AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1283 



No. 101. 



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



of Washington. 



I, MICHAEL MclNNis, of Port Daniel, county of Bonaventure, Prov- 

 ince of Quebec, farmer and fisherman and merchant, make oath and 

 say as follows : 



1. Am acquainted with all the fisheries from Point Macqtiereau to 

 Paspebiac ; 1 have followed these fisheries for 15 years. 



2. Am thirty-one years of age, and since I can remember, the mack- 

 erel fishing by Americans has been carried on on an extensive scale on 

 this shore. 



3. To the best of my knowledge, 100 schooners have visited these 

 ishores (I always speak of between Point Macqnereau and Paspebiac) 



yearly. The average tonnage of these vessels is about 70 tons, each 

 vessel having from 10 to 15 men for a crew. I am acquainted with the 

 mackerel fishery only. 



4. I don't remember of any of these vessels ever missing their voyage. 



5. 1 have been many times on board of American fishing-vessels fish- 

 Jng on this shore, and have heard them say many times that most of 

 the schooners have made two trips in a season. 



6. The herring fishery is the same as it has been for the past 15 years, 

 and codfish also. 



7. Mackerel are taken by the Americans with hand-lines and seines. 



8. The practice of throwing fish offals is injurious to the fisheries, 

 because it gluts the large fish, and kills the small ones. 



9. Every year since I can remember, till 1870, I have seen the Ameri- 

 cans fishing inshore often at our net moorings and catching mackerel as 

 hard as they could with hand-lines. 



10. The inshore fishery is of much greater value than the outside. 



11. All the bait, herring, smelt, capliu, and lance are caught inshore. 

 Two-thirds of the codfish and two-thirds of the mackerel have been 

 caught inshore. 



12. I have seen the Americans many times come among our boats, and 

 entice the mackerel away by throwing bait. They have done the same 

 to me many times, thereby causing me great damage, because there were 

 ;no more fish left to get. They do this whenever they get the chance. 



13. I have seen the Americans from my boat and from the shore 

 many times, going around looking for a place to throw their seines. 



14. I have seen many times the American trawlers come in Port 

 Daniel for bait. 



15. About 20 different trawlers come here every season for their bait. 

 I heard the Americans say often that they require CO barrels of bait 

 (herring) to make their voyage. 



16. The fishery has not diminished since 1871. 



17. The Americans take herring here for bait only. 



18. On questioning the Americans on board their own vessels, they 

 .frequently told me that our mackerel was of greater value than their 

 own. 



19. Mackerel breed and feed inshore. Our inshores are one of their 

 breeding-grounds. 



-(>. 1 have seen the Americans frequently ever since I can remember 

 land to dry and repair their nets, and it is a great advantage to them. 

 21. I consider it a great advantage to Americans to be able to trans- 



