AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1431 



20. I do think that fishing by American fishermen hinders the fishing 

 operations of Canadian fishermen. Our vessels would take many more 

 fish if they had the exclusive right to the inshore Canadian fisheries 



21. Our fishermen are employed largely by American fishermen, und 

 take their supplies in American ports. The American vessels land the 

 goods to the families of the fishermen without paying duties, and in th 

 fall the wages are mostly expended for supplies, which come over in 

 some of our coasters, and landed in the same way. 



The foregoing statement is true and correct, to the best of mv knotrl. 

 edge and belief. 



SAMUEL M. KYKKSON. 



Sworn before me at Yarmouth, in the county of Yarmouth, this llth 

 day of September, A. D. 1877. 



ENOS GARDNER, J. P. 

 No. 301. 



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



of Washington. 



I, ROBERT S. EA.KINS, jr., of Yarmouth, in the county of Yarmouth, 

 merchant, make oath and say as follows : 



1. Referring to my memorandum made 12th August, 1S73, as then I 

 hare some indirect knowledge of the fisheries fro-n 1865 to 1870. 



2. The extent of American fisheries in Canadian waters during the 

 (11) eleven years from 1865 to 1876 was very great; I should say from 

 1,000 to 1,500 vessels from all ports of the New England States fished in 

 Canadian waters, averaging about twelve men to each vessel, during years 

 1865 to 1870. 



3. The quantity of fish usually average, if codfish, two thousand quin- 

 tals; if part of year codfish, fourteen hundred quintals ; balance year 

 mackerel, three hundred barrels for trip. 



4. As far as my knowledge goes, the American vessels usually trawl 

 their codfish, halrbut, and haddock partly in our waters and partly out- 

 side. The mackerel are principally caught in seines, purse seines, 

 dressed on board the vessels, the off.il being thrown overboard. 



5. For mackerel, in Bay de Chaleur they always fish with hook and 

 line, or used to, during the years I named, and always inshore, quite 

 close to the land, near Magdalen Islands, Prince Edward Island, Cape 

 Breton, and Nova Scotia. 



6. I should say the value of the shore fisheries was much greater than 

 outside, more especially for mackerel fishing. 



7. The American fishermen use purse seines, by means of large boats 

 sweep it around a school of mackerel, draw in the bottom, and have 

 the fish in a sort of large bag, from which they are taken on board the 

 vessel and dressed at leisure. 



8. American fishermen yearly catch more or less fish inshore in our 

 water, such as halibut, codfish, and haddock, besides mackerel, which 

 are aloinst entirely caught inshore. 



9. Do not think the Americans trouble themselves much about catch 

 ing herrings: they buy them when they can from our people for b.iit. 



10. We formerly considered our Bay de Chaleur mackerel the be* 

 America, but for some years past the quality has not been so gwi 

 formerly. I have known our mackerel to sell by the carg 

 United' States at $26 per barrel gold in the years 1859 and 1 



11. I am of the opinion that the mackerel feed principally inshore. 



