AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1319 



No. 192. 



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



of Washington. 



I, JOHN PACKWOOD, fisherman and farmer, of Cape Rosier, county 

 of Gaspe, Province of Quebec, make oath and say as follows: 



1. I am acquainted with all the fisheries carried on on this coast from 

 Cape Gaspe" to Griffin's Cove since twenty-five years. During the 

 Treaty of Reciprocity mackerel fishing by the Americans on this coast 

 was very extensive. I mean from 1850 to 1856. 



2. I have seen the Americans fishing for mackerel here in Cape Rosier 

 Cove, at Cape Bon Ami, at Jersey Cove, and catching mackerel. I have 

 been on board of their vessels when they were fishing, and I have seen 

 them from the shore and from my boat, and catching mackerel, and 

 always inshore, generally in line with the points. I have seen them 

 yearly during the period mentioned above many times during each 

 season. 



3. During the period mentioned, to the best of my knowledge, sixty 

 schooners visited these shores here yearly for mackerel-fishing. These 

 schooners averaged 65 tons, and carried away from here and neighbor- 

 ing places about 400 barrels, for the Americans themselves told me that 

 they always made good voyages. 



4. Cod fishery is as good now as formerly; it has increased very ihuch 

 of late. Herring is about the same. Last year there was a good deal 

 of mackerel on our coast. 



5. The Americans fished mackerel with hand-lines and seines, but I 

 never saw them use the seine here. 



6. The practice of the Americans of throwing fish offals overboard is 

 much injurious to our fishing grounds, because it gluts the fish and pre- 

 vents the fish from biting ; and also because the decaying of these offals 

 poisons the water, drives the large fish away, and kills the eggs. 



7. I have never seen the Americans fish here outside of three miles; 

 they have always fished very close to the shores. 



8. The value of our inshore fisheries is, by far, greater than the out- 

 side ones. All the fish here is caught inshore. 



9. Since 1871 the cod fishery has considerably increased here ; and I 

 believe, with all the fishermen here, that it is because the Americans 

 have been less in our waters. 



10. I have heard many times the Americans say that our mackerel 

 here was larger and of a better quality than their own, and that it is 

 worth $20 against their own $10. 



11. Mackerel feeds all along our coasts here upon launce, sea-fleas, &c. 



12. The fishing by Americans in our waters is extensively injurious 

 to us, because they are supplied so well with every kind of gear to carry 

 on the fisheries of all kinds that we cannot compete with them, so that 

 when they come to fish amongst us they take all the fish before we can 

 take a share. 



JOHN PACK WOOD. 



Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at < 

 Rosier, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this L* 

 of July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



N. LAN OIE, 

 Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. 



