AWAED OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1211 



I have been practically acquainted with the Newfoundland fisheries 

 for forty-two years, and know all about them. I have seen many Uni- 

 ted States vessels in this neighborhood. Five or six of them anchored 

 here twice a week and sometimes three times a week last year; large 

 numbers of them were constantly coming and going. They come for 

 herrings, caplins, and squids for bait, and ice to preserve such bait 

 fresh. I did not note the names of these vessels, but am satisfied they 

 belonged to the United States of America. Our people left their own 

 fisheries to supply them with bait. I have seen them using our people's 

 seines hauling herrings in August, and among our fishermen jigging 

 squids after fifteenth or twentieth of August. Newfoundland fishermen 

 catch codfish generally within one mile of the shore. The caplin, her- 

 rings, and squids caught for bait are all taken inshore, in the coves and 

 harbors of our bays. I never heard of a Newfoundland vessel engaging 

 on a fishing voyage on any of the coasts or shores of the United States 

 of America. United States fishermen have sold nets, Bank lines, ropes, 

 and other fishing-gear in this neighborhood, and they have also sold on 

 our shores codfish and oil, particulars of which I cannot give. 



The supply of bait to the United States fishermen has certainly very 

 much injured the supply to our local fishermen by decreasing the same. 



In my opinion it is as true as that the sun is shining, that the opera- 

 tions of United States vessels fishing on the outer Banks off our shores, 

 well supplied with fresh bait, tend very much to reduce the catch of 

 codfish by our local fishermen, and that the short catch of codfish along 

 our south and west coasts the past year was, in a great measure, caused 

 by their fishing operations as aforesaid. 



The average catch per hand for 1874, '75, and '76, in this neighbor- 

 hood, has not been more than fifteen quintals ; previous to these years 

 the average has been fifty-five to sixty-five quintals per hand. This 

 reduction of catch I attribute to United States fishermen, in their opera- 

 tions along our shores for bait, and on the Banks off our shores, lining 

 the ground with fresh bait which codfish will not pass. 



In conversations with captains of some of these United States fish- 

 ing-vessels, I learned from them that they consider the fresh bait pro- 

 cured on our shores was the means of greatly advancing their inter- 

 ests, by enabling them to catch much larger voyages. 



Generally, there are icebergs in this neighborhood, close to shore, 

 which United States vessels use to preserve bait, and they have said it 

 is all-important to their fishery ; that they are enabled to run into our 

 harbors as one of their captains told me in fifteen hours from the 

 Banks, procure bait to be used fresh on the Banks in from eight to 

 twelve hours after being put on board. This is what was stated to me 

 by a captain of one of their vessels his name was O'Donnell or Me- 

 Donell. 



JVIy opinion is that the operations of Americans baiting on our shores 

 and fishing on the Banks with fresh bait supplied by our firshermeu, is 

 ruinous to our fisheries, and will tend every year more and more to 

 operate against us. The value of what they 'pay for bait purchased 

 from our people is not a "drop in the bucket" to the permanent bene- 

 fits which would result from a steady prosecution of the cod-fishery. 



LAWRENCE FORTUNE. 



Sworn before ine at Toad's Cove, this 13th day April, 1877. 



J. O. FEASER, 

 Commissioner of Affidavits. 



