1310 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



2. The principal fish taken along this coast are the cod, herring, 

 mackerel, and halibut, cod-fishing is the principal, and the baits are 

 herring, caplin, mackerel, squid, smelt, and launce. The ruu of cod- 

 fish is about the same as formerly, though there are more boats now 

 than formerly. 



3. No vessel, American or other, could make a profitable voyage at 

 Bank fishing without the privilege of taking bait on shore, or bringing 

 it from the fishermen of the coast. I do know that bankers come for 

 bait to the shore. 1, last year but one, sold bait to an American Bank- 

 fisherman, and hired my seine to another to seine caplin, which caplin 

 he seined from the beach. 



4. Herring spawn here along the shore in abundance. 



5. I have seen many American vessels fishing along shore during the 

 existence of the Reciprocity Treaty and the period of licenses. I have 

 seen at one and the same time in Cape Cove, when I was fishing, 50 

 American mackerel schooners anchored in the bay. There were some 

 at the same time at other places. I believe that each year along this 

 coast during the period specified above, at least (200) two hundred 

 American schooners used to fish for mackerel, each from 50 to 100 tons, 

 manned by from 12 to 18 men; some, and I believe the most, made two 

 voyages, and I believe they took on an average 600 barrels each. Most 

 of the mackerel they took was taken inside of the three-mile limit. 



6. A smaller number continued to fish for mackerel inshore, even 

 when the cutters were placed on the coast to prevent them. 



7. For the first years of the Treaty of Washington the Americans con- 

 tinued to come in numbers, but for the last two years they have not 

 come in such numbers. They fished as formerly, inside of the three- 

 mile limit. I consider the number that come about here was about one- 

 third of the number that come during the Reciprocity Treaty. 



8. It is a great advantage for the Americans to have the privilege of 

 fishing inshore; without that privilege they would get very little mack- 

 erel outside of the limit. I have bought fish (codfish) and oil and cod 

 roes from them. I have heard that they did trade a little on the coast 1 



9. I have seen the Americans throw offals overboard, and I believe 

 this to be injurious to the fish and the fisheries. 



10. The privilege they have of taking bait on shore, of getting ice, 

 and transshipping cargoes is of great value to them. 



11. The right we have acquired by the Treaty of Washington of fish- 

 ing in American waters is not of any value to our fishermen. 



12. The American free market is no benefit to us ; my fish is prepared 

 for the Brazil and European markets ; the price we could get in the 

 States would not pay us. 



13. It is certainly our interest to keep our fisheries to ourselves, and 

 not to allow foreigners to participate in them. 



I hereby swear that the above statement is, to the best of my knowl- 

 edge and belief, correct. 



CHRISTOPHER BAKER. 



The naid Christopher Baker has sworn to the truth of the above affi- 

 davit, at Cap- Cove, in the county of Gaspe, this 14th day of August, 

 A. I). 18 1 7, before me. 



P. FORTIN, J. P. 



