The hatchery was severely damaged on 22 March 1888. According to Henry Clark, the dam broke dur- ing a heavy spring freshet. Some trees had been felled across the river upstream. These flowed crosswise into the dam and the ice crushed them through the reception house damaging the flood gates. The dam received about $300.00 damage but was never repaired and instead the hatchery closed. The salmon eggs were recovered and transferred to the Bedford Hatchery in Nova Scotia.

The Dunk River Hatchery was the first of its kind in the province and was effective in promoting salmon species in Island rivers. In 1888, the year of its destruction, the salmon were reported by Henry Clark as

“Never so plentiful since the hatchery was built”. With the current interest in aquaculture we may someday see the return of a fish culture operation to the Dunk River.

The two main reasons for not rebuilding the hatchery in 1888 were probably twofold. There was a problem with maintaining the earthern dam which had been damaged severely on two different occasions. There was also poaching.

Poaching was a serious problem to the officials in charge of protecting the salmon. In April 1869 the matter was discussed in the House of Assembly.

“Salmon are plentifully frequenting several ofour rivers that have suitable spawning ground; but on account of the manner in which the inhabitants chase and destroy the salmon by setting nets across rivers, and spearing them by torchlights at the time prohibited by law, they are destroyed and scattered, and therefore prevented from spawning and accumulating in our rivers”.

In reference to the Dunk River, Senator Montgomery made the following statement in 1875: “I do not think that river has been well attended to, it might be as good for salmon as any river we have in the Island, ifwell looked after?’ The 11 November 1879 edition ofthe Daily Examiner probably overstates the problem. “The next thing to be done is to see that the fish are not destroyed every fall in their passage up the river. Heretofore, the work of protecting Dunk River against poachers has been a complete farce. Scarcely a salmon ever made its way up the Dunk River, and returned to the sea alive . . 3’

In the 1881 report of fisheries in Prince Edward Island by the Marine and Fisheries Department, the author gave a good description of the poachers. “Settlers, who, from childhood, have been accustomed to draw on the water at all seasons for all the fish they needed, cannot understand what they call New Laws of protection? In his annual report for the year 1888, Henry Clark, reported:

“A great deal oftrouble with poachers this fall. Poachers were on the look out day and night. They came to the river disguised so you couldn’t tell who they were. Several boats were captured, we

destroyed two boats as they were of no value except for poaching. Several shots were fired from revolvers in the night to scare the wardensf’

J. Hunter Duvar, the chief fishery officer for Prince Edward Island gave more information in his annual report for 1888.

“Since the salmon hatchery on the Dunk ceased, and the hatchery darn carried away by a freshet permitted salmon to run up the whole length of the river, salmon poachers, who had previously been kept well under, having become daring, have formed themselves into an armed gang that has already come into collision with the river officers, additional assistance has been supplied, and

the shameful destruction of breeding salmon stopped?’

The Dunk River appears to have been the hardest hit by poachers than any other river in the province

in the late 1800’s. In the annual report on fisheries for Prince Edward Island in 1894 the Dunk River is highlighted.

“The Dunk River, owing to the large number ofsalmon frequenting it, has been especially difficult , to protect. Last season an extra force of guardians was employed on that stream, acting under overseer McBride, and they succeeded in very efficiently protecting the river. The poachers were not so bold as on former occasions, knowing that they had a larger number of men to contend with, and it is believed that very few, if any, fish were taken?’

One of the first, if not the first warden appointed to protect the Dunk River from poaching was Ewen Clark who received $30.00 in 1874 for his efforts. In 1878 there were three wardens protecting the Dunk. Abraham Wall, Patrick McBride and William Burns each of whom received $30 for their efforts. In 1879 the same three are listed as wardens, but Thomas Drummond of Freetown had been added to their ranks. In 1881 there were four wardens. Thomas Drummond, John Tucker, Patrick McBride and William Burns.

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