AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1205 



them there fishing since 1871. I have counted the summer before last 

 titty American vessels within three fourths of a mile from each other. 

 The most of the American vessels which I saw fished inshore around the 

 above mentioned coasts. I saw them take both codfish and mackerel 

 inshore, within three miles of the shore. Mackerel are taken mostly all 

 inshore, and I would not fit out a vessel to take mackerel unless she 

 fished inshore. 



,'3. Including the codfishermen on the Banks and those in the bay, 

 there are as many of them as of mackerelmen. I mean the Banks around 

 our coasts. So many Americans takeaway the fish from us; they lee-bow 

 us. I have often seen them run into Nova Scotian vessels, and so many 

 of them make it dangerous for our fishermen. 



4. The American mackerel men take about four hundred barrels of 

 mackerel to each vessel, and generally make three trips. The mack- 

 erel men carry from seventeen to twenty-one of a crew, and take 

 the most of their mackerel inshore, within three miles of the shore. The 

 codfish vessels carry from twelve to fourteen men, and take about 

 a thousand quintals, and make from two to three trips. They take this 

 codfish inshore when they can get it, and wherever they can. I have 

 seen as many as eighty American vessels at one time taking mackerel 

 within two and three miles of the shore at once. This I have seen durind 

 the past four years. 



5. The throwing overboard of offal is injurious to the fishery, as it 

 gluts the fish and drives them away, and the sound-bone, which is 

 thrown overboard, is injurious to the fish. 



6. The Americans in my experience always fished inshore when they 

 could, whatever the treaty was. They made off when a cutter appeared, 

 and returned when she went away. 



7. The inshore fishery, in my opinion, is of the greatest value. On 

 the Labrador coast we always catch the codfish inshore, often with seines 

 on the shore ; and I have seen, during the past sixteen years, large num- 

 bers of Americans seining codfish on the Labrador coast, and I have 

 seen them do this every year for the past sixteen, and also last year. 



8. I have seen the Americans catching bait within three miles of the 

 shore, around Prince Edward Island. This bait was used for taking 

 codfish. They catch and buy bait all along the coasts and wherever 

 they can get it. They make the bait scarce for our bankers by gobbling 

 it up before herring and mackerel are plenty. 



9. Fish have not increased since 1871, particularly mackerel. This 

 I consider is owing to overfishing, and the bad methods employed by 

 the Americans in taking fish. 



10. The herring fishery is all inshore, and the Americans take them 

 in large quantities on the Labrador coast, mostly by seining from the 

 shore. 



11. Without bait, and ice in which to preserve it, the Americans could 

 not carry on the deep-sea fishery, as fresh bait is necessary. This bait 

 the Americans get all around our coasts, and buy it often ? because it 

 saves time and expense. 



12. I have never known nor heard of any of our fishermen going to 

 fish in American waters, and I consider this right of no value. 



^/13. The Americans hinder our fishermen by taking away the fish, as 

 already stated, and I consider that it would be a great benefit to us if the 

 Americans were excluded from our inshore fisheries, and I know of no 

 benefit that we derive from American fishermen. 



JEFFREY COOK. 



