2474 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



A. I have not much idea what the quantity is. I don't know that I 

 could conie near it. 



Q. Do those fresh mackerel vessels make a few long trips or many 

 short trips ? A. They cannot keep out very long for the fish would not 

 keep. They have to run in with the fish while they are good or they 

 will lose them. 



Q. About how long are the vessels out ? A. Sometimes a week, and 

 perhaps ten days ; not longer than ten days after they get fish on board. 



Q. Now, take your experience in fishing for mackerel in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence. What value would you attach to the right to fish within 

 three miles of the shore in British dominions ? A. What fish do we 

 take inside of three miles ? 



Q. You can take it in that way or in regard to its value. A. I could 

 not tell exactly the value because the fish vary in price a great deal. 



Q. How important do you regard it? A. At the outside, I have never 

 in my experience taken more than one-eighth of a fare inside of three 

 miles. 



Q. Do you think that seining mackerel perceptibly diminishes the 

 quantity of mackerel found in the sea ? A. I cannot tell exactly, because 

 sometimes I think we kill some very young fish. But seining has been 

 going on a number of years, and even three years ago mackerel were 

 just as plentiful as I ever saw them, and they were quite abundant last 

 year, while this year they are scarce. We cannot account for it. 



Q. Have you ever known seining to be carried on successfully in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence ! A. No. 



Q. Do you know any reason therefor ? A. I hardly know what the 

 reason may be ; perhaps it may be the tide, or it may be that the mack- 

 erel do not school the same as they do with us. There are various rea- 

 sons. We don't find many mackerel school on that fishing ground. 



Q. So far as it has been tried there, seining has not been successful ? 

 A, No. 



Q. Have you ever fished in the vicinity of Seal Island, near Cape 

 Sable? A. I have fished on that fishing ground for codfish sometimes. 



Q. Have you ever fished for halibut there ? A. No. 



Q. Within what distance of Seal Island have you ever fished for cod- 

 fish, and how have you happened to be there? A. Sometimes we find 

 fish scarce on George's Bank or other Banks where we fish in summer, 

 and we run over there and try; but we hardly ever get inside of from 15 

 to 25 miles of Seal Island. 



Q. What is the shaMbwest water you ever knew the halibut fishery to 

 be prosecuted in ? A. I could not tell that, because I am not much ac- 

 quainted with the halibut fishing, though I have been some few voyages. 



Q. You don't expect to catch halibut in much shallower water than 

 codfish? A. No: generally deeper. 



Q. And your codfish have not been taken within how far from land ? 

 A. From 15 to 25 miles of Seal Island, and in that vicinity. 



Q. You have made cod-fishing voyages ; where to and how many, in 

 general terms? A. I could not tell you exactly how many.; quite a 

 number. 



Q. Where have you been ? A. To the Grand Banks, Sable Island 

 Banks, and others. 



Q. Have you tried both trawling and hand-line fishing T A. Yes. 



Q. What has been your bait ? A. For general use, herring. 



Q. And what else ? A. Sometimes we used clams. 



Q. Salt clams? A. Yes; and sometimes squid and menhaden. 



Q. Menhaden slivers ? A. Yes. 



