AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2747 



Q. In what season of the year is the mackerel market most active ? 

 A. Well, my observation has been that daring September and October 

 and perhaps a part of August this is the case. 



(,). How has it usually been of late years in winter ? A. Of late years 

 it has been very quiet, much more so than was the case formerly. 



Q. You have had a long acquaintance with the fishing of vessels and 

 boats; have you known trouble to occur frequently between them or 

 uot f A. Well, I have heard occasionally of vessels coming pretty near 

 the boats, but the former very rarely ran foul of the latter ; it has been 

 several years since I have heard of any collisions of that kind, and any 

 considerable complaint being made in this regard. 



Q. How many complaints of that sort do you suppose you have heard 

 during the 18 years you have been on Prince Edward Island ? A. Many 

 opinions prevail on this point among the boat fishermen ; some will say, 

 when they see an American fleet coming, that this is going to hurt their 

 fishing, while others say that it may help them, owing to the throwing 

 over of a large quantity of bait, which may attract the fish to the spot; 

 others again say that the throwing over of a large quantity of bait drives 

 the fish away. A great variety of opinions exist in this respect, and it 

 is hard to form a correct judgment on the subject. 



Q. Have you known mackerel seining to be successful in the gulf ? 

 A. No, not as a general thing. I have known vessels thus get a fare of 

 fish, but, as a general thing, it has been a failure. 



Q. What is the reason of this? A. Well, I think one reason for it is 

 due to the clearness of the water in the bay, and another is because the 

 water where the mackerel frequent is shallow, and too shallow to admit 

 of the use of the large seines which the fishermen are in the habit of 

 using on the American shore ; then again the character of the bottom 

 in the bay it is rapid and rocky is such that it catches the seines. 



Q. It has been stated here that they could adapt these seines to shal- 

 low water. What is your opinion on this point ? A. Well, I have 

 heard that; but then again, I have heard it said that for mackerel, 

 owing to its shyness, you want to be able to get a good way under them 

 to thus bag them successfully ; if they see the twine, they make a rush 

 to get out from under it ; that is the reason which numbers give for not 

 trying their seines in the bay. These seines have been a great deal 

 enlarged, and made larger and deeper in order to enable the fishermen 

 to get around and under the schools without frightening and disturb- 

 ing the fish. 



Q. So these seines have grown longer and deeper instead of shorter 

 and shallower? A. Yes, a great deal. I do not know but that they 

 now haye reached their maximum. 



Q. Is any considerable quantity of mackerel sold in the British 

 Provinces ? A. In my experience, such sales have been pretty small. 

 I have, however, sold a few in Canada. 



Q. Have you tried the Dominion market? A. I have sold a few fish, 

 but not many in it. I have shipped fish here, and had them reshipped 

 to the States via the lakes. 



Q. You have found that they could not be sold here ? A. Yes. 



Q. How far have you sent them in Canada ? A. As far as Montreal* 



Q. No farther? A. I do not remember of sending them any farther. 



Q. Is there any market for fat mackerel, number ones' and twos, 

 except in the United States? A. No; no considerable market ; that is 

 the market for mackerel, and particularly for fat mackerel. I suppose 

 there is hardly a fraction of the whole catch that goes to any other 

 market. 



