AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1201 



for catching herring around the Magdalenes, and they expected to take 

 three thousand barrels, and last spring large catches were made arouud 

 the Magdaleues, which were shipped to the Baltic and Black seas. 



5. Some years ago the Americans took mackerel with hook and line; 

 now I am informed they use purse seines and hook and line. Codfish 

 are taken chiefly by trawling and handlining; the herring are taken 

 around the Magdalen Islands with seines. 



6. The offal is thrown overboard by the Americans, which is very in- 

 jurious to the fishing grounds, glutting the fish and driving them away. 

 I have caught fish with sound bones in them in a sickly state. 



7. I am acquainted with a great number of Nova Scotian vessels, and 

 I have never seen nor heard of any of them using purse seines, and I 

 consider the use of these purse seines by the Americans as very injuri- 

 ous to fishing. 



8. The Americans buy bait all along the coast, and ice in which to 

 pack it, wherever they can get it, and they buy it because they save 

 time and the expense of netting. 



9. When I was engaged in mackerel fishing it was a common practice 

 among the Americans to lee-bow us. They made bait much more expen- 

 sive to Canadian fishing vessels by coming into our harbors and pur- 

 chasing it when bait is scarce ; the time they come for bait, herring and 

 mackerel are only beginning to set in. 



10. Herring fishery is all inshore, and the Americans purchase herring 

 for bait as already stated. 



11. Taken on an average, Canadian mackerel are better than Ameri- 

 can. 



12. Mackerel in my experience make inshore, and I consider them to 

 be an inshore fish. 



13. At the Strait of Canso I have often seen the Americans transship- 

 ping their cargoes, and by this plan they save time and catch more fish. 



14. It is of great advantage to the Americans to be able to procure 

 bait from our inshore fishermen, and ice in which to pack it, and with- 

 out this privilege they could not carry on the deep-sea fishery profitably. 

 Last summer I took fresh bait from Canso, and with it fished on the 

 Grand Banks, Newfoundland, and took one hundred quintals a day for 

 six days, then tried salt bait and only took from eight to ten, and 

 while using fresh bait both American and Nova Scotian vessels using 

 salt bait around me, could catch no fish, and hove up and went away. 



15. Without ice it would be impossible for the Americans to keep their 

 bait fresh. t The Americans bring their supplies from home, except ice 

 and bait, and when they run short, purchase to a small extent in our 

 ports. 



16. To my knowledge no Canadian vessels ever go to American 

 waters to fish, and I consider the right of fishing in American waters of 

 no benefit to Canadians. 



17. If the Americans were excluded from getting bait and ice, and 

 from taking fish inshore, it would be of very great value to Canadian 

 fishermen. 



NATHANIEL JOST. 



Sworn to at Lunenburg, in the county of Luneuburg, this 7th day of 

 August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



JOSEPH W. LOCKHART, J. P. 

 76 F 



