1120 AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



NO. 21. 



I, GILBERT PERRY, of Frog Pond, in Prince County, in Prince Ed- 

 ward Island, owner of fishing stages and fish dealer, make oath and say: 



1. That I have been engaged in the fishing business about eighteen 

 years ; fifteen years of that time I have been actually engaged in fishing, 

 and am well acquainted with the fishing ground around here. My ex- 

 perience has been in boats. 



2. There are at least one hundred and fifty boats engaged in the fish- 

 ing between Frog Pond, Skinner's Pond, and Nail Pond. There are 

 sixty-three boats engaged in the fishing at Frog Pond alone. Each boat 

 would average a crew of three men each ; no boat less than three ; some 

 more. 



3. The number of boats at Frog Pond alone has increased twenty 

 boats within the last year, and I would say there are ten times as many 

 boats engaged in the fishing as there was ten years ago, and the num- 

 ber of stages are greatly increased. The boats themselves are getting 

 better every year, being better sailers, better equipped, and better rig- 

 ged than they were. 



4. Taking one year with another, the boats (large and small) average 

 about fifty barrels of mackerel in the season, and on this shore they 

 average about thirty quintals each, cod and hake. As a general thing 

 sufficient quantities of herring are taken for bait and for home use. 

 Each boat on this shore requires about twenty barrels of herring for 

 mackerel bait during the season. 



5. The reasons I would give for the increase for the number of boats 

 is, the increase in population and trade, the trade becoming more 

 and more opened up, and the business affords employment to a large 

 number of men who could not otherwise get employment. The great 

 reason is, that the fishing business is so very remunerative. 



6. I should say that the average number of American vessels fishing 

 in the bay during the last ten years would be over four hundred. They 

 generally come down here about the first of July and fish all summer ; 

 they fish all across, between here and the New Brunswick shore, this 

 side of the island being opposite the New Brunswick shore. 



7. When the cutters were about here they frightened the Americans 

 off a good deal. Very few of the Americans fished inside that year. 

 That, of course, would greatly injure their fishing; the best of their 

 catching is within three miles of the shore. I don't think it would pay 

 them to fit out for fishing unless allowed to fish within three miles of 

 the shore. That year, when they used to come in here to water, they 

 used to complain that the cutters caused them great loss. 



8. When the American fishermen see our boats getting mackerel, 

 they come among them, throw large quantities of bait, and draw off 

 the fish; they sometimes drift down on our boats, and I have some- 

 times seen them upset and sink our boats. 



9. I consider that the right of transshipment would be a very great 

 advantage to the Americans, particularly in a good fishing season, as 

 by means of it they are enabled to land their fish, refit for a new voy- 

 age, and be on the fishing grounds in a very short time. I consider 

 they save at least two weeks each trip, which would be equal to another 

 trip for the season. 



10. The Americans used to do a good deal of harm here seining the 

 mackerel. Two or three years ago, in particular, they used to catch large 



