1292 AWARD OF TIJE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



No. 169. 



HENRY T. HOLMAN, aged 40 years, residing at Harbor Breton, man- 

 ager of the trading business there, carried on under the name of New- 

 man & Co., maketh oath and saith : 



I have had twenty-four years' experience of the fisheries of Newfound- 

 land. I have observed several American fishing vessels in this harbor 

 every summer, and know of a large number (over fifty) that frequent 

 Fortune Bay for herring bait, each vessel coming to the laud once a 

 fortnight for fresh bait, which they purchase principally from seine 

 owners. The captain and crews of American vessels, with the aid of 

 the owner of the seine, do all the work of shooting and emptying such 

 seines. 



I have known American vessels fishing about three or four miles off 

 Pass Island, particularly about May, when they fished for halibut, 

 catching a quantity of codfish also, all on bultows. The quantity and 

 value, as nearly as I could learn, I have furnished to Mr. Hayward, of H. 

 M. customs, St. John's. United States fishing-vessels do not now fish 

 within three miles of our shores, as they find fish more plentiful farther 

 off. When on the Banks, with fresh bait, they make good catches. 

 Newfoundland fishermen catch fish from inshore to three miles off; ex- 

 ceptionally, they go to seven and nine miles off. Newfoundland fishery 

 is an inshore fishery. Caplin and herrings used for bait are inshore 

 fisheries; squids are sometimes taken farther off. I never heard of cap- 

 lin or herrings being taken outside three miles of our shores. 1 never 

 heard of a Newfoundland vessel prosecuting a fishing voyage on any of 

 the coasts of the United States of America. 



Some thirty or forty American vessels frequent Fortune Bay in winter 

 for the purchase of fresh herrings, which they freeze before shipping. 

 In some instances, American vessels ship salted herrings. 



Frozen cargoes consist of from six to eight hundred barrels per ves- 

 sel, and salt from twelve to twenty hundred barrels. 



I do not know of Americans now fishing for turbot in these waters. 



American vessels purchase ice in this neighborhood for the preserva- 

 tion of fresh bait, for which payment is made in small codfish and in 

 cash. I only know of American vessels having transshipped cargo in. 

 this bay from one American vessel to another American vessel. I think 

 the supply of fresh herrings in summer to United States fishermen de- 

 creases the supply to our local fishermen. This is particularly the case 

 when large quantities are " barred" in seines, which prevents herrings 

 playing about the adjacent coves and harbors, preventing herrings net- 

 ting, as they otherwise would do. 



1 am of opinion that the presence of the large number of United States 

 fishing vessels on the Banks off our coasts using fresh bait has the effect 

 of reducing the catch by our local fishermen, and is acting ruinously 

 upon our cod-fishery. 



I am also of opinion that the scarcity of codfish this year along our 

 southwest coast has been caused by the Americans fishing on the outer 

 Banks, as aforesaid. 



By a careful comparison of the fish per man previous to and since 

 1874, I find, by reference to the books of the firm under my manage- 

 ment, that whereas before 1874 the catch per man was equal to an aver- 

 age of seventy-nine quintals per man, since 1874 it has decreased to an 

 average of thirty-four quintals per man. 



The difference is equal to forty-five quintals, or two hundred and 



