AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1095 



NO. 4. 



I, SYLVAN F. ARSINEAUX, of Tignish, in Prince County, Prince Ed- 

 ward Island, inspector of fish, make oath and say : 



1. I have had charge of a fishing-stage for the last twenty years on this 

 shore. I used, during that time, to be myself actually eugaged in fish- 

 ing, always in boats. I am now fish inspector for this county. 



2. There are over two hundred and thirty boats engaged in the fish- 

 eries between Mimnigah and Kildare; 1 know this from my own actual 

 experience. The average catch of mackerel would be about forty-five 

 barrels for each boat ; for codfish and hake, the average for all the boats 

 would be about forty quintals each. The average catch of herring for 

 all boats would be about twenty barrels; the fishermen only try to get 

 enough herring for mackerel bait and for home use. 



3. The boats have trebled in number in the last ten years, and they 

 are three times better boats ; they are larger, better sailers, better rigged 

 and fitted out. There is a large amount more money invested in the 

 boat business than there was ten years ago. The business has enor- 

 mously increased. 



4. The boats carry, on an average, crews of four men each. 



5. I would account for the increase in the number of boats, and the 

 increased attention given to the business, by referring to the increase 

 of population. There are greater numbers of fishermen springing up 

 all the time ; they are more enterprising, and they find the business 

 pays. The boat-fishing also affords employment to numbers of men. 



C. With some few exceptions, the boats get their fish close to the 

 shore. The best fishing-ground is looked upon as inside of three miles 

 of the shore. 



7. For the last ten years the American fleet-fishing off the coast has 

 averaged, I should say, about five hundred sail. When the cutters are 

 not here, the' Americans must catch three quarters of their fish inshore. 

 When the cutters were here they also caught more fish within three 

 miles of the shore than outside, bat not so much as when the cutters 

 were away. They used to dodge the cutters and get inshore. There 

 were not enough cutters to keep them off altogether. The Americans 

 were frightened off a good deal by the cutters. If the Americans were 

 prevented from fishing within three miles of the shore, it would not be 

 worth their while to fit out for the gulf fishery. It would not pay 

 them. 



8. When the Americans come down they do a great deal of harm to 

 the bdats, as they throw a great deal of bait and draw the fish out. 

 They come inshore, throw out bait, and draw the mackerel out after 

 them. This leaves our boats without fish and destroys their chance of 

 a catch. They have better bait than we have, and are enabled to do 

 this damage. 



9. Our fishermen look upon the coming of the Americans as an injury 

 to the boat and island fishermen ; the vessels draw away the fish. Tho 

 fleet, in fact, puts an end to the good fishing, and are the cause of great 

 loss to us. 



10. The Americans, when they see boats getting fish, come up and 

 "lee bow" them, thus depriving the boats of the fish. "Lee-bowing" is 

 getting to windward of the tide or current and throwing oat bait and 

 drawing off the fish. The American schooners also frequently drift 

 down upon our boats, when the latter have to get out of the way. The 

 boats are often injured by the vessels drifting down on them. 



11. It would certainly be an advantage to the Americans to be able 



