1188 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



resolved not to haul bait for American fishermen, or otherwise supply 

 them with bait. Only one or two persons in the place broke through the 

 rule, and they, to a limited extent only, supplied bait to American fish- 

 ermen. Were it not for the determination of the people not to catch or 

 haul bait for United States fishermen, it was known that a large num- 

 ber of their schooners would call in at Trepany from the Banks for fresh 

 bait, and that their traffic would be hurtful to our bait supply. 



Among the captains of the United States vessels at Trepany, I remem- 

 ber only a few Captain Kositer, Captain Kane, were two, but without 

 time to" think I cannot recollect many. The bait in season when these 

 United States vessels were at Trepany was capliu ; the quantity they 

 required was from forty barrels to one hundred barrels each. They 

 -would contract for forty barrels and would take one hundred barrels, if 

 thev could procure this quantity. 



The great bulk of codfish caught by Newfoundland fishermen is taken 

 within two miles of the shore, but a number of our boats go well off 

 shore in the spring, and after the cod seine fishery, which ends on our 

 chores about Trepany about the 10th of August. 



The Newfoundland fishery is an inshore fishery. I never heard of a 

 Newfoundland vessel engaging on any fishing voyage on any of the 

 shores or coasts of the Uuited States of America. 



United States vessels have sold fish and oil at Trepany last year. 

 Know their captains have done so, but I cannot say to what extent. 

 ^Their vessels have been refitted at Trepany, where they also get wood 

 and water. 



I think the supply of bait by our people to the United States fisher- 

 men decreases the supply for local purposes. 



I am also of firm belief that the presence of the large number of 

 United States fishing-vessels, well supplied with fresh bait, fishing on 

 the Banks, largely and injuriously affects our local catch of codfish, and 

 that the short catch last year along our south and west coasts was 

 mainly attributable to their operations. Their captains last year told 

 me that our bait supply was of the greatest service to them ; that their 

 vessels using fresh bait from our shores get a load in a comparatively 

 short time, whereas vessels alongside of them, using clams for bait, 

 hardly get a fish. It must be, therefore, that the fresh bait supplied by 

 us, and used by United States fishermen on the Banks, tends to re- 

 tain the fish on the Banks, preventing its passing in for our shores, and 

 thus operating against our fishermen, as does the supply of bait, which 

 has, in some instances that I have seen, left local fishermen without 

 bait to follow up their fishery. 



The catch of codfish by fishermen in the neighborhood of Trepany 

 last year was under two-thirds of former catches, and the catch by the 

 Trepany fishermen was greater than any other part of the southern 

 shore. United States fishing-vessels sometimes come in among our 

 -boats to fish. The quickest trip I have known any of them make was a 

 trip taken on Cape Ballard Bank, when, in two offers of about three 

 weeks each, this vessel completed her trip, with which she left for the 

 United States. Her captain told me it was the quickest trip of codfish 

 he had ever made. 



There is an ice-house at Placentia where ice is stored for sale to 

 United States fishermen. I have heard that there is also an ice-house 

 at Salmonier, St. Mary's Bay, where ice is stored for like purposes. 

 American vessels sometimes tow icebergs along with them to preserve 

 their fresh bait. 



HENRY PENNELL. 



