AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1 } , . 



Sworn to at Port Hood, in tbe county of Inverness, this 2 1st day of 

 July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



ALEXANDER GILLIES, .7. /'. 



No. 273. 



In tbe matter of tbe Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under tin? Treaty 



of Washington. 



I, ANGUS GILLIES, of Port Hood, in the county of Inverness, justice 

 of the peace, make oath and say as follows: 



1. For the past eighteen years I have been a part of the time engaged 

 fishing about the coasts of British America, and during all that period 

 I have been familiar witb the fishing business done here. 1 have l>een 

 engaged on board of American fishing-vessels during that tiuus ami 

 have been myself master of a vessel, and have otherwise had pretty large 

 opportunities of becoming familiar with the general business. 



2. I have known as many as five or six hundred American fishing- 

 vessels engaged in fishing on these coasts during one season under the 

 Reciprocity Treaty. Each vessel would average about sixty or seventy 

 tons, and was manned by from twelve to fifteen men. The average cargo 

 of mackerel would be three hundred barrels, and the average cargo of 

 codfish would not be less than from five to seven hundred quintals. 



3. After the Eeciprocity Treaty the American fishing fleet on this 

 coast declined very much, and their business materially lessened. They 

 were not able to take as many trips during the season. Their mackerel- 

 fishing, whicb was chiefly inshore, fell oft' very much. 



4. Now, the American cod-fishing in the gulf is about as large as over. 

 They get bait to carry it on in our waters, and from our traders. Their 

 mackerel-fishing has greatly fallen off, which has been caused chiefly by 

 the result of their mode of fishing, which has injured the ground. This 

 has been done by their system of seining, and of throwing bait and oft'.il 

 overboard, which has caused the mackerel to be less sharp in biting. 

 The other cause of tbe falling off in the mackerel-fishing is the low price 

 of mackerel in the American markets, which makes the fishery less val- 

 uable and profitable. If the price of mackerel should go up, I believe 

 the Americans would fish for mackerel now as much as ever. 



5. The richest and best grounds for mackerel-fishing are within three 

 miles of the shore. Most of the mackerel are caught there. When I 

 was on board of an American vessel, we took nearly all our mackerel 

 inshore. 



6. The best mackerel-fishing we ever bad along this coast was after 

 the Reciprocity Treaty was terminated and the American vessels were 

 kept off our grounds by the cutters. Our Canadian fishermen had the 

 best catch then that ever they had, because they were undisturbed. 

 When tbe Americans have the right to come within three miles, thej 



, watch our boats taking mackerel, and come up close to us, and theu 

 throw bait overboard in large quantities, and entice the fish a\vay from 

 the boats. They could not do this if they were not allowed to coi 

 inshore, because our boats take the fish in the bays and harbors, an- 

 within a mile from the shore; and it is only by coming close up t< 

 that they can entice the mackerel away. Their vessels often run d 

 our boats, and it is with difficulty that we escape out of the > 



7. The privileges which the Americans gain by the Treaty of 

 ington in being allowed to catch fish inshore, and to catch and t 

 and to procure ice and outfits at our ports, 1 am safe in saying, is 

 at least half as much to them per season as their whole fisht-rie 



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