AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1117 



population is increasing, and also the spirit of enterprise among tbe 

 people. 



JAMES MOBRISAY. 



Sworn to at Tignish, in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, this 

 27th day of June, A. D. 1877, before me. 



JOSEPH MACGILVRAY, 

 J. P. for Prince County, Prince Edward Island. 



No. 18. 



I.EDWARD HACKETT,of Tignish, in Prince Edward Island, merchant, 

 and member of the Local Parliament for the first district of Prince 

 County, make oath and say : 



1. Tbat previously to the last two years I was personally engaged in 

 the fishing business for about fifteen years. Part of this time I carried 

 on a fishing business, and part of the time I was engaged as a practical 

 fisherman. 



2. There are now about one hundred boats fishing out of Tignish 

 Harbor alone. The number has increased very much within the last 

 few years. There are larger and better boats now than there were ten 

 years ago; they are better built, rigged, and equipped now than they 

 were then. There is also more capital, by a large amount, invested in 

 the bus ness than there was ten years ago, and the crews are more ex- 

 perieuced in fishing than the crews were then. 



3. The boats would average about four men to each boat, some hav- 

 ing more and some less. The boats, taking one year with another, 

 would have an average catch of fifty barrels of mackerel to each boat, 

 and they would also average about fifty quintals of codfish and hake to 

 the boat. This is taking the average for both big and small boats. 



4. The reason of the increase in the number of boats is, that more 

 people embark in the business and invest capital in it, because they 

 found the fishing to be a remunerative business, and also from the in- 

 crease of population and of enterprise. 



5. The herring fishery, as a general thing, is a very reliable fishery ; 

 the fishermen generally catch enough for bait and for home consump- 

 tion. About ten barrels to a boat, of herring, are required for bait dur- 

 ing the .mackerel season. This year the net fishing of herriug was a 

 failure. 



6. The boats invariably fish for mackerel, and almost invariably 

 within 'three miles of the shore. The best mackerel fishing-ground is 

 from one mile to two miles and a half from the shore. 



7. The American vessels generally come off here in June, and are re- 

 ported to make generally two trips in the summer. They generally also 

 fish within three miles of the shore. They take a very large quantity 

 of mackerel in among the boats and are a great annoyance to the 

 boats. They come in among the boats and throw bait and drift off, car- 

 rying the fish with them. They come in among the boats and often run 

 them down; they are careless to the injury they may-do to the boats. 

 When they see a boat getting mackerel they make straight for it and 

 draw off the mackerel by every means they can employ, throwing out 

 bait in large quantities. 



8. I have often counted a hundred American vessels fishing between 

 North Cape and Cape Kildare, a distance of not more than ten miles ; 

 and that would be only a small portion of the whole fleet. 



9. The right of transshipment is a very great benefit to the American 



