1350 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Grande Vallee, aud Madeleine. We fished about five or six acres from 

 land. With hand-lines we took fish. The large fish we kept and the 

 small were thrown overboard. 



4. I have noticed in one day as much as twenty barrels which were 

 thus thrown overboard. 



5. Besides I have seen the Americans fishing always inshore, and 

 yearlv, from my house and from my boat. I have never seen the Ameri- 

 cans fishing on this coast elsewhere than inshore, and very close to the 

 shore. 



6. The American fishing vessels always made good fares at that time 

 mentioned, and it is also to my knowledge that most of these schooners 

 were making two voyages a season each. 



7. These American schooners have yearly carried away from our shores 

 here during the period already mentioned from 400 to 500 barrels of 

 mackerel. 



8. I have also noticed the Americans trawling along the shore here 

 for catching halibut. 



9. The cod fishery is as good now as formerly ; herring also. 



10. The Americans catch mackerel with hand-lines and with seines, 

 either hauling or purse seines. I have seen the Americans seining with 

 a purse-seine at Griffin's Cove, at about two acres from laud. There was 

 so much mackerel in the seine that it burst. I have seen seines on board 

 every American vessel I have been on board. 



11. The practice of Americans of throwing fish offals overboard is 

 highly injurious to our fishermen, because it gluts the fish and poisons 

 the water by decaying on the bottom, thus killing the eggs and driving 

 the fish away. 



12. The Americans have always fished inshore during the period men- 

 tioned above, and caught all their fish very close to shore. 



13. The inshore fisheries are by far of a greater value than the out- 

 side ones. All the fish on this coast are caught inshore. 



14. When the Americans were not with us we "would take mackerel as 

 well as themselves, but the moment they were coming with their vessels 

 among us and throw bait our catching was done, except if they allowed us 

 to fish with them, but most of the time they threatened to stone us if we 

 did not get away. They done that as often as they got a chance. They 

 have done that to me many times; and, more than that, they once run 

 into my boat, notwithstanding niy cries, and would have drowned me 

 had I not been quick enough to cut my boat-anchoring cordage. 



15. Jn my opinion, the use of the seine is injurious to the fisheries, 

 specially the purse se*ine, because it takes a great deal more fish, and 

 of every quality and size, a part of which is not saved, but thrown over- 

 board or aside to die. 



16. I have seen many times the Americans coming in here for herring, 

 which they have bought for cod, halibut, aud mackerel fishing. 



17. During the first years of the Reciprocity Treaty, and before, the 

 Americans used to take all the mackerel, big or small, but later they 

 only took the number one mackerel. 



18. Mackerel feeds on latuice, shrimps, sea fleas, &c. This food is in- 

 shore; that is what keeps here mackerel inshore. There is an abun- 

 dance of food for mackerel all along our shores. 



It). It is a great advantage for Americans to be able to laud, to dry 

 and repair their nets, and to cure their fish. 



liO. It is a great advantage for the Americans to be allowed to trans- 

 ship cargoes in our shores, because it enables them to double their fares. 

 I have st'iMi that done at Fox Kiver. 



