1186 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



No. 71. 



FRANCIS BERTEAU, aged 53 years, merchant, residing at Burin, New- 

 foundland, inaketh oath and saith that 



I have become acquainted with the fisheries of Newfoundland by carry- 

 ing on the trade of the country tor thirty years. 



1 have observed from forty to sixty United States fishing vessels in 

 this neighborhood each year during the past three years. Having had 

 no immediate connection with them I cannot name any of these vessels. 

 I have not sold any bait to them, having nothing to do with the bait 

 trade. United States fishing vessels have fished for codfish off Cape St. 

 Mary's within three miles of the shore, where, on one occasion, one of 

 our fishing crafts was fouled near the Bull and Calf by a United States 

 fishing vessel. 



Newfoundland fishermen catch codfish generally within two miles of 

 the shores. The caplin, herrings, and squid fisheries used for bait are 

 all inshore, being taken in the coves along the coasts and harbors, and 

 is never taken more than three miles off. 



I never heard of a Newfoundland vessel engaging on a fishing voyage 

 on any of the coasts of the United States of America. 



American fishermen have sold small codfish in this neighborhood, but 

 I can't speak as to quantity. 



I once bought from United States fishermen three or four barrels cod 

 roes ; this was two years ago. Occasionally United States fishing ves- 

 sels refit in this neighborhood. I have sold them provisions and wood. 

 I do not know of their having transshipped cargo in a Newfoundland 

 port. 



The supply of bait to United States fishermen greatly decreases the 

 supply of bait to our own fishermen. Last summer there were about 

 twenty United States fishing craft in Ship Cove, and they employed 

 several Burin fishermen to haul caplin for them in Grip Cove, near Port 

 au Bras, which they did, loading seven or eight dories and two skiff 

 loads, after which no caplin was to ba found in the cove, thus compell- 

 ing over a dozen of our fishing craft to remain idle for a fortnight until 

 the squids came in, thereby losing four or five hundred quintals of cod- 

 fish. 



In June, 1875, there were about one hundred fishing punts in Burin 

 Bay depending upon a supply of caplin for bait, which was prevented 

 by the operations of a seine sent from St. Pierre and worked by a Burin 

 man to supply fresh caplin to the American fishing schooners, the said 

 seine having hauled continuously until the caplin were exhausted in one 

 of the principal baiting coves; thereby the punt fishermen aforesaid 

 lost their caplin school the harvest of their fishery. 



1 am of decided opinion that the presence of the large number of Uni- 

 ted States fishing vessels on the Banks off our coasts, largely supplied 

 with fresh bait, greatly reduces the catch of our local fishermen ; and 

 that the short catch of codfish the past two summers along our south 

 and west coasts is attributable to this cause. 



It is remarkable that this year, when the supply of fresh bait to United < 

 States vessels by our people had ceased, then a moderate share of fish 

 struck in upon our shores, enabling the fishermen of Great Burin to 

 catch during October and November from eight to ten quintals for a man 

 and a boy. 



Tne general average of fish caught this year by fishermen of this neigh- 

 borhood, has been eight quintals per man in punts and fifteen quintals 



