AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 14Q1 



ing, drying their fish, &c., I consider of great importance, as is also tin- 

 opportunity of transshipping. This enables them to make more trips 

 in the season, and also enables them to watch the best chance* to lih. 

 Without the privileges granted by the Washington Treaty, I am of 

 opinion that the American fishermen could not libh with any prolit to 

 themselves. 



6. I never heard of any Canadian fishermen frequenting American 

 waters, but the American fishermen interfere with the Canadian Usher- 

 men by disturbing their seines and in other ways injuring the fisheries. 

 It would be much better for the Canadians to have the sole right of 

 the inshore fisheries, and no right to sell fish free in the United State* 

 than the rights they enjoy under the Washington Treaty. 



7. Since 1871 an American lobster factory has been opened in Lin- 

 comb, and the lobster fishery has largely decreased. The canned lob- 

 sters are principally sold in England. 



his 



HENRY + II EM LOW, Sn. 



mark. 



Sworn to at Liscomb, in the county of Guysboro', this 19th day of 

 July, A. D. 1877, before me, first having been read and explained. 



JAMES A. TORY, 

 J. P. for the County of Quysborv*. 



No. 267. 



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



of Washington. 



1, WILLIAM WATTS, of Port Hood, in the county of Inverness, fisher- 

 man, make oath and say as fallows : 



1. I have been for eight years past engaged in fishing, and during two 

 seasons I made trips in American fishing-vessels, and made trips and 

 caught fish in the gulf and on various parts of the coast of Nova Scotia, 

 Cape Breton, and the ^Magdalen Islands, and have had pretty good op- 

 portunities of judging of the fishing business done on this coast. 



2. I have seen since the Treaty of Washington as many as four or live 

 hundred American fishing-vessels in the harbor of Port Hood, and I 

 should say that the whole number engaged in fishing in the gulf and 

 around the shore has been as high as six or seven hundred in a season. 

 These vessels were engaged principally in catching codfish and herring, 

 although they take small quantities of herring, hake, haddock, and hali- 

 but. The vessels rate from 50 to 80 tons and are manned by Irom twelve 

 to twenty of .a crew. They usually average about three trips during 

 the season, and in the codfish season take from five to seven hundred 

 quintals at a trip, worth from $4 to 85 per quintal. Their average cargo 

 of mackerel would be about three hundred barrels, worth formerly 

 about $15 per barrel. 



3. I do not know as there has been any great increase pr decrease in 

 the cod-fishing in these parts of late. It' is about as good this season a 

 usual. There has been something of a falling off in the catch of mack 

 erel within the past year or two ; but I don't think there has been any 

 falling off in the numbers of the mackerel. They would not bite so well 

 that is all. I cannot tell why this should be, unless it is on atvounl < 

 the American fishermen using seines and throwing bait overboard and 

 offal, which makes the mackerel less free to bite. 



