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Correspondence (private letter)
Ffennell, William Joshua to Fortescue, Chichester 17 April 1861, CO 60:12, no. 3716, 282.

Abstract
Correspondence (private letter). Minutes (4), Other documents (2).
Ffennell writes Fortescue to refer Newcastle to the Fishery Acts of Upper and Lower Canada, as well as the Report of Commissioners of Crown Lands of Canada for the years 1857, 1858, and 1859. He warns that the salmon fisheries of British Columbia should be regulated soon to prevent the establishment of abuses and unproductive practices, which must tend ultimately to diminish materially if not totally to destroy a great natural source of Wealth, adding caustically that the state of the Canadian Salmon Fisheries appears to furnish as an example fully supporting this view of the Question.
Ffennell to Fortescue (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
2 Craven Street
Strand London
April 17th 1861
Sir
Your letter of the 27th of March addressed to me here with reference to the Fisheries of British Columbia, was not duly forwarded, I have been back and forward to Ireland and thus the delay in replying to it has occurred.
I would beg to refer to the following documents for the information of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle— Fishery Acts, Upper and Lower Canada, Printed in Quebec by Queens Printer.
ReportManuscript image Report of Commissioners of Crown Lands of Canada for 1857.
Ditto ......................................................... 1858.
Ditto ......................................................... 1859.
(I have not yet seen Report 1860.)
These reports contain much valuable information with respect to the Laws enacted for the protection of the Fisheries of Canada, the state the fisheries had fallen into, and the means now in operation for their regulation.
I believe the Salmon Fisheries of British Columbia far exceed in extent and capabilities those of Canada, and that it would be highly expedient to place themunderManuscript image under a system of State Regulation before abuses Creep in, with the view of inducing private enterprise embarking in their Commercial development and at the same time guarding against the establishment of abuses and unproductive practices, which must tend ultimately to diminish materially if not totally to destroy a great natural source of Wealth.
The state of the Canadian Salmon Fisheries appears to furnish an example fully supporting this view of the Question.
I am Sir,
Your obedient Servant
Wm J. Ffennell

C. Fortescue Esq, M.P.
&c &c &c
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
Frame a despatch to the Governor calling attention to this subject and send him the reports specified by Mr Ffennell if we possess them. If we have not got them in this Office ask the Governor of Canada to supply them.
ABd 23 Apl
Mr Fortescue
If we are sending papers to British Columbia about the preservation of Salmon, ought we not to include the recent report of a Commission in this Country which has lately attracted so much attention?
TFE 23 April
I think so.
CF 25
N 25
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Draft reply, Newcastle to Douglas, No. 77, 9 May 1861, transmitting Ffenell's memorandum on the salmon fisheries of BC.
Minutes by CO staff
As we have no spare copies of the Canadian Reports mentioned by Mr Ffennell, I annex a Dft to Sir E. Head to ask him to send them to Gov. Douglas.
[HTI]
Other documents included in the file
*
Manuscript image
Draft reply, Newcastle to Sir E. Head, Canada, No. 103, 10 May 1861, requesting that the reports referred to in Ffennell's letter be forwarded to Douglas.