Supplement to Animal Sanctuaries in Labrador | Page 4

direct
contrast to the one pursued in the Algonquin Park it may be interesting
to explain and discuss it. It can be admitted, as a matter of theory, that a
'public park and pleasure ground' should be maintained by the people
for the people, and that no individuals should have exclusive rights
conferred upon them to fish or shoot within it. This ideal conception
takes no account of human nature, and a scheme that has to do with the
control and conduct of men should not disregard their weaknesses, or
the powerful motive of self-interest. The greater part of the Laurentide
Park is free to anyone who takes out a license and complies with certain

regulations. But, at the points most threatened by poachers, the practice
is followed of granting five-year leases of moderate areas to individuals
and to clubs. The first requirement of these grants is that the lessee
shall appoint a guardian, approved by the Department, and shall cause
the conceded territories to be protected in an adequate manner. The
guardian, for his part, is immediately answerable to an individual who
pays his salary. He contrasts his former precarious living as a trapper or
poacher with the assured competence which he now earns more easily,
and makes his election in favor of virtue. Thus he becomes a faithful
servant both of the Government and his employer, and a really effective
unit in the protection of the Park. The lessee, in turn, will neither
practice nor tolerate any infringement of the laws which would imperil
his lease, nor deplete of fish and game a country which he intends to
revisit. He would not necessarily be actuated by these motives if he
entered the Park casually and considered nothing but his own sport or
pleasure. It may be added that the lessee has reasonable assurance of
the extension of his privileges if they are not abused and knows that he
will be compensated for moneys properly expended if the Government
sees fit not to renew his term. The guardians co-operate with one
another under the general guidance of a most competent inspector, and
the striking increase in fish, fur and feather is apparent not only in the
region immediately protected but also ouside its boundaries. Trappers
who fought bitterly against being excluded from this part of the public
domain now find that the overflow of wild life into the surrounding
country enables them to bring more pelts to market than they did in the
old days, and have become reconciled. Guardians, gillies, carters,
porters and canoemen live in whole or in part, on providing fishing and
shooting. Under no other arrangement could the conceded territory
afford sport and a living to so many people, and in no other way could
the balance between resources and their exhaustion be so nicely
maintained."
On page 47, Mr. Blake corroborates the statement of the shameful act I
mentioned at the bottom of page 18 of my Address. "On sighting a band
of six caribou he bade his man sit down to give him a rest for his rifle.
He then fired and continued firing till all were killed. When his
companion made to walk towards the animals, Sir ---- said to him
roughly:

"'Where are you going?'
"'To cut up the caribou.'
"'... I don't want them.'"
This game murderer killed three times as many as the prescribed limit
on this one occasion. Yet nothing was done to him!
SANCTUARIES
However desirable they are from any point of view leaseholds are not
likely to cover much of Labrador for some time to come. They should
be encouraged only on condition that every lessee of every
kind--sportsman, professional on land or water, lumberman or
other--accepts the obligation to keep and enforce the wild-life
protection laws in co-operation with the public wardens who guard the
sanctuaries, watch the open areas and patrol the trade outlets.
I have very little to add to what I said about sanctuaries in the Address.
Most of the information received since it was published has only
emphasized the points it made. And as no one has opposed and many
have supported the establishment of the Harrington sanctuary I again
recommend it strongly. The 64 miles in a straight line between cape
Whittle and cape Mekattina should be made into an absolute sanctuary
for all birds and mammals. If some more ground can be taken in on
either side, so much the better. But the 64 miles must be kept in any
case. The Bird rocks and Bonaventure island, one of the Mingans, the
Perroquets, Egg island and The Pilgrims, are all desirable in every way.
There are plenty of islands to choose from along the Atlantic Labrador
and round Hudson and James bays. It is most important to keep the
migratory birds