1262 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



shipping them, saves them time and expense, and enables them to take 

 more fish. 



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

 American waters, and I consider this right of no value. 



19. I consider that it would be a great benefit to Canadian fishermen 

 if the Americans were excluded from our inshore fisheries, and I know 

 of no benefit which we derive from the American fishermen. 



ELIAS EICHARDS. 



Sworn to at Getson's Cove, in the county of Lunenburg, this llth 

 day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



JOSEPH W. LOCKHAET, J. P. 



No. 137. 



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



of Washington. 



I, JAMES GETSON, of Getson's Cove, in the county of Luneuburg, 

 fisherman, make oath and say as follows : 



1. I have fished from twelve to fourteen years along the southern 

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

 wick, around Prince Edward Island, around the Magdalenes, on the 

 Canadian coast of Labrador, and on the Banks, and am well acquainted 

 with the inshore fisheries in Lunenburg County. I have taken all the 

 kinds of fish found on the above-mentioned coasts. 



2. I have fished this summer and last around Prince Edward Island 

 and the Magdalenes, and on Bank Bradley ; and I saw there many 

 American vessels, some engaged in taking mackerel, and others engaged 

 in taking codfish. Last summer I saw as many as fifteen at one time 

 fishing together day after day. I saw during last summer as many as 

 two hundred. These I saw before the middle of August. These Amer- 

 ican mackerelmen carry from fourteen to twenty men to each vessel. 

 Four years ago, when fishing in the North Bay, I have seen over four 

 hundred American mackerel- vessels in a fortnight; and I have, along 

 with other fishermen, put the number of American vessels down at from 

 five to six hundred. These vessels catch the most of their mackerel in- 

 shore, within tbree miles of the shore ; and in my opinion it would not 

 pay to fish mackerel unless they were taken within three miles of the 

 shore. 



3. Last summer and this summer I saw large numbers of American 

 codfish vessels around Prince Edward Island and the Magdalenes. I 

 saw last summer often from twenty to twenty -five in a day engaged in 

 taking codfish. The Americans take all their fish in the North Bay by 

 trawling. Very few Canadian vessels take fish in the North Bay by 

 trawling; they use mostly hook and line. I consider trawling a very 

 injurious method of taking fish, as it destroys the mother fish. The 

 Americans carry from eight to ten thousand hooks on their trawls to 

 each vessel. By trawling the bait lies on the bottom, and the big fish 

 take it ; this is not the case in hand-lining. 



4. The American codfish vessels carry about fourteen men on each 

 vessel, and take about six hundred quintals on each trip. They make 

 three trips. 



5. I fished in the North Bay for mackerel when the fisheries were 

 protected, and our vessels did better than when they were not protected, 

 and took more fish. The Americans fished inshore at that time to a 



