AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1433 



6. That the best mackerel fishing is about one mile or one mile ami a 

 half from the coast-line of the shore, and very frequently the best catehwj 

 are made much closer to the shore than that. 



7. That the mackerel-fishing prosecuted in boats from the shore in 

 chiefly within the limits of two miles. At times the schools of mackerel 

 go farther out, extending as far as three miles and and beyond that 

 but I have no hesitation in positively swearing that at least nine ti-ntliH 

 (9-10ths) of the mackerel caught by the boat-fishermen are taken within 

 the three mile limit. 



8. I have known good catches to be taken as much as five miles from 

 shore in the fall of the year, but that is a very rare occurrence. 



9. The American fishing-fleet are frequently, during the season, fish- 

 ing off Rustico shore. The fleet follow the schools of mackerel, and run- 

 sequent!.? fish within the limits of three miles, but I have never ti.tlittl 

 on board any of them. When out fishing in my boats, however, I have 

 found the fleet frequently all round us prosecuting the work and catch- 

 ing the fish. With an off-shore wind they approach as closely to the 

 shore as they can with safety, and then throw bait and drift off, catch- 

 ing fish all the time and drawing the fish off shore to sea. Sometimes 

 they would drift away from the school, and then beat up to windward 

 and again drift over the school. This practice is adopted within the 

 three mile limits, and it is with reference to these limits alone I am now 

 speaking. 



10. My experience has been that the presence of the fishing fleet tends 

 to break up the schools of mackerel, and our fishing is consequently in- 

 jured. I mean the boat-fishing. The boat-fishers all look upon the ar- 

 rival of the fleet among them as the signal for good fishing to cease. 

 One cause is that too much bait is thrown from the vessels; and the 

 boats which are anchored have to make way for the vessels which are 

 drifting. It's universally looked upon among the shore-fishermen as a 

 great injury and loss when the fleet arrives to fish among them. 



11. In the mouth of May, from the opening of navigation till about the 

 10th of June, I prosecute with dories the herring-fishery. These her- 

 rings are all taken within about half a mile from the shore. My aver- 

 age catch of herrings per season would be a little over one hundred bar- 

 jels. These herring are used by me for mackerel, and such is the cus- 

 tom all around the shores. If put up in barrels for sale they are worth 

 about $3 a barrel. 



12. As soon as the herring fishery is over we fit up our large boat.s 

 for the codfish and follow them. My catch is small, averaging per season 

 from one to two hundred quintals. This would be the catch of my five 

 boats. The cod-fishing lasts from one month to five weeks, or until the 

 mackerel strike, and then we at once turn our attention to mackerel, 

 which we follow the rest of the season. 



DANIEL KOSS. 



Sworn to at Charlottetown this 18th day of June, A. D., 1877, before 

 me. 



JAMES D. IRVING, 



Commts*ioner t d~c. 



No. 303. 



I, JOHN ARTEMAS MCLEOD, of Kensington, in Prince County, in 

 Prince Edward Island, merchant and fish dealer, make oath am 



1. That 1 have been engaged in fishing since the year 1867, both 

 vessels and boats, and know the fishing grounds from Booue I ay, ^ 



