1750 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. What time do they fish ? A. About August. 



Q. What years did they come there ? A. From 1856 to 1866 and 1870, as near as I can 

 remember. 



Q. In 1866 the Reciprocity Treaty came to an end ; did the Americans fish for halibut 

 there in 1870 ? A. I could not say exactly the year, but I am sure they fished there. 



Q. Did they fish after the abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty in 1866 ? A. The Ameri- 

 cans did fish there. 



Q. Was halibut taken within two miles of the shore ? A. Near the shore. 



Q. The Americans came in after the Reciprocity Treaty was abrogated, did they ? A. I 

 believe they did. 



Q. And they cleaned out the halibut ? A. Fishermen all agree in saying that they took 

 away all the halibut on our coast. 



While we are speaking of the halibut, I must remind the members of 

 the Commission of the strenuous efforts made by the American counsel and 

 witnesses to impress them with the notion that halibut was extinct all 

 over the Bay of St. Lawrence, and that the Americans never fished for 

 codfish in the gulf anywhere. We are not left here to select between 

 conflicting testimony. We have judicial authority to strengthen our 

 assertions. I will extract from a report filed in the case, four seizures 

 of vessels caught in the act of fishing halibut and cod within the three- 

 mile limit: 



Lizzie A. Tarr, 03 tons, Messrs. Tarr Bros., owners, Gloucester, Mass., U. S., seized 27th 

 August, 1870, by N. Lavoie, schooner La Canadienne, about 350 yards from the shore in 

 Saint Margaret's Bay, north shore of Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Province of Quebec. An- 

 chored at west point of Saint Margaret's Bay, near Seven Islands, Saint Lawrence coast, 

 west of Mount Joly, about 350 yards from the shore. Five fishing-boats were alongside 

 the vessel, crew having just returned from tending their lines, which were set between 

 the vessel and the main land. Six halibuts were found on the lines. Master admitted that 

 the owner of vessel had directed him to go and fish there, as the government cutter was 

 seldom seen in these places, and some of the crew stated that if they had good spy-glass 

 they would not have been caught. Tried in vice-admiralty court at Quebec. Vessel con- 

 demned. Defended. Sold for $2,801; money paid to credit of receiver-general, after 

 deducting costs and charges. 



Samuel Gilbert, 51 tons, Richard Hanan, master, Gloucester, Mass., U. S., seized 24th 

 July, 1871, by N. Lavoie, schooner La Canadienne, about two miles N. W. by W. from 

 Perroquet Island, near Mingan, on the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At the 

 time of capture, schooner was taking fresh codfish on board from one of her flats 

 alongside. Two of her boats were actively fishing at a distance of 450 yards from shore, 

 and men on board were in the act of hauling in their lines with fish caught on their hooks. 

 \Vhen seized, boats were half-full of freshly- caught codfish, and had also on board fishing- 

 gear used for cod-fishing. Owner admitted having fished, but pleaded as an excuse that 

 he was under the impression that the provisions of the Washington Treaty were in opera- 

 tion. Tried in the admiralty court at Quebec. Vessel condemned. Vessel released for 

 costs. 



Enola C., fifi tons, Richard Cunningham, master, Gloucester, Mass., U. S., seized 29th 



i ^. 187 *' bv Ij - JI< Chance, schooner Stella Maria, less than two miles from the shore 



nmty Hay, north shore of Gulf of St. Lawrence, Province of Quebec. Actively fishing 



I time of capture ; had been fishing all day with trawl nets set from 50 to 600 yards from 



lore, and extending 5 or 6 miles along the coast between Point Des Monts and Trinity 



n captured, vessel was becalmed inside of two miles of Trinity Bay; had on 



two freh-cught halibuts, and two of her men were at the time engaged raising trawls 



t cjowBjn I runty Hay. OiUheir coming alongside of vessel, it was ascertained they had 



hard 



coming 



poundd of halibut and Halt. Sure"tie8"dTscharged.' V 

 i 7U, ''" J' 54 1 t 1 01 " 1 ' Allan Mclsaacs, master, Gloucester, Mass., U. S., seized 18th 

 . Lachauce, schooner Stella Maria, within 1* miles of the east end of 

 UUnd, HI the ( Julf of St. Lawrence, Province of Quebec. At time of capture was 

 Un 1 1 miles from the shore, between Point Cormorant and the east end of 

 U Inland. Actually fmhing for halibut with five trawl nets set around the vessel, 

 I * milt* from the shore, and had been fishing there for three days pre- 

 MMtrr acknowledged the offense, and stated that he had been warned by his owners 

 uot to expose their vessel. Sureties discharged. 



Dr. Pierre Fortin, M. P. P., testified before the Commission as to the 

 imber of British establishments engaged in the cod fisheries on 



