AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1161 



are plenty, whereas they could otherwise make only one or two trips by 

 taking the fish home in their own bottoms each time. 



10. The trawlers for codfish could not prosecute their calling without 

 obtaining bait and other supplies on our shores ; at least not at all in a 

 profitable manner. 1 have known them to be compelled to abandon their 

 voyage in consequence of not being able to procure bait on our shores. 

 The obtaining of ice and other supplies on our coasts is also a very great 

 advantage to the American fishing vessels on our coasts. 



11. The privilege of fishing in American waters is, iu my opinion, of 

 no practical advantage whatever to Canadians, and I never heard of any 

 Canadian using those waters for fishing purposes. 



12. In my opinion it would be better for Canadians to exclude the 

 Americans from the fisheries within the three mile limit, and keep them 

 for our own people, even if the American Government put a duty of $2 

 per barrel, or any other amount of duty, on our fish. 



And 1 say that the above statements, to the best of my knowledge 

 and belief, are true in substance and in fact. 



JAMES B. HADLEY. 



The said James B. Hadley was sworn to the truth of the above affi- 

 davit, at Port Mulgrave, in the county of Guysborough, this 24th day 

 of July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



GEO. B. HADLEY, 

 A Justice of the Peace. 



No. 47. 



In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty 



of Washington. 



I, MICHAEL CRISPO, of Harbor Au Bouche, in the county of Antigo- 

 nish and Province of Nova Scotia, merchant, make oath and say as 

 follows : 



1. I have been acquainted with the fisheries on our coasts for the past 

 thirty years, during ten years of which time 1 was personally engaged 

 as a practical fisherman, and during the remainder of said time I have 

 dealt iu various kinds of fish to the extent of about $20,000 or $25,000 

 yearly. Up to the year 1874, 1 estimate that there were, on an average, 

 about four hundred sail of American vessels engaged in the mackerel- 

 fishery on our coasts and in our waters each year, and that the yearly 

 catch up to that date would average about six hundred barrels to each 

 vessel. During the past three years the number of American vessels 

 in the mackerel fishery on our coasts has been smaller, as the mackerel 

 have been less plenty. This year, however, there appear to be plenty 

 of mackerel in Antigouish Bay, and there is a good prospect of a fair 

 catch there. I have not heard how the fishery this year is succeeding 

 on the other parts of our coast. It is my opinion that the scarcity of 

 mackerel in our waters is not permanent, and that they will come iu 

 again as plenty as ever, unless destroyed by the purse-seipes which the 

 Americans are beginning to introduce in our waters. 



2. Formerly about one-half of the mackerel were caught within three 

 miles of the shore. Of late years, however, two thirds of them are 

 caught within that distance, in my opinion ; and I consider the inshore 

 mackerel fishery of much greater value than that outside. The herring 

 fishery is almost altogether inshore, and is carried on principally at the 

 Magdalens and on the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is 

 probably as good at the present time as ever it has been. The cod 



