1368 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



4. The vessels fishing within the three-mile limit are said, within the 

 last seven years down to the present time, to take on an average of 

 twenty barrels a day to each vessel. About five years ago they took 

 about thirty barrels on an average per day. They take those fish at 

 the time of the year when mackerel are number one. The mackerel 

 taken at that time are worth twelve dollars per barrel to our fishermen 

 in the Halifax market. Our number two, large, are good number one in 

 the American market. And if Americans were kept out, our fishermen 

 would make more money by fishing. These statements I believe to be 

 rather under than over the mark. 



5. Twenty-five years ago I have seen over a thousand barrels of mack- 

 erel taken by thirty men within three weeks at Ingonish, in the county 

 of Victoria. These fish were all taken by boats and nets inshore, some 

 close in to the shore by nets made fast to the shore. These barrels I 

 saw packed and weighed, and all of them I numbered and inspected. 

 These mackerel were taken in the spring, about the middle of June. 

 About 25 years ago, at Cape North, in the county of Victoria, in the 

 fall of the year, about the first of November, within a fortnight, I have 

 seen about seven hundred barrels taken, of which two-thirds at least 

 were number one. These fish (number one) were worth in the Halifax 

 market five pounds per barrel. These latter fish were taken within half 

 a mile of the shore. 



G. About fifteen years ago I conversed with an American fisherman 

 who fished off Cape North, and who told me that he was glad when 

 Saturday night came, as he would have a spell then, and that every 

 codfish he took was as long as a splitting-table (about four feet), and 

 besides his own vessel there were other American fishing-vessels. 



7. In my opinion, over-fishing may have something to do with the 

 scarcity of the mackerel ; but within my knowledge, the fishing has 

 varied, the mackerel, cod, and other fishing being some years good, and 

 others poor. This year I have seen more squid, which is the best bait 

 for codfish, and the best codfish follow them, than I have ever seen in 

 any year during the last fifty years in this bay (Sydney), and to my 

 knowledge codfish always follow the squid. 



8. The inshore fishing I consider to be the most valuable, and if the 

 American fishermen were not allowed to come inshore to fish mackerel, 

 it would not pay them to come to our fishing-grounds, most of the 

 mackerel being taken inshore. 



9. I think the Americans must take three- fourths of the mackerel in- 

 shore. 



10. In my opinion, mackerel may have decreased some, the other fish 

 none, since the year 1871. The Americans have lessened the catch of 

 fish for Nova Scotia fishermen. 



11. The herring fishery is all inshore, and I know of no herring being 

 taken outshore. The American fishing vessels have nearly all two her- 

 ring nets with them, and with these they can catch herring for bait. 



12. Our Nova Scotian inshore codfish are much superior to that taken 

 by the Americans, commanding a better price in the American markets, 

 and are better cured. 



13. The food of the mackerel is found inshore. They come inshore 

 and feed on the small bait found there a small kind of fish found in- 

 shore, and of which the mackerel may be full when taken inshore, also 

 on mussels found inshore on the rocks. 



14. The mackerel breed in the North Bay, and around the Magdalen 

 Islands. They teed and breed all round our coasts, in the bays and 

 harbors. 



