1268 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



9. I consider the privilege of transshipping cargoes and procuring bait 

 on our shores is worth at least 50 per cent, of their catch to American 

 fishermen. 



D. GROUCHY. 



The said David Grouchy was sworn to the truth of this affidavit at 

 Descousse, in the county of Richmond, on the 1st day of August, A. D. 

 1877, before me. 



E. P. FLYNN, 

 A Justice of the Peace. 



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



of Washington. 



I, ISIDORE LEBLANC, of Arichat, in the county of Richmond and 

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



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

 and for twenty years previous thereto I was a master-mariner, and I 

 have a good knowledge of the fisheries around the coast of Canada. 



2. Formerly the mackerel were caught altogether with hook and line, 

 but of late years the Americans are using purse-seines in this fishery. 

 The codfish are principally caught with trawls, and the herring with nets 

 and seines. I believe that the cod fishery is being injured by the use of 

 trawls and by the throwing overboard of offal. 



3. The American fishermen have fished inside of the three-mile limit 

 whenever they could get the chance. I myself have seen the Americans 

 fishing inside of the three mile limit after the Reciprocity Treaty, and 

 whenever the government cutters were not in sight. 



4. The inshore mackerel and herring fisheries are worth more than the 

 outside fisheries, in my opinion. The greater portion of the mackerel is 

 caught within three miles of the shore, and almost all the herring within 

 that distance. The inshore mackerel fishery is greatly injured by the 

 Americans coming in and throwing bait, and enticing the fish away from 

 the shore fishermen. 



5. Both Canadian and American fishermen catch codfish, haddock, 

 hake, and halibut to some extent on our shores. 



6. I believe that the mackerel caught in Canadian waters are better 

 than those caught in United States waters. 



7. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be allowed to land and 

 dry their nets and cure their fish on our shores. The privilege of trans- 

 shipping cargoes is also of very great value to the American fishermen, 

 as it enables them to catch more fish by making more trips than they 

 otherwise could. When the mackerel are plenty the Americans can, by 

 means of transshipping cargoes, make two trips to the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence in the time it would otherwise take them to make one. 



8. The American cod fishermen cannot profitably carry on the deep- 

 sea cod fishery without procuring bait on the shores of Canada or New- 

 foundland. 



9. The privilege of fishing in American waters is, in ray opinion, of 

 no value whatever to Canadians, and I never heard of any Canadian 

 vessel making a voyage for fishing purposes to American waters. 



10. The fishing operations of Canadians are considerably hindered by 

 the Americans fishing in our inshore waters, as they entice away the 

 fish and lessen the inshore catch of our fishermen. 



