1192 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION 



squids. They also purchase bait from our people, being always in a 

 hurry to get their bait as quickly as possible to proceed again to the 

 Banks. Caplin they regularly haul for themselves when caplin is abun- 

 dant, which it always is until the season advances. Each vessel takes 

 about eighty barrels fresh caplin, which they preserve in ice purchased 

 from our people. The bait hauled and jigged by these United States 

 fishermen was taken in the harbor close to shore. 



Newfoundland fishermen generally catch codfish within one and a 

 half miles of the shore. The Newfoundland fishery is an inshore fishery ; 

 exceptionally, in the fall, boats do go off to Banks called Fermeuse and 

 Renews, Bantams and Cape Ballard Bank. The caplin, herring, and 

 squid used for bait are inshore fisheries, and are prosecuted close to 

 shore. 



I never heard of a Newfoundland fishing vessel prosecuting any fishery 

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

 bait to United States vessels decreases the supply of bait to our local 

 fishermen. I feel certain that the supply of bait to these United States 

 vessels has had the effect of reducing the catch of our local fishermen, 

 and can attribute the short catch of codfish in 1876 along these shores 

 to no other cause than the operations of United States fishing vessels 

 fishing on the outer Banks. I consider that the evil resulting from the 

 use being made by the United States fishermen is the right to take bait 

 in our waters, will every year become more hurtful to our people, and 

 that it of already serious magnitude. There were no ice-houses at this 

 harbor for the supply of bait to the United States fishermen, who pur- 

 chased what they required at Cape Broyle and elsewhere. 



EOBT. MORRY. 



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



J. O. FRASBR, 

 Commissioner of Affidavit*. 



No. 78. 



PETER WINSER, aged 54 years, planter, residing at Aquaforte, New- 

 foundland, maketh oath and saith : 



I have been connected with the fisheries of Newfoundland, by either 

 prosecuting the same or supplying therefor, since I was fourteen years 

 of age. 



I have seen United States fishing- vessels in this harbor the past sea- 

 son as well as the year previous, getting bait ; they jigged squids 

 themselves in part, and what they were short of catching they pur- 

 chased from our fishermen. Caplin they hauled themselves, using a 

 seine belonging to a person residing in this harbor, which was worked 

 by American fishermen, except one young man, the sou of the seine 

 owner. Four of these vessels have been in this harbor at one time 

 catching bait; as many as fifteen have been at one time in Cape Broyle; 

 I saw ten there one day, whose crews were all engaged catching squids. 

 In this immediate vicinity there were last summer not fewer than 

 seventy of these United States vessels in our harbors during the caplin 

 school ; and I am well informed that between St. Johns and Trepany 

 not fewer than two hundred have frequented the harbors for the supply 

 of fresh bait, which they procured partly by catching for themselves 

 and partly by purchasing. I am led to believe that it is the intention 

 of United States vessels to come in upon our shores and into our har- 

 bors to catch bait to convey to their schooners on the Banks, so that 



