AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1279 



board American fishing- vessels we took nearly all the cargo of mackerel 

 inshore. 



6. The Americans catch bait within three miles of the shore both 

 herring and squid. All bait is caught inshore. They chiefly buy now, 

 and their reason for this is, because it pays them better than catching it. 

 Our fishermen catch bait better than the Americans. To my knowledge, 

 as many as fifty or sixty American vessels have baited here this season, 

 in this vicinity. 



7. Our herring fisheries are very valuable to Canadian fishermen. It 

 is the most profitable business we have now. I have known our own 

 fishermen to take from 150 to 200 barrels of herring in two days, in one 

 boat. If the American fishermen should take hold of this herring-fish- 

 ing and begin to seine herring, it would be a great injury to us and a 

 loss to our business. 



8. The main body of the mackerel feed around our shores in the shoal 

 water. Their food is small fish, which only frequent the inshores. lu 

 the autumn season the mackerel particularly keep close inshore. 



9. It is a great advantage for American fishermen to be allowed to 

 be allowed to laud and dry their nets and cure their fish ; and also to 

 transship their cargoes. They are in the habit of doing this constantly 

 since the Treaty of Washington, and their fishermen always consider ft 

 an advantage to them as enabling them to refit for a new voyage with- 

 out going back to their home ports. They can thus catch more fish and 

 make more trips during the season. 



10. The privilege of being able to catch or procure bait in our waters 

 and ports is one of the most important advantages which the Americans 

 derive from the Treaty of Washington. This is so great an advantage 

 that if the Americans were not allowed to procure bait from Canadians, 

 or catch it in Canadian waters, I believe they would have to abandon 

 their cod-fishing in the gulf and around our coast altogether. The bait 

 which they use will only last about three weeks when preserved on ice, 

 and it would be impossible for Americans to carry on the cod-fishing 

 business to any profitable extent if they had to be dependent on Ameri- 

 can ports and waters for all the bait they used. 



11. The American fishermen also find it a great advantage to them 

 to procure ice from our ports. It is in this way they are able to preserve 

 their bait, otherwise they would have to salt it, which is considered a 

 great injury to the bait. 



12. I know of no advantage whatever which Canadian fishermen de- 

 rive from the privilege of fishing in American waters. Americans say 

 that our fishing-grounds are their best and most valuable. I never 

 heard of any Canadian vessels going into American waters to fish, and 

 see no likelihood of any doing so. 



13. I could not undertake to name any certain money value to each 

 American vessel of the privileges which they now have of fishing and 

 getting supplies in our waters; but I don't see how they could carry on 

 their fisheries in these parts with any kind of profit or success if they 

 did not enjoy them. They would not be able to take as im\ny trips, nor 

 could they get on with the same ease, and their cod-fishing would be 

 next thing to ruined if they could not get bait here. 



14. I believe if there were no American fishermen in our waters, and 

 our own fishermen had exclusive use of British-American waters, that 

 we would be able to catch more fish and derive greater profits, and that 

 our fishing grounds would be better preserved. Canadian fishermen 

 carry on their business with greater care than Americans, and instead 

 of throwing the ofl'al overboard to glut the fish, they carry it to the shore. 



GEOliGE MUKl'UY. 



