this source alone it is estimated millions of young lobsters found their way from the pound to their natural haunts in the sea, and as 10,000 eggs to a lobster is a fair average, it is fully expected that a series of these pounds, together with the good work being done by the Lobster Hatcheries, should not only keep up the present supply, but fully restore this valuable fishery to its original standard. Close Seasons for Fish. The different close seasons for the various species of fish, with the protection of which this Department is charged, have, generally speaking, been but slightly changed ; but in the case of the Lobster Fishery a complete new code of regulations, establishing seven separate sectional close seasons and three different size limits, in conformity with geographical and other local conditions, was ia 1899 adopted, as the result of a Com- mission appointed in 1898 to inquire into the Canadian lobster industry. The following is a table showing the various close seasons for fish in the several Provinces of the Dominion. 26 TABLE OF CLOSE SEASONS FOR FISH Kinds of Fish Ontario Quebec N. Scotia N. Bruns- wick Salmon (net fish- ing . 1st Aug. to ist May. 15 Aug. to 1st Feb. 1st Oct. to 80 April . 15 Aug. to 1 March . * 15 Aug. to 1 Febf 1 Oct. to 31 March . > 15 Aug. to 1 March . 15 Aug. to 1 Feb. 1 Oct. to 31 March . Salmon (angling). Speckled Trout... Great Lake Trout or Salmon Trout Lunge. Touladi, t Grey Trout . . . Ouananiche 15 Sept to 30 April . 1st Nov. to 30 Nov. 15 Oct to 1 Dec 1 Oct. to 30 Nov. 15 April to 15Mav. 25 May "to 1 July. 15 April to 15 June. L Oct. to 31 March 1 Oct. to 31 March . Pickerel (Dore")... Maskinong(§ ..... 15 April to 15 May. 15 April to 15 June. 15 April to 15 June. Bass 1 March to 1 Oct. 1 April to 1 July. 1 April to 30 Nov. 1 March to 1 July. 1 June to 1 July. 1 Oct. to 31 Dec. 1 June to 22 Sept. Smelts 1 April to 1 July. Sturgeon Whitefish t 1st to 30 Nov. 10 Nov. to 1 Dec. 1 June to 22 Sept." Oysters. 1 June to 22 Sept. Lobsters NOTE.— A general weekly close-time is provided in addition to special close-seasons. 27 INiFORCE IST OCTOBER, 1903 P. E. Island Manitoba & N. W. Territories British Columbia REMARKS 1 Oct. to 31 March . 15 Sept. to IMay. £ See B. C. regulations. * In Cape Breton Id. 15 Sept. to 1st June. 15 Oct. to 15 March. 5 Oct. to Dec 151 Oct. to 30 Nov. Oct. to 31 March . 15 Oct. to 15 March . 15 April to 15 May. 15 April to 15 May. April to 1 July. Bay net fishing for smelts pro- hibited except under license. June to 22 Sept. 15 May to 15 1 June to 15 June. July. 5 Oct. to 15 1 Oct. to 30 f No close season in waters Dec. Nov. around Essex County. Sub -divided in 7 districts vary- ing from 1st June to 15 Dec. See O. C. 7 Dec. 1899. 28 * Herring- Curing and Packing1. The curing and packing of herring for shipment from Canada, has been under consideration with a view of improv- ing the methods employed by fish curers and dealers. No doubt Canada is not reaping the full benefit of her extensive herring fisheries, as pickled herring, as a commercial article, is depreciated by the inferior methods of handling the fish from their capture on the fishing grounds until they are placed on the market. I have become convinced by an examinat'on of the re- ports which I have caused to be made, that Canadian herring cured and packed more in the manner of the Scotch and other European fish curers, will greatly enhance the value of our herring fisheries. A comparison of prices of Canadian herring, with European herring, sold in the United States, is very con- vincing proof that Canada is loosing heavily by the present inferior methods of catching and pickling these fish. For example, in a recent issue of the New York Fishing Gazette, Canadian pickled herring in New York market are quoted from $4.25 to $6.00 per barrel, while in the same market Scotch, English, Irish, Notwegian and Dutch herring are quoted from $n.oo to $12.50 per barrel and are smaller fish than the Canadian herring and not any finer in flavour. In a letter recently written to a Halifax gentlemen by a dealer in Chicago it is stated that 25,000 barrels of Dutch and Norwe- gian cured herring are annually imported into Chicago. The dealer referred to is of the opinion that all or nearly all of Chicago's needs in cured herring might be supplied by Canada. It is proposed to ship $1,000 or 1,200 barrels of herring cured in Canada by the Scotch method to New York, Chicago and Germany as an experiment. In order to carry out a scheme for the improvement of catching and curing herring in the Dominion, a Scotch expert has been employed to visit the different fishing localities in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, to report upon the feas- ibility of adopting a practical method of effectively teaching our fishing population how to produce a superior article of 29 pickled herring. The introduction of the system of giving practical instruction and information, will begin in the early spring, by employing a staff of Scotch and Canadian fishermen, fish curers and coopers. Canso, N. S., has been selected as the station from which to act as a centre, being convenient for fishermen in the Lower Provinces who fish on the Atlantic Coast, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Northumberland Strait. It is intended to employ a steamer to collect herring from the traps and weirs and to carry on deep fishing by drift netting. If the experience is successful it is probable that other sta- tions will be established for the purpose of extending the improved method of catching and pickling fish, to several districts in the Dominion. Bait Cold Storage for Deep Sea Fishermen. Of the many efforts made by the Dominion Government to foster and promote the sea fisheries, the most recent, and in many respects, the most remarkable, is that of providing, under Federal auspices, facilities for the storage and preser- vation of bait in refrigerators. The subject of cold storage for bait, and of fishery products generally, has for over twenty years engaged the attention of the Department of Marine and