1224 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



United States fishermen, I believe the said statement to be true in all 

 particulars. 



his 



AECHIBALD + HUTCHINGS. 

 mark. 



Sworn before me at Spaniard's Bay, Newfoundland, this 27th April, 

 1877. 



J. O. FRASEB, 

 Commissioner of Affidavits. 



No. 106. 



ALFRED HOPKINS, aged 52 years, planter, residing at Heart's Con- 

 tent, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, maketh oath and saith : 



I have become acquainted with the Newfoundland fisheries by prose- 

 cuting the same in their various branches for upwards of thirty-five 

 years. I have seen United States fishing schooners in this neighbor- 

 hood ; there were four or five in this harbor last year at one time, and as 

 many as twelve in this harbor throughout the summer. 



These vessels came here for fresh bait, which they purchased in part, 

 and caught in part themselves. Squids was the bait they were in quest 

 of. These vessels came in from the Banks off our coast for bait, which 

 they procured as aforesaid. 



Newfoundland fishermen generally catch codfish within two miles of 

 the shore; the Newfoundland cod fishery is an inshore fishery. The 

 capliu, herring, and squid fisheries for bait are all inshore fisheries, and 

 are prosecuted close to the shore. 



I never heard of a Newfoundland vessel having prosecuted any fishery 

 on any of the coasts or shores of the United States of America. 



The supply of bait to United States fishermen, although only com- 

 menced, has decreased the supply for local fishermen, and when the 

 former become better acquainted with our harbors and the facilities for 

 procuring the bait they require, it cannot be doubted but that great in- 

 jury will result to the interests of local fishermen in decreasing their 

 supply of bait. The bait-fisheries above others should be protected by 

 all possible means. The operations of United States fishermen in sup- 

 plying themselves with bait on our shores and in our harbors tends to 

 injure this fishery much more than as prosecuted by Newfoundland fisher- 

 men, who only require a comparatively small supply, and this is taken 

 each day in limited quantities, or, when taken for a catch off shore, 

 is still MI moderate quantity compared with the supply required by United 

 States fishermen, and the procuring of the lesser quantity is not attended 

 by the noise and bustle attending the larger supply taken by United 

 States fishing-craft. I do not think the caplin, the herring, or the squid 

 fisheries would or could hold out many years if subjected to the opera- 

 tions of any considerable number of United States fishermen, judging 

 iroin what I have seen of them and their traffic for bait last year. 



There is no doubt on my mind as to certain effects resulting from 

 the fishing operations of United States fishermen on the Banks off 

 our coasts well supplied with fresh bait, and that one effect of their fish- 

 ing operations as aforesaid has been and must continue to be the attrac- 

 tion of codfish to the Banks and to the bait there supplied, preventing fish 

 passing in toward our shores, as would otherwise be the case. The shore 

 fishery along our coasts is injuriously affected by United States fish- 

 ermen on the Banks, and in my opinion the short catch last year along 

 our south and west coasts was greatly owing to the presence of the large 



