1266 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



No. 141. 



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



of Washington. 



I, PETER BOSDET, of West Arichat, in the county of Richmond and 

 province of Nova Scotia, merchant, make oath and say as follows : 



1. During the past thirty-two years I have been engaged in the fish- 

 ing trade, and my acquaintance with the fisheries on our coasts extends 

 over that period. 



2. The herring fishery is about the same as it has been in the past. 

 The mackerel vary from year to year. From 1871 to 1874 the mackerel 

 were plenty, but they were scarce in 1875 and 1876. I believe that the 

 scarcity of 1875 and 1876 will not, however, be permanent. 



3. The use of trawls and the throwing overboard of offal are both 

 very injurious to the cod fishery. Both these practices tend to drive 

 away the fish from their usual haunts. 



4. The herring fishery is altogether inshore, that is, within three 

 miles of the shore, and the greater part of the mackerel are caught 

 within the same distance. I consider that the inshore fisheries are of 

 much greater value than those outside. 



5. I am strongly of opinion that the inshore boat fishery on our coasts 

 has been greatly injured by the Americans baiting the fish and drawing 

 them away from the boats. I refer only to the mackerel in making this 

 statement in this paragraph. 



6. 1 consider that it is a great benefit to the Americans to be allowed 

 to land and dry their nets and cure their fish on our coasts. The privi- 

 lege of transshipping cargoes is also a great advantage to American 

 mackerelers, and they can of course make more trips and catch more 

 fish than they otherwise could, and by this means, I believe, that they 

 can make three trips to the fishing-grounds in the same time in which 

 they could otherwise make two. The privilege of getting bait on our 

 shores is also a vast advantage to American codfishermen who indeed 

 could not profitably carry on the codfishery without this privilege. The 

 procuring of ice on our shores is also essential to the codfishermen, as 

 without this they cannot keep their bait fresh. 



7. The privilege of fishing in xVmerican waters is of no practical ad- 

 vantage whatever to Canadians, and I never heard of Canadians avail- 

 ing themselves at any time of such privilege. 



8. I consider that the Canadian boat fishermen could carry on their 

 fishery more profitably and successfully if the Americans were excluded 

 from within the three-mile limit. 



P. BOSDET. 



The said Peter Bosdet was sworn to the truth of this affidavit, at West 

 Arichat, in the county of Richmond, this 2d day of August, A. D. 1877, 

 before me. 



E. P. FLYNN, 

 A Justice of the Peace. 



No. 142. 



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



of Washington. 



I, FRANCIS MARMEAN, of Arichat, in the county of Richmond and 

 province of Nova Scotia, merchant, ma'ce oath and say as follows : 



