1094 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



fishing. I kept a fishing-stage and employed a number of boats and 

 men, and have continued steadily in the business ever since. 



4. In I860 I removed my business to Alberton, and I am now largely 

 engaged in the business, employing one schooner, ten boats, and fifty- 

 six men. 



5. The increase in the boat-fishing has been large of late years. The 

 numbers and the catch of the boats have more than trebled since 1854. 



6. From Hardy's Channel to Kildare Cape, a distance of about thirty 

 miles, there are seven fishing-stages, and in the harbor of Cascumpec 

 alone there are thirty-nine large fishing-boats, the average cost of which 

 is about three hundred dollars. 



7. All the mackerel taken in and around this part of the coast, for 

 many miles, are taken at a distance between one-quarter of a mile and 

 two miles from the shore. A few may be taken outside of two miles 

 from the shore, but none are taken outside of three miles. 



8. The average catch of the boats for a period of twenty years has 

 been from seventy to eighty barrels of mackerel each every season. 



9. The American fleet have largely frequented this coast. I would 

 say that from 1854 to 1874 the average number of the mackerel fleet of 

 American vessels frequenting the Gulf of St. Lawrence ranged between 

 four hundred and four hundred and fifty per season. 



10. A large portion of this fleet frequent the shores around Cascumpec 

 and take their catches there. They catch their fish close to the shore, 

 about the same distance as the boats, that is between one quarter and 

 two miles from the shore. A very small proportion of the catch of the 

 American fleet is taken outside of the three miles. The practice of the 

 fleet is to run in close to the shore, throw out bait aud drift off, some 

 times taking the schools offish with them. 



11. The boats fishermen dislike the presence of the American fleet 

 very much. It interferes sadly with the catch of the boats. The 

 Americans dress their fish on the deck and throw the offal overboard, 

 and this offal destroys the fishing grounds. 



12. In my opinion, nine-tenths of the fish taken by the American fish- 

 ermen are taken within the three miles from shore, and I am quite sure 

 if they were excluded from these limits they would have to abandon the 

 fisheries in the gulf altogether. It would be useless and senseless for 

 them to prosecute the business. 



13. If American fishermen were excluded from our waters I would not 

 care for the duty of two dollars per barrel levied in the United States. 

 The demand for mackerel is well known, the quantity required is known, 

 and we would have the business to a large extent in our own hands if 

 the Americans were excluded from our shores. If they increased the 

 duty the consumers would still, in my opinion, have to pay the increase. 



14. The privilege of landing to get supplies and transship is a very 

 valuable one. The mackerel season is very short, and this privilege is 

 equal to an extra trip and is so looked upon by the Americans. 



15. The new mode of fishing with purse seines has a very bad effect on 

 the fishery. It not only entirely disturbs and scares away the fish, but 

 a very large number of small mackerel and other kinds offish are taken 

 and destroyed, throwu away dead, aud the waters thus polluted. 



JOHN IX WHITE. 



Sworn to this third day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



STANISLAUS F. PERY, 

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



