1258 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



they can find them. They buy herring and mackerel. They do so be- 

 cause it saves time and the expense of fitting out their vessels with net. 

 The Americans being allowed to get bait, interfere with our vessels, as 

 they come at a time when herring and mackerel are scarce. Last year 

 an American vessel loaded with halibut inside of the Kettle, between 

 Scaterie and the main-laud, and trawl around there for halibut. 



10. Since seventy-three the mackerel fell off until this year, when they 

 are very plenty again. On the banks the codfish during the past six 

 years have fallen off to some extent. This the fishermen attribute to 

 too much trawling. 



11. The herring fishery is all inshore in Canadian waters, and the 

 Americans catch them for bait, as already stated. 



12. I have often heard the Americans say that our fall mackerel is 

 much superior to theirs. 



13. The mackerel make inshore to feed. They trim the shore, are 

 taken inshore, and I consider them au inshore fish. 



14. I have often seen the Americans transship their cargoes at the 

 Strait of Canso, and in a good season they would save from two to three 

 thousand dollars to each vessel by so doing. By this privilege they 

 save time, expense, and catch more fish. They are enabled to refit and 

 remain constantly on the ground. 



15. The Americans get bait and ice in this county in large quantities, 

 and without this bait and ice in which to keep it fresh it would be im- 

 possible for the Americans to carry on the deep-sea fishery. When the 

 Americans come on to our coast they make every effort to get bait, and 

 ice in which to keep it fresh, because they say that without this bait 

 and ice they could catch no fish. 



16. I have never known nor heard of any Canadian vessel fishing in 

 American waters, and I consider this right to be of no value to Canadian 

 fishermen. 



17. Such large numbers of Americans carry off great quantities of fish 

 and make them scarce for our fishermen. They injure our grounds by 

 throwing overboard large quantities of offal, and by trawling. They 

 interfere with our supply of ice and bait. 



18. It would be a great benefit, in my opinion, if the Americans were 

 excluded from our'fishing grounds, particularly our inshore fisheries. 



JOHN MORTEN. 



Sworn to at Port Medway, in the county of Queen's, this 14th day of 

 August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



E. C. SEELY, J. P. 

 No. 135. 



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



of Washington. 



I, JOHN SMELTZER, of Lunenburg Town, in the county of Luneu- 

 burg, master mariner, make oath and say as follows : 



1. 1 have been engaged in the fisheries for about thirty-five years: 

 for twenty-seven years I have fished as master in a vessel of my own 

 with eleven hands. I have fished along the coast of Nova Scotia, east- 

 ern side of Cape Breton, around Prince Edward Island, and in the Bay 

 of Chaleurs, on the east coast of New Brunswick, and have been Bank 

 fishing, and am at present well acquainted with the inshore fishery in 

 Lunenburg County. I have fished mackerel, herring, codfish, halibut, 

 hake, haddock, and pollock. 



