AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1261 



bands to each vessel. In a good season one of the larger vessels usu- 

 ally takes from five to six hundred barrels. These vessels make from 

 two to three trips. 



4. Every year down to seventy-seven I have seen many American 

 codfish-vessels in the North Bay taking codfish. They have increased 

 every year, and this year I have seen more than ever before. These 

 codfish- vessels carry from ten to fourteen men. These vessels take from 

 five to six hundred quintals of fish to each vessel, and make about two 

 trips. These American vessels fished in among the boats and wherever 

 they could catch fish. 



5. On the Labrador coast I have seen Americans seine codfish close 

 in on the shore, and have seen engaged there four at one time. 



6. Around the Magdalenes I have seen the Americans take herring 

 all inshore. I have seen there at one time from sixty to seventy vessels 

 at one time. These vessels carry from eight to ten men each, and take 

 from nine hundred to ten hundred barrels each. 



7. In my experience, mackerel have varied, being some years plenty 

 and others scarce. The herring fishery seldom varies, being mostly al- 

 ways good. The codfish has fallen oft' some. 



8. In former years the Americans took mackerel with hook and line ; 

 they now take large quantities with purse seines. They take nearly all 

 the codfish by trawling. Most of the American cod fish -vessels carry 

 seven thousand hooks each. 



9. The Americans throw overboard the "gurry," which is an injury 

 to the fishery, as it gluts the fish and drives them away. Trawling I 

 consider injurious to the fishery, as it takes the mother fish, which are 

 foil of spawn. In hand-lining few mother fish are taken. The Ameri- 

 cans have made a habit of throwing overboard the small fish, and an 

 Ameiiciin skipper told me last summer that of forty-five quintals or up- 

 wards, which he took upon his trawls, he only saved from fifteen to 

 eighteen quintals ; the remainder he threw away. 



10. In my experience the Americans fished inshore whenever they 

 could, whatever the conditions of the treaty were. They made off when 

 a cutter appeared and returned when she disappeared. 



11. The value of the inshore catch in Canadian waters is more, in my 

 opinion, than double the oft'shore catch, in value. 



12. Nearly all the Americans carry purse seines, which I consider a 

 very bad way of taking mackerel. I have never seen nor heard of any 

 Canadian vessel using a purse seine. 



13. I hav^ seen the Americans catch squid for bait in the Canadian 

 bays and harbors, within three miles of the shore. I have seen them catch 

 these squid at the Strait of Canso, and at Crow Harbor, and other places. 

 The Americans buy herring and mackerel all along our coast from Cape 

 Sable to Labrador, wherever they can get it, and ice in which to keep it 

 fresh. This privilege of getting ice and bait accorded to the Americans 

 interferes with Canadian bankers, making bait and ice dearer and 

 scarcer. 



14. The Americans buy bait in order to save time and expense, and 

 without this bait, and ice in which to keep it fresh, they could not carry 

 on the deep-sea fishery. 



15. The Americans, since 1871, have injured the Canadian fisheries 

 by taking great quantities of fish, by improper methods of fishing, and 

 by interfering with the supply of ice and bait. 



16. The mackerel feed, to a considerable extent, on shrimps found in- 

 shore, they spawn inshore, and are an inshore fish. 



17. The privilege accorded to the Americans of taking fish and trans 



