AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1141 



visited the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence for fishing purposes, yearly, 

 amounted from 300 to 500 sail. This I have seen with my own eyes. 

 Each vessel having an average of 12 men for a crew. All these were 

 mackerel fishing. The places where the Americans fished most during 

 that period were on the shores of Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, 

 New Brunswick, and on the shores of Bay of Chaleur, from Port Daniel to 

 Dalhonsie, and east, from Port Daniel to Bonaventure Island, in Gaspe 

 Bay, and on the south shore of Gaspe", from Cape Rozier to Matane, and 

 on the north shore from Groisie to Goodbout River. I have fished my- 

 self nearly every year in these places, and I never missed my voyage. 



2. Each of these vessels has made good fares every season, and some 

 of them have made two trips of mackerel. Each of these vessels has 

 made yearly a voyage of about 400 barrels. 



3. The Americans catch their mackerel with seines and hand lines. 



4. My opinion is that codfish gurry should not be allowed to be thrown 

 overboard on any fishing ground arouud the shores, because it injures 

 the small fish and drives away the large fish. This is my experience. 

 For instance, if we throw codfish gurry on a fishing ground in the night, 

 we could not find a fish there in the morning. 



o. Mackerel caught by the Americans during the period mentioned 

 above, have all been taken inshore, with the exception of a few barrels. 

 The mackerel which I caught myself were all taken inshore. 



6. The inshore fishery is by far the most valuable for all kinds offish. 

 In fact there are only two places where fish are taken in any quantity 

 outside ; the Orphan's and Bradley Banks. But the Americans don't 

 resort there. 



7. When American vessels come to fish among the boats, they entice 

 all the mackerel away; it is my experience ; I have enticed mackerel 

 away from the boats myself often. This is done by the Americans 

 whenever they get the chance. 



8. Most of the Americans are supplied with either purse or hauling 

 seines. The hauling seines have been in use for the last forty years, 

 and the purse seines for mackerel, for about fifteen years. 



9. The fishing with hauling seines is all practiced from the shores, 

 and the purse seine in deep and shoal water. 



10. Within the last five or six years most of the mackerel are caught 

 in the gulf with the seines. 



11. The use of the hauling seine has been mostly practiced on our 

 shores from Port Hood to Cape Chat, on the south shore, and Good- 

 bout to Seven Islands, on the north shore. I have practiced seining for 

 three years from Gaspe Basin to Goodbout and Matane, and I have done 

 well. In eleven days I stocked $7,000 in Gaspe* Basin, and I have seen 

 at Goodbout, about twenty -three years ago, two American vessels 

 loaded in one haul of the seine. The purse seines are mostly used now 

 for mackerel. 



12. I believe that the practice of seining is injurious to all kinds of 

 fish, more especially to mackerel, because it destroys small anil large 

 fish. 



13. The bait that the Americans use for taking cod antl halibut, is all 

 caught inshore or bought from the inhabitants at Anticosti and the 

 north and south shores. Bait is taken with nets and seines. 



14. Codfish, haddock, halibut, and pollock, are caught by American 

 fishermen in inshore waters. And the same fish are also caught by the 

 Canadian fishermen inshore. 



15. The herring are all taken inshore, and is an important fishpry. 

 Four hundred barrels have been taken by the Americans at Fox 



