1752 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Mr. John Short, M. P. for Gaspe, examined by Mr. Davies, gave evi 

 dence as follows : 



Q. Can you give the Commission an estimate of the quantity of fish taken by our fisher- 

 men annually along the coast ? A. From Mount Cape Chatte to New Richmond the catch 

 would be about 100,000 quintals. 



Q. Where is New Richmond ? A. On Bay Chaleurs. There is Anticosti and the north 

 shore of the St. Lawrence, from Joli northwestward, which will give 100,000 quintals, mak- 

 ing together 200,000 quintals. 



Q. The north shore of the St. Lawrence and Anticosti will give 100,000 quintals? A. 

 Yes, with the Magdalen Islands. 



Q. What kind of fish is taken ? A. Codfish chiefly ; herring is the next catch in quan- 

 tity and importance. 



Q. You don't fish mackerel to any extent ? A. No. 



Q. You don't go into it for the purpose of trade f A. No ; we find the codfish more re- 

 munerative. 



Q. What is the value of those 200,000 quintals of fish ? A. The coast value is about $5 per 

 quintal, which would give a value of 1,000,000. The market value is higher ; it ranges 

 from $n to $3 per quintal. 



Q. How far are those fish taken from shore by the fishermen, take the north shore t A. 

 Principally, and nearly altogether, inshore. 



Q. Now take the south shore ? A. From Cape Chatte to Cape Gaspe" they are all taken 

 inshore, and from Cape Gaspe to New Richmond the greater portion is taken inshore ; some 

 are taken on Banks. 



Q. Where do the American cod-fishermen get their bait? A. They get a great quantity 

 from the inshore fishery. 



Q. Have you seen them catch bait ? A. I have seen them set nets, but not take them up. 



Q. Have you any doubt that they do catch bait ? A. I have not. They often draw 

 seines to shore for caplin and small bait. 



Q. Could the Americans carry on the deep-sea cod-fishery without that baitT A. Not 

 with success. 



Q. You are quite sure about that ? A. Yes ; I have no hesitation in saying it could not 

 be carried on. 



Mr. Josef O. Sirois tells the Commission, in his examination by my- 

 self : 



I am a merchant at Grande Riviere, county of Gasp^j. I have employed men to fish for me 

 round my neighborhood. I have fished on the south side of the river St. Lawrence, from 

 Pupebiac to Cape Gaspe", a distance of about 90 miles. My fishing was done with small 

 boats, each having two men ; I generally have six of such boats employed fishing. I have 

 carried on this kind of business during the last twenty years. It is cod we take on that 

 coast. Cod is slightly more abundant than it was twenty years ago ; it may be that each 

 loat takes less, but the number of boats has considerably increased during that period. 

 Part of the cod is taken along the coast, and the remainder on Miscou Bank. Cod is taken 

 from one to two miles from the coast. They take about half their catch on the coast within 

 the distance mentioned, and the remaining half on Miscou Bank. They take cod with bait, 

 consisting of caplin. herring, squid, smelt, and mackerel. The bait is obtained at from a 

 quarter of a mile to two miles from the coast ; it is very rare the fishermen would have to go 

 out an fur us three miles to take bait. American fishermen could not bring fresh bait from 

 their borne*. It cannot be kept with ice to be used advantageously for more than two days. 

 I be effect of placing bait on ice is to soften it so that it will not hold on the hooks. I 

 bare flceu a Dumber of American schooners fishing mackerel on the coast. 



Mr. Louis Roy, of Cape Chatte, testified to the Commission, in reply 

 to myself, as follows: 



Q. )\hat part of the coast of the river St. Lawrence are you acquainted with ? A. From 

 C ape Cbalte to Cape Gaspe. 



g. What is the distance between those points? A. About 140 miles. 

 y. 1 hat is on the south coast ? A. Yes. 



>oyou know anything of the north coast?- A. I have some knowledge of the north 

 coast, but am not so familiar with it as with the south coast. 



xt^m of coast on the north side do you know ? A. About 160. 



an r ainted ^"^ f ^^ hundred mile * of the river coast ' that 7 OU are 



y. ! it to join-knowledge that the Americans have been fishing on that part of the river 



""*" V J ? 8 ' thcy lmve fished near mv P lace ver y fien. 



I thev begin to fish on that part of the river T-A. About 1854. 

 VJ. U)e time of tbe Reciprocity Treaty T A. Yes. 



y. Until then you had never seen much of 'them'? A. O. yes. I saw many during the 

 ten years previous to that. J 