Fisheries. The phase of the matter which was regarded as most weighty by the Department was that relating to the bait sup- ply of the fishermen. Season after season the lack of bait, not merely hampered, but absolutely stopped fishing opera- tions at the most important part of the seabon. The fishermen may form and incorporate themselves into associations in different localities, when the Government will contribute one-half the cost of the construction and equip- ment of Bait Freezers, and for a period of three years will pay a bonus of $5.00 per ton on the amount of bait frozen. Thus the aid is confined to localities where the fishermen are prepared to cooperate with the Government. Since the inauguration of this scheme in 1899, twenty four of these Fishermen's Bait Freezers have been established in different fishing centres in the Atlantic Provinces. Last year 30 about 150 tons of bait were thus frozen and stored, of which 7o°/0 was utilized by the fishermen. These Freezers have been erected principally in Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, one having been established in New Brunswick and one in Quebec. Fisheries Protection Service. The following is a comparative statement of the vessels and cruisers employed in the Fisheries Protection Service of Canada for the years 1895 and 1903. In 1895, the Acadia, La Canadienne, Curlew, Constance, Vigilant, Kingfisher, Petrel and Dolphin. In addition to these the " Stanley " and " Aberdeen " were used when considered necessary. The <( Quadra " on the Pacific coast was also used now and then. Two of these vessels, the " Kingfisher " and the " Vigi- lant," were sailing schooners, the "Vigilant" being a capture I United States' fishing vessel, named the " Highland Light/' which was afterwards turned into one of our cruisers. The officers and crews of these vessels numbered approx- imately two hundred. In the year 1903, the following vessels formed the Fish- eries Protection Fleet : Acadia, La Canadienne, Curlew, Kingfisher, Osprey, Brant and Constance on the Atlantic Coast ; Kestrel on the British Columbia Coast and Petrel on the Great Lakes. In addition to these there are four large steam sea- going patrol boats which are mainly used in looking after our own lobster fishing. The officers and crews amounted to about 260. In addition to the above, provision has been made for building two 16 knot cruisers, one for service on the Great Lakes and the other on the Atlantic Coast. This will increase the number of officers and crew to about 360. To show the necessity of a fast cruiser on the Atlantic Coast it will be only necessary to say that there were 1,239 entries made by United States' fishing schooners in our ports during the year 1902, comprising a total net tonnage of 19,897 tons with nearly 5,000 men on board. 31 These vessels require continual looking after, and it is very necessary to have something fast to do it with. On the Great Lakes there is continual poaching going on, and the " Petrel " is not fast enough to cope with the United States' fishing tugs. On the Atlantic Coast we have a regular system of reporters, this year numbering about 58 stations, who every day report the movements of the United States' fishermen and also the fish, and at what ports, bait and ice can be found, which our fishermen find of great benefit ; more especially this year when bait has been so scarce ; and it means that they simply have to go to the nearest telegraph office, look at the bulletin board which is displayed at every station and find out where bait can be procured. Expenditure The following table shows the expenditure of the Fishery Branch for the last fiscal year and 1895-6. Service Expenditure 1895-6 1901-2 Fisheries (proper) $ 96,961 $104,880 Fish-breeding 38.050 79,891 FisheriesProtection Serv, 102,021 152,825 Fishing bounty 163,567 155,942 Miscellaneous Expe'dit're 20,203 56,131 Total 420,805 549,670 Increase $128,865 NOTE. — This increase has taken place notwithstanding that since 1899, the expenditure in the Province of Ontario has decreased by over 80 p. c. and in Quebec by nearly 50 per cent, owing to the withdrawing of our local staff of officers in these provinces. This pamphlet is submitted to the public with the confident expectation that it will be of interest to those engaged in shipping and others interested in Marine and Fisheries mat- ters. RAYMOND PREFONTAINE, Minister oj Marine and Fisheries. Ottawa, ist February 1904. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Aids to navigation 3 Acetylene Gas experiments with 15 Hydrographic Survey 13 Hudson Bay Expedition 18 Herring, Curing and Packing . . 27 Buoy Service between Montreal and Quebec, Improvements... f7 13uoy Service, Great Lakes and Georgian Bay n Buoys , t otal number in Dominion 1 1 Bait cold storage 28 C Coast Buoys Maritime Provinces and British Columbia 10 Close Seasons for Fish 24 " Table of..... 25 Lighthouses to be put in oper- ation ...................... 5 Lightships constructed ........ 6 Lighthouses, totaVnumber In the Dominion ..... '. .......... . . 7 Life-saving stations ........... 14 Lobster Industry Maritime Pro- vinces ..................... 21 Lobster Breeding in Pounds. . . 23 H Meteorological Service 14 Dominion Steamers built and purchased since 1896 12 Naval Reserve & Navigation Schools 17 Expenditure, total 4 Ocean and River Sendee n Ocean and River Service, total expenditure I2 Fisheries 19 " capital invested and men engaged 19 Fishing Industry, Aggregate Yield 20 Fishing Licences 22 Fish Breeding 23 Fishery Protection Service 28 Fisheries Expenditure, compar- ative statement between 1895- 6 and 1901-2 30 Progress and development of Department since 1896 3 Steamboat Inspection 16 Salmon Canning in British Co- lumbia 20 Tidal Survey Gas Buoys added in 1903 8 Gas Buoys proposed in the St. Lawrence River 9 Ga* Buoys between Montreal and Kingston 9 Gas Storeholders 9 Gas Buoys proposed for N. S. . . 10 Values of Fish, comparative sta- tement between 1895 & 1901.. 22 W Winter Communication 15 AYrecks and Casualties St. Law- recce River, investigations.... 16