1290 AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



About three hundred sail of United States fishing-vessels frequented 

 this bay this spring and summer for fresh bait. 



From thirty to sixty United States vessels frequent Fortune Bay in 

 winter for the purchase of fresh herrings which they freeze and take on 

 to Cape Ann and Boston and elsewhere in United States ; the price 

 obtained for these frozen herrings in the markets of the United States 

 varies from one to fifteen dollars. The herringr taken in winter by 

 these American vessels are purchased from our people, the price paid 

 being one dollar nominally, but the measure exacted reduces the price 

 to from sixty to seventy-five cents per barrel. In June and July the 

 seining of large quantities of herrings shortens the supply of bait to 

 local fishermen. In June I knew of twenty seines barring herrings for 

 United States fishermen ; some of which seines inclosed two thousand bar- 

 rels herrings, kept inclosed till United States vessels came along to pur- 

 chase, and sometimes thus retained for two months, at the end of which 

 time the seines are taken up and the herrings alive set free; in all such 

 cases there is a large destruction of herrings, and a ruinous interference 

 with the bait supply of our local fishermen. 



I am of decided opinion that the presence of the large number of 

 United States vessels fishing on the Banks off our coasts using fresh 

 bait greatly reduces the catch of codfish by our local fishermen, and 

 that the short catch the past season along our southwest coasts is owing 

 to the operations of United States fishermen on the outer banks. Pre- 

 vious to the last two years the fishermen of this harbor, average from 

 eighty quintals upwards; the past season the average will not exceed 

 eighteen quintals, but will be nearer fifteen quintals per man. The quan- 

 tity of bait annually sent to St. Pierre from. Fortune will be about, I 

 calculate to be, 5,000 barrels herrings vauled at 40,000 francs, 10,000 bar- 

 rels capliu valued at G0,000 francs. 



About ten thousand barrels herring are annually thrown away, being 

 unsalable at St. Pierre. There are no ice-houses at Fortune Ilarbor 

 wherein ice is preserved. 



JOHN LAKE, SR. 



Sworn before me at Fortune, N. F., this 27th November, 1876. 



J. O. FRASER, 

 Commissioner of Affidavits. 



No. 168. 



GEORGE SIMMS, aged 49 years, stipendiary magistrate and preventive 

 officer, residing at Grand Bank, N. F., maketh oath and saith that 



I have had thirty years' experience of the fisheries of Newfoundland, 

 having at 19 years of age carried on the fishery, and subsequently being 

 with scarcely any intermission connected therewith. I have observed 

 great numbers of United States fishing-vessels in this neighborhood, 

 especially during the past season. The number would be from two to 

 three hundred at different times frequenting Fortune Bay for the supply 

 of fresh bait for the cod-fishery, chiefly on the Grand Banks of New- 

 foundland. I can only enumerate a few of such vessels, as they keep 

 away from customs officers to evade the local laws of the country, par- 

 ticularly those referring to light-dues, which all Newfoundland vessels 



