1254 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



waters ; tbe value for this privilege would be at least oue thousand dol- 

 lars for each vessel yearly. 



27. Do not know that fishing by American vessels hinders the fishing 

 operations of Canadian fishermen. 



28. The United States fishermen employ a large number of our men 

 for their crews ; the supplies for these men's families are brought by 

 the American vessels and landed at their homes on our shores, on 

 which there is no duty paid. 



JOHN INGHAM BRAND. 



The foregoing statement is correct, to the best of my knowledge and 

 belief. Sworn before me at Pubuico the second day of Auguit, A. D. 

 1877. 



ENOS GARDNER, 

 J. P. for County of Yarmouth. 



No. 132. 



In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty 



of Washington. 



I, EDWARD HURTLE, of Lunenburg Town, in the county of Luuen- 

 burg, fisherman, make oath and say as follows : 



1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for thirty-five years, every 

 year up to the present. I have fished all along the southern coast of 

 Nova Scotia, around Cape Breton, on the eastern side of New Bruns- 

 wick, around Prince Edward's Island, around the Magdalenes, and on 

 the Labrador coast. I have been personally engaged in the Bank fish- 

 ery. I am also well acquainted with the inshore fishery in Luuenburg 

 County. I have taken all the kinds of fish found on the above-men- 

 tioned coasts. 



2. When in the North Bay I have seen many American vessels there 

 engaged in taking mackerel. There were there from four to five hun- 

 dred, at least, every year. These American vessels carried from twelve 

 to eighteen men. They took, on an average, during each trip, three 

 hundred barrels of mackerel, at least. They made from two to three 

 trips. The most of the mackerel were taken inshore, and, in my opinion, 

 it would not pay to go for mackerel unless they can be taken within 

 three miles of the shore. 



3. When in the North Bay, I have seen often from fifteen to twenty 

 American vessels at one time engaged in taking codfish. These ves- 

 sels carry from ten to thirteen men, and take, on an average, one thou- 

 sand quintals in a season. The American vessels in the bay take most 

 of their fish with trawls, and I have seen them taking fish around Scat- 

 erie by trawling within two miles of the shore. 



4. I have seen the Americans, year after year, on the Labrador coast, 

 engaged in taking herring. I have there seen at one time from six to 

 eight American vessels. These vessels take about twenty-four men 

 each, and average at least twenty men. They take both herring and 

 codfish by seining on the shore. These vessels average about two thou- 

 sand quintals to a vessel. 



o. In my experience the mackerel always varied, being some years 

 good and others poor. 1 have heard that they are very plentiful in the 

 bay this year. The herring fishery has always been good. Three years 

 ago I was half-owner of a schooner which fished out of this port. Three 

 years ago she took twenty one hundred quintals, the year before last 



