AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1441 



10. That three-quarters of all the fish caught by us in any of 

 vessels were caught within three miles of the shore. In the Cadet they 

 were all caught close into shore ; in fact, two of her trips were almost 

 entirely caught while she was sprung up to anchor oft' Nail Pond and 

 other places along the shore. The cutters disturbed us a great deal 

 otherwise we would have caught more h'sh. We had to watch the cut- 

 ters close, and had continually to hoist sail and leave the grounds on 

 their account. 



11. That for my own part I would not fit out a vessel for fishing if I 

 had not the privilege of fishing within three miles of the shore. 



12. That the American schooners, to my own knowledge, interfere 

 considerably with the boat-fishing, as when they see the boats getting 

 fish they make up and lee-low them, taking away the fish. I have often 

 seen that done, and have been in vessels myself that used to do that. 

 That of course spoils the fishing for the boats. 



13. That the Americans clean their mackerel on board their vessels 

 and throw their gurry overboard. That spoils the boat fishing, as the 

 mackerel will not bite when there is any blood or gurry about. It does 

 not hurt the schooners, as they work away from the gurry. 



14. That the seining breaks up the schools of mackerel and frightens 

 them off. That, in seining fish, large quantities of fish are taken that 

 cannot be cured, or are too small for use, and these are lost entirely. I 

 have seen large quantities of herring destroyed in this way. Seining 

 is the destruction of the fisheries. This bay is now beginning to be 'full 

 of seiners. Seven seiners have come into this harbor (Souris) this even- 

 ing. They destroy the boat-fishing entirely. 



15. That the right of transshipment is of considerable value to the 

 Americans, as they can fit out here and in Canso, except for bait, cheaper 

 and just as well as they can at home. They also save enough time in 

 the summer when the fishing is good to make another trip. They can 

 save about a fortnight each trip. 



16. That there are considerable numbers of American vessels engaged 

 every season at the Magdalen Islands seining herring. They get as 

 many herring there, as a rule, as they want. These herring are salted or 

 smoked, and numbers of them sent to the West Indian market. 



17. That 1 have been on the Newfoundland coast when the American 

 cod-fishermen came in to get bait and ice. They get large quantities of 

 herring and ice there for the cod-fishing. At that season they could not 

 get bait tor the codfish anywhere except on the Newfoundland or Nova 

 Scotiau shores, so that the cod-fishing is dependent on the herring fishery. 

 If the cod-fishermen could not get bait on the British coasts they could 

 not get it anywhere else, and consequently could not get any codfish. 



18. That in the spring of the year the codfish and mackerel come into 

 the bay from the southward and strike the Magdalens, and then the 

 mackerel go toward the Bay Chaleur, and then they strike up toward 

 Bank Bradley and North Cape, and toward the middle of the summer 

 they begin to work back again. The American fishermen understand 

 the routes and customs of the fish, and know where to strike them at 

 the different parts of the season. The mackerel season lasts from about 

 the beginning of July till about the middle of October, here. 



PETER MCDONALD. 



Sworn to at Souris, in King's County, in Prince Edward Island, tl 

 24th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me, the words opposite iny ii 

 having been first interlined. 



JAMES R. MCLEAN, 



Justice of the Peace for King '* Co**** 

 91 F 



