1098 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



15. After the Magdalen spring fishing is over the Americans often go 

 up to Auticsti and fish and seine herring there. 



16. The Americans, also, both at the Magdalens and at Cape Breton, 

 land and seine for bait for their cod fishing, and they even go into the 

 rivers and catch gaspereaux for bait. 



17. Taking our coast from Mimnigash to Nail Pond, in this county, I 

 believe that the fishing outfit has increased five or six hundred per cent, 

 in the last ten years ; that is, in the number of boats and their cost. I 

 would estimate the number of boats between Mimnigash and North 

 Cape at from one hundred and fifty to two hundred ; and from North 

 Cape to Alberton I should estimate the increase during the last ten 

 years at from three to four hundred per cent. I would reckon the num- 

 ber of boats in that distance at from one hundred and fifty to two hun- 

 dred; there must be fully that many. I should say that the whole 

 number of all these boats take crews of three men each on board of them, 

 and that they furnish employment to one man for each boat on shore. 



18. Our fishing at this end of the island is only in its infancy; our 

 men are only getting skilled and trained to it. 



19. The reasons for the increase in the number of boats are that men 

 of capital and experience, seeing the fishing to be a fruitful source of 

 trade, have invested capital, and have encouraged men to build and go 

 into the boat-fishing. 



20. I consider that after this we will have a distinct fishing class of 

 people, that is when the lands are all taken up, which they are now. 

 At present, and in the past, the men fished when they had time for 

 farming. Now, we have men who depend entirely on the fishing, and 

 these secure large quantities of fish, and their number is increasing fast. 

 I consider that we are now at the beginning of a new departure in trade 

 in this country owing to the fishing. In my experience, I depend upon 

 men who depend entirely on the fishing to get fully three times as 

 many fish as those who look partly to other means of support. 



21. With regard to the value of our fisheries, I consider them very 

 valuable. We have herring in early spring; immediately after, and 

 during the herring-fishing, we have codfish. The herring fishing lasts 

 from about the 1st of May to the 5th of June. At times there are 

 large quantities of herring on our coast, and they are about the same 

 quality of fish as the Magdalen Island herring. They never yet have 

 been fished as an article of export, but only as mackerel-bait and for 

 home consumption. Very much larger quantities can be generally pro- 

 cured than are required for those purposes. 



22. After the cod-fishing we have fish consisting of mackerel and ling, 

 or hake, right through till late in the fall, till about the beginning of 

 November. So far as I know, from actual experience, this part of this 

 island is one of the choice spots for fishing in the Gulf of Saiut Law- 

 rence. Large numbers of the Nova Scotian shore fishermen come right 

 round here to fish. We never have had a complete failure of fish, 

 although in blustery years we catch less than in other years. The reg- 

 ular fishermen, even in the worst years, have always made fair wages. 



23. I should put the average catch of mackerel per boat, for all boats 

 engaged in fishing, at about fifty barrels, and for those engaged in cod- 

 fishing, taking one year with another, for ten years past, abouc fifty 

 quintals of codfish and hake. Until late years our boats and outfits 

 have been of a very rude kind, not to be compared to that of the Nova 

 Scotiaus or Americans, and that is one reason I think our fishery is 

 only in its infancy. 



24. 1 look upon our lobster-fishing here as of very great, in fact of 



