AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1399 



2. I recollect well that previous to the Reciprocity Treaty in 1H."1 the 

 few American vessels that used to come and fish in these waters on the 

 coast of Cape Breton, complained all the time of the disadvantage of 

 not being able to fish inshore, and the men used to say that they could 

 not carry on a profitable business without it. As soon as the Recipro- 

 city Treaty came into operation the number of vessels from American 

 ports increased at once, until there was soon a large fleet. I am safe in 

 saying that I have seen over four hundred American h'shing-vessels in 

 Port Hood Harbor at one time during the Reciprocity Treaty. 



3. After the Reciprocity Treaty terminated, there was at once a great 

 falling in the American fishing fleet on these coasts, and their bnsinesa 

 was not nearly as lucrative and profitable, and I believe if they had 

 not violated the law they would scarcely have been able to carry on 

 fishing with profit at all. 



4. The American fishermen catch all kinds of fish in our waters. The 

 larger part they take is mackerel and codfish ; but they also take her- 

 ring, halibut, hake, and haddock. Their average cargo is about four 

 hundred barrels of mackerel, and when they take codfish they do not 

 average less than from six hundred to a thousand quintals each ve.ssel. 

 They will average three trips per season. 



5. There has been something of a falling off in the mackerel catch in 

 these parts during the past year or two ; but I would not say that there 

 had been any diminution in the number of mackerel in our waters. I 

 regard the falling off as merely temporary, and I believe it will be as 

 good mackerel-fishing here if the grounds are not injured by the Amer- 

 ican fishermen during the coming eight yaars as heretofore. I believe 

 the falling off in the catch of late has been largely due to frhe mode in 

 which Americans carry on the fishing. 



6. The inshore fisheries are much more valuable than the outside, and 

 more fish are caught within three miles of the shore than outside. More 

 than half of all the fish which the Americans take from our waters are 

 taken inshore. 



7. American fishermen are doing great damage to our boat-fishing by 

 coming up near our boats and throwing bait overboard to entice the 

 fish away, and they leave at once, and thus seriously interfere with the 

 profit of our own shore-fishermen. 



8. Our herring-fisheries are the most important and valuable we have, 

 and probably our fishermen derive more profit therefrom than from any 

 other. All herring are caught inshore and nearly all taken within one- 

 half mile of the shore. If the American fishermen should go into the 

 herring-fishing along our shores they would be almost certain to ruin 

 the grounds and would do great damage to our own fishermen. 



9. It is undoubtedly a great advantage to American fishermen to be 

 allowed to land and dry their nets and cure their fish. It is also greatly 

 to their advantage to be able to transship cargoes, and it enables them 

 to make more trips and take more fish each season. 



10. It is also the greatest advantage to American fishermen to be 

 allowed to catch bait and procure it by purchase on our shores. All 

 bait is taken inshore, and upon the privilege of getting bait. at onr ports 

 and in our waters the very existence of the American cod fishing de 

 pends, for it would be utterly impossible for the Americans to cai 



the cod fishery in these waters if they were compelled to get 

 bait from American ports and waters. Bait for cod fishing 

 last three weeks on ice, and the ice used to preserve it is procure 

 the Americans from our own traders. 



11. From a pretty careful estimate of the matter from i 



