1364 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Tessels used to make two, sometimes three, trips each season ; they kept 

 their halibut fresh on ice. All these vessels took full loads at each trip ; 

 they were from 70 to 80 tons each, and could take on an average seventy 

 or eighty thousand (80,000) pounds of fish each. These vessels continued 

 to fish here till about three years ago, keeping here sometimes as late as 

 the beginning of November. During the time that they had no right to 

 fish, that is, between the time of licenses and the commencement of the 

 Treaty of Washington, they came here in spite of the coast-guard 

 cruisers. 



5. I believe the present scarcity of halibut on this coast is owing to 

 the immense numbers of that fish that were taken by the Americans ; 

 but if this fishery is left unmolested for a few years I am sure it will 

 become soon as productive as it ever was. 



6. This coast is very accessible for fishing boats and vessels, as it is 

 full of harbors and roadsteads, and the shores abound with bait. 



7. The bait found here in abundance is caplin, lannce, herring, squid, 

 and clams. Launce, caplin, and clams are the most plentiful through- 

 out the season. 



8. The halibut schooners take a supply of bait with them from the 

 United States ; after this is used up they take their bait on our shore. 

 A vessel equipped for Bank fishing for cod or halibut, which would 

 come to fish on the Bank above described, might at times find bait on 

 this Bank in the shape of herring or mackerel, but more than half the 

 time they would have to come to the shore to take bait, and foreign 

 fishermen, not having acquired the right by treaty to fish in our waters, 

 could not, therefore, take their bait on shore, and in consequence would 

 not be able to carry on their Bank fishing. 



9. "While it is a great advantage to American fishermen to have the 

 right to fish in our waters, it is not of the least use to our fishermen to 

 have the same right with regard to United States waters, as there is no 

 chance of our ever going there. 



10. And the American free market is also of no use to our fishermen, 

 for our fish are cured especially for home consumption or for exporta- 

 tion to Europe and the Brazils. These markets are large enough to take 

 all the fish we can supply. 



11. I consider it a matter of the utmost importance to our fishermen 

 to have, if possible, our fisheries reserved exclusively to ourselves, as the 

 competition carried on by Americans is most injurious, and will soon 

 deprive our fishermen of their occupation, and oblige them to emigrate. 



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

 edge and belief, correct. 



PHILIP TOUZEL. 



The said Philip Touzel has sworn to the truth of the above affidavit 

 at Sheldrake, in the county of Saguenay, of the Province of Quebec, 

 this seventh day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



P. FOETIN, J. P. 



Xo. 232. 



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



of Washington : 



I, SAMUEL BOUCHARD, of Amherst Harbor, Amherst Island, Magdalen 

 Islands, make oath and say as follows : 



1. I am 40 years of age. I was born here. I have fished for 20 years 





