1132 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION 



seen ten thousand halibut a day caught at Anticosti in water where 

 we could see bottom. This halibut fishery is the best paying fishery 

 that I have ever been in. I have made ninety dollars in twelve days as 

 one of the hands at this fishery. 



12. That the seining breaks up and destroys the fishing, as it breaks 

 up the schools of mackerel and scares the fish. The seiners also take 

 both big and small fish, and all sorts of fish, and they only save the 

 good mackerel. The herring, small mackerel, and other fish are all 

 killed in tbe seines, and these are thrown away. These fish all sink to 

 the bottom and putrefy and hurt the bottom, the feeding ground of the 

 other fish, and I think it poisons the other fish to eat this rotton stuff. 

 The seining has broken up and destroyed the fishing on the American 

 shore, and that is the effect it always has. They break up and destroy 

 the hooking with the seines. This has happened on the George's 

 grounds. 



13. That the years the cutters were round they interfered with the 

 American fishing and spoilt catches. I was out then myself, and we 

 used to have to keep a man always on the lookout, and then when we 

 saw the cutter's smoke we had to clear out. Some of their vessels were 

 taken by the cutters. 



14. That the right to land here, transship their mackerel, and refit 

 is a very great advantage to the Americans, as they save on an 

 average three weeks each trip by not having to take their fish home in 

 their own vessels. This would be equal to an additional trip for the 

 season. Then they can buy provisions and refit cheaper here than they 

 can at home. They can also watch and take advantage of the changes 

 in the mackerel market. If a skipper has any fish he can telegraph on 

 to his owner and can have the fish sold in the early market and at the 

 early prices. The mackerel are also liable to get rusted and injured by 

 being kept long in the holds of the vessels. This injury is avoided by 

 landing the fish and sending them on in steamers without loss of time. 



CHAKLES W. DUNN. 



Sworn to at Murray Harbor, in King's County, in Prince Edward 

 Island, this 31st day of 'July, A. D. 1877, before me, the erasures and 

 interlineations opposite my name having been first made. 



MALCOM McFADYEN, 

 J. P. for King's County, Prince Edward Island. 



No. 31. 



I, JAMES HOWLETT, of Georgetown, in King's County, Prince Edward 

 Island, fisherman, make oath and say : 



1. That I have been engaged in fishing for fifteen years, in vessels be- 

 longing to the United States. I have fished all about Bay Chaleur, from 

 Port Hood to Seven Islands, at the Magdalens, all along this island 

 coast, and two years mackerel-fishing on the American shores, and 

 many winters cod-fishing. 



2. That I should say the American fleet in this gulf numbers three 

 hundred and fifty to four hundred sail, for certain, each year. The 

 number varies ; last year there were few shooners in the bay. 



3. That in the Affodite, an American schooner of about sixty-eight 

 tons, and carrying fifteen hands, we landed two trips at Causo, and car- 

 ried two home, making four in al!, averaging two hundred and seventy- 

 five barrels each trip. 



4. That in the Alice G. Wanson I fished one season in this bay, and 



