AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1749 



has been shown that these bring the cold water of the Arctic current to 

 the surface by obstructing its passage. The underlying cold current 

 rises over the banks and pushes the warmer water on each side. All 

 our testimony goes to prove that the mackerel are almost altogether 

 taken on shores, banks, and shoals where the water is cold. An-offshore 

 bank is a submarine elevation a hill-top in the sea and the tempera- 

 ture here is cold, because the Arctic current or cold underlying strata of 

 water rises over the banks with the daily flow of the tides. (Professor 

 Hind's paper, p. 97.) This is the fisherman's grouud, both for cod at 

 some seasons, and for mackerel at all seasons. But what of a shelving 

 or sloping coast two or three miles out to sea, exposed to the full sweep 

 of the tides? Is not that also practically one side of a bank, over which 

 the flood tide brings the cold underlying waters, and mixes them with 

 the warm surface waters, producing in such localities the required tem- 

 perature ? Looking at the chart of Prince Edward Island, the Magdalen 

 Islands, and the estuary of the St. Lawrence, there is no part of the 

 Magdalen Islands, where the Americans fish within the three-mile limits, 

 where water is so deep as within the three-mile limit on Prince Ed ward' Isl- 

 and east of Kustico, and covering fully one-half the mackerel ground there. 

 The depth of water between two and three miles from the coast is shown 

 on the admiralty chart to vary there from 9 to 13 fathoms within those 

 limits, or 54 and 78 feet enough to float the largest man-of-war and 

 leave 25 to 40 feet beneath her keel. It will be remembered that in 

 one of the extracts I have read the depth of water where fish are taken 

 is given at from five to eight fathoms. And yet we have been constantly 

 assured that there is not water enough for inshore mackerel-fishing in 

 vessels drawing 13 feet water at the utmost. Besides all this, we have 

 the testimony so frequently advanced from fishermen on the shores of 

 Prince Edward Island, that the American fishermen were a source of 

 alarm and injury to them on account of their lee bowing their boats. 

 This proves two important facts : first, that the American fishermen did 

 and do constantly come within the three-mile limit to fish for mackerel, 

 and they come in with their vessels because the fish is there. 



Having given the reason why these cold water species of fish, accord- 

 ing to a law of nature, must be found quite close inshore, 1 will now 

 proceed to show that the facts put in evidence fully sustain science. 



I shall first direct the attention of your honors to the special facts 

 connected with the fishing operations pursued on the coasts of the 

 estuary of the St. Lawrence, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from Cape 

 Chatte to Gaspe", and Cape Despair, on the south side, and from Point 

 Des Monts, on the north side of the estuary, to Seven Islands, thence 

 to Mingan, thence to Nalashquan, an immense stretch of coast line. 



The witnesses from the Province of Quebec have more, to say about 

 cod, bait, halibut, and herring than about mackerel. 



Mr. P. T. Lamontaigue testifies, in reply to Mr. Thomson, as follows: 



Q. Take from Cape Chatte to Gaspe", along the south shore, what is the average annual 

 export each year of fish ; I refer to codfish and linefish t A. From my place down to 

 Gaspe" there will by 25,000 quintals, at least, of dry fish exported. 



Q. Taking the whole Gaspe" shore, what would you say ? A. I should think not le* 

 from 180,000 to 200,000 quintals of dried fish. 



Q. What is the value per quintal previous to exportation T A. They si 

 less than $5 per quintal. 



Q. How are these fish taken, by vessels or by boats t A. By boats. 



Q. Are they taken with hook and line f A. Yes. What we take on our 

 taken with boats and with hook and line. 



Q. Have you any halibut on your coast ? A. Not at present. 



Q. What is the reason? A. We attribute it to the Americans fishing for halib 

 coast. 



