AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1305 



sailed in American fishing fleets on the coasts of Nova Scotia Cains 

 Breton, Prince Edward Island, Magdalen Island, Gaspe*, Anticonti, ami 

 the Bay Chaleur, and have had excellent opportunities daring 'that 

 period of understanding the whole fishing business. I am at ureaent 

 engaged in Canadian fishing on this coast. 



2. While in the American fleet I carried on fishing on the coasts of 

 the United States as well as British America, and ton ml that the latter 

 were much richer and better than the former. The Americans reckoned 

 that they could catch twice as many fish in Canadian waters and make 

 double the profits. When we fished in Canadian waters we chietlv took 

 cod and mackerel, though sometimes other kinds of fish. We took from 

 300 to 500 barrels of mackerel at a cargo, and from GOO to 000 quintals 

 of codfish, and made about three trips a year. 



3. The inshore fisheries are much more valuable than those outside. 

 We always took the great bulk of our mackerel inside of three niiU-s of 

 the shore. In the autumn the fisheries are chiefly carried on inshore. 



4. After the .Reciprocity Treaty I was engaged in carrying on Cana- 

 dian shore-fishing, and we had the best fishing ever known when the 

 American vessels were not allowed to come inshore, and were kept oft* 

 by the cutters. The grounds were better preserved, the mackerel would 

 bite freer, and we made better catches and more money. When the 

 American vessels are allowed to come inshore they come up to our boats 

 where we are catching, and throw bait overboard and entice the fish 

 away, so that our chances are ruined. 



5. I believe the American fishermen have done and are doing great 

 harm to our fishing grounds. Within two years I have seen Americans 

 using the pnrse-seine within half a mile of the shore, and this cannot 

 but injure the grounds. The number of fish is not diminished, but the 

 catch is lessened. 



6. The reasons that the Americans do not catch mackerel on these 

 shores in as large quantities as formerly are twofold. First, they have 

 injured the grounds by their mode of fishing, so that the catch is di- 

 minished. This, I befieve, will only be temporary. Second, the price of 

 mackerel has so declined in American markets that they find it more 

 profitable to devote themselves to cod-fishing. If the price of mackerel 

 should go up, I have every reason to believe there would be as many 

 Americans fishing there for mackerel as there were under the Reci- 

 procity Treaty. 



7. All the American fleet does not go through the Strait of Canso now. 

 During late years I have known of American vessels going up the east 

 side of the island, around Scaterie and Cape North, instead of coming 

 through the stiait. This is especially in the cod-fishing business, and 

 I have understood there were some good fishing grounds in that part of 

 the coast. 



ISAAC W. KENNELS. 



Sworn to before me this 9th day of August, A. D. 1877, at Port Hood* 

 in the countv of Inverness. 



JOHN McKAY, J. P. 



No. 259. 



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



of Washington. 



I, JOHN MCADAMS, of Port Jollie, in the county of Queen's, fisherman 

 and dealer in fishermen's supplies, make oath and say as follows : 



