AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1191 



The Newfoundland fishery is an inshore fishery; the bait fishery cap- 

 lin, herring, and squid is inshore fishery. I never heard of a Newfound- 

 land fishing vessel prosecuting any fishery on any of the coasts of the 

 United States of America. These United States vessels do sell small 

 codfish and cod oil along the southern shore, and I know they refit their 

 vessels in our harbors from having sold them cordage and other articles 

 to refit. The supply of bait to United States fishermen has in some in- 

 stances "swept the ground," leaving not a herring or a squid for our 

 local fishermen. In one harbor, close to ns on the southern shore, up- 

 wards of four thousand barrels squids have been taken by United States 

 fishing vessels. I think it very injurious to our people that so large a 

 quantity of bait is thus supplied to the United States fishing vessels. 

 While our people are engaged catching bait for United States fishing 

 vessels they would catch double the value of what they receive for bait 

 if they followed up the cod fishery instead of giving it up for a pursuit 

 that is fickle and directly opposed to their interest, inasmuch as the 

 fresh bait thus supplied United States vessels is used on the Banks to 

 keep the fish from coming in upon our shores. Every season and al- 

 most every day an occasional fish is caught having an American hook 

 in its mouth, which proves that the fish striking our shores encounter 

 United States fishermen's hooks the more attractive we may help to 

 make these hooks the more it will damage ourselves. 



I do fully believe that the United States fishing vessels fishing on the 

 Banks off our coast well supplied with fresh bait has reduced the catch 

 of local fishermen, and that the short catch the past season was attrib- 

 utable to their operations on the Banks fishing and in our harbors for 

 bait. 



The effect of their operations must certainly be as I heard more than 

 one of their captains declare that they would not leave a fish to be 

 caught in a short time. 



The average catch of codfish by our fishermen per man, since 1874, 

 was under twenty quintals; previous to 1874 the catch per man would 

 average fifty quintals. 



The effect of United States fishermen's operations in our waters is ab- 

 solutely ruinous to a degree that money cannot pay; they will destroy 

 " the goose that lays the golden egg." Our fisheries are sacrificed by the 

 concessions of the Treaty of Washington. 



JOHN -WHITE. 



Sworn before me, at Ferryland, this 10th day of April, 1877. 



J. O. FRASER, 

 Commissioner of Affidavit*. 



No. 77. 



ROBERT MORRY, aged 46 years, supplying merchant and planter, 

 residing at Oaplin Bay, Newfoundland, inaketh oath and saith: I have 

 become acquainted with the fisheries of Newfoundland from being con- 

 nected therewith since I was boy. I have, during the last two years, 

 seen a number of United States fishing vessels in this neighborhood. 

 Last season, I can safely say, I saw upwards of a hundred of such ves- 

 sels either in this harbor or passing close by ; there were five or six of 

 these vessels in this harbor of last year; they came for bait for capliu 

 during the " caplin school," and squids afterward. This bait they hauled 

 themselves in part, and jigged squids. I saw six dories belonging to 

 one of their vessels on the "jigging ground" busily employed jigging for 



