AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2849 



ports, and that they are willing to have me put as many shad, salmon, 

 and cod, and useful food-fishes as I think I can spare in their waters. 



Q. Have the United States collectively or the individual States the 

 constitutional control over their fisheries ; that is, their inshore fisher- 

 ies ? A. The river fisheries are under the control of the several States, 

 and the question of the jurisdiction of the sea fisheries has not yet been 

 settled. For the present it lies in the States. The general government 

 has exercised no control or authority on the inshore fisheries. 



By Hon. Mr. Kellogg : 



Q. Referring to your hypothesis about the waters of the world being 

 supplied with one kind of fish as another leaves, what have you to say 

 in regard to the whale fishery ; what is going to supply that ? A. Well, 

 a fishery diminishes to a certain extent until it jioes not pay, and then is 

 abandoned. After being let alone it increases and again becomes a 

 profitable enterprise. 



Q. Have any of the species of fish that were used in ancient times 

 disappeared? They used fish in ancient times just as much as they do 

 now. Do you know of any tribe having actually disappeared ? A. The 

 only kind of fish that has gone entirely out, so far as I know, is a kind 

 of mackerel that was formerly found, known as the chub-mackerel or 

 big-eye mackerel. It was formerly well known. Thirty years ago it 

 was extremely common, a steady measurable article of the fish supply. 

 I have been in search of specimens ever since I have been in my present 

 line of inquiry, and have a standing offer of $25 for a specimen, but it has 

 not been produced. There are many instances of the local abandonment 

 of extensive shores. For instance, herring was formerly abundant on 

 the coast of Sweden. 



Q. Do you refer to a distinct species of mackerel ? A. A totally dis- 

 tinct species. We had two species on our coast and now we have only 

 one. I dare say there may be a few, but we don't find them as formerly. 



No. 70. 



HOWARD M. CHURCHILL, of Eustico, Prince Edward Island, a 

 United States citizen, fish-merchant, called on behalf of the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, sworn and examined. 



By Mr. Foster : 



Question. How long have you lived at Eustico ? Answer. Nineteen 

 years. 



Q. Have you been there usually through the winter ? A. Most of the 

 time. Some winters I have been in Boston, and some in Charlottetown. 



Q. Most of the winters as well as summers you have been on the 

 island? A. Yes. 



Q. What is your business ? A. Fishing. 



Q. Explain how you carry it on ? A. Well, we engage men in the 

 spring. I do differently from most of them, I expuct: I hire them by 

 the month. 



Q. To do what? A. To fish or to do anything else on shore, but the 

 general thing is to fish. 



Q. How many men do you hire? A. The average is about 45. 



Q. How do you hire them ? A. I hire them by the month, feed and 

 find them and everything. 



Q. Do you supply boats ? A. Yes. 



Q. How many boats ? A. Eight. 

 179 F 



