CHAPTER VII 
Fisheries and Game* 
N EARLY INDUSTRY.—More than four centuries ago Basque, 
A and Breton fishermen visited the gulf of St. Lawrence and fished 
in the waters that still give employment to the fishermen of 
Gaspé and Labrador. After Cartier's explorations the sea fisheries of 
New France rapidly attained importance and were the source of an exten- 
sive commerce. 
After the British occupation of Canada, capitalists from the Channel 
islands became interested in the Canadian cod fisheries. The Jersey 
firms that settled in Chaleur bay as early as 1764 eventuallv succeeded 
in controlling the fishing industry. 
The fisheries of the province of Quebec are numbered among the most 
extensive in the world and their annual yield has always exceeded a million 
dollars. They are controlled by the Government of the province which 
derives a considerable revenue therefrom. Formerly the sea fisheries 
were administered by the Federal Government but since 1922 they have 
reverted to the province. 
Commercial Importance.—The fisheries of the province may be 
classified as commercial and game fisheries. The commercial fisheries 
are confined largely to the gulf and river St. Lawrence; the game fish 
are found in the streams and inland lakes. Quebec ranks fifth among 
the provinces of Canada in value of fish caught. The value of production 
of the commercial fisheries of Quebec for the year 1927 was $2,736,450. 
This represents the value of fish marketed, whether sold for consumption 
fresh, or canned, cured, or otherwise prepared. The value of the inland 
fAsheries in 1927 was $614,194. 
The game fisheries, through permits and the rental of fishing privileges, 
produce a certain amount of revenue annually but the greatest benefit 
these fisheries bring is not easily estimated in dollars and cents. Those 
who come into the province to enjoy the sport of fishing are usually men 
of means who spend liberally on railway fares, hotel bills, supplies, guides 
and ‘other purposes. Very often, too, they are attracted by the rich 
undeveloped resources, and many cases could be cited of the building of 
factories and the beginning of industrial projects as a result of the fishing 
and hunting trips of wealthy men. 
TT % Revised by the Department of Colonization, Mines and Fisheries, Quebec. 
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