1334 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



3 To the best of my knowledge about 100 vessels have visited these 

 Bfaorea vearlv during the period mentioned, mackerel-fishing. 



4 Uave been piloting American fishing-schooners on this shore and 

 on the north shore for three or four seasons, during the Reciprocity 

 Treaty. I have seen them fishing and catching mackerel, and I have 

 caught mackerel whilst in their employ, and always very close the shore, 

 sometimes so close that I could step on shore from the schooner. 



5. These schooners used to make good voyages yearly, previous to 

 18C5, and their cargoes yearly averaged 300 barrels of mackerel each trip. 

 These schooners averaged about 65 tons, with a crew of about 16 men. 



G. The mackerel fishery seems to have decreased, but the cod and 

 herring fisheries are the same now as formerly. 



7. The Americans take mackerel by means of hand-lines and seines. 

 During the Reciprocity Treaty each schooner had boats which they sent 

 to fish inshore. 



8. The throwing overboard of fish offals, as practiced by the Ameri- 

 cans, injures the fishing grounds very much, because it gives too much 

 nourishment to the fish, and because it poisons the water, drives away 

 the large fish, and kills the eggs. 



9. I have never seen the Americans fishing for mackerel other than 

 inshore, during the Reciprocity Treaty and before, on this shore. 



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

 All the fish are taken inshore there. 



11. Many times, whilst I was fishing mackerel inshore, the Americans 

 have conie'iu among our boats, and by throwing bait, enticed the mack- 

 erel away with them, and thereby causing us great loss. 



12. I know that the American fishermen have used the hauling-seines 

 very often for mackerel. I have seen them using seines at the Cove, 

 Mount Louisa, and at river a la Pierre. And one time there was 

 so much mackerel in the bunt of the seine that it ruptured, and they 

 lost all. The seines they used were hauliug-seines j they hauled them 

 from the shore. 



13. The hauling-setaes destroy more mackerel than the lines. 



14. Since 1871, salmon and codfish have increased greatly. I believe 

 it is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. There was 

 also a great quantity of mackerel on these shores last year, and a great 

 increase over former years. 



15. I have heard the Americans say frequently that our mackerel 

 were of a better quality than their own, and reached a higher price in 

 their markets. 



1C. Mackerel feed inshore on launceaud other small fish; also on sea- 

 fleas, which are plenty on this shore. 



17. It is a great advantage to Americans to be abls to transship their 

 cargoes, because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds and to 

 double their fares. 



18. It is of no advantage to us to be able to fish in American waters, 

 ami I never knew of any vessels from here ever going there to do so. 



10. Fishing by Americans injures the fishing operations of our fisher- 

 men to a great extent. "Without considering injuries actually done to 

 our own fishermen, by enticing the fish out of their catch, and the injury 

 done to their nets by sailing over them and spoiling them, the privilege 

 granted to Americans of fishing in onr waters brings in a competition 

 that we cannot sustain, they being better equipped and geared than we 

 are, so that they take all the best fish. 



ALEX. CAMPION. 



