3096 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



of seines fishing for mackerel with seines cannot be profitably carried 

 on in Canadian Waters on account of the roughness of the bottom and 

 Huoalness of the water, for this reason American fishermen have al- 

 most entirely ceased to use the Canadian mackerel fishery All the bait 

 used in mackerel fishing consists of menhaden or porgie which is only 

 found off the coast of the United States, and which the Canadians 

 bought from the American fishermen to a great extent Now by the 

 Treaty they have equal facilities with us for procuring it We buy from 

 the Canadians herring and small mackerel to use on the Banks for cod- 

 bait ; Our firm has paid as much as $2000.00 the past season for this 

 alone We often repair and refit our vessels in the Provinces purchas- 

 ing supplies &c and have paid as much as $500^ for one ship there 



I consider the right to laud and dry nets cure fish &c on the Canadian 

 shores as of no value I have never had any of my vessels land for 

 this purpose nor have I ever known of any other vessels doing so 

 During the past season very few vessels from this town not more than 

 forty out of three hundred and fifty fished in the Gulf of St Lawrence 

 and these only for two or three mouths 



No fish are ever exported from the United States to the provinces 

 while all their large cod and the best quality of their mackerel are sent 

 here ; the only fish for which there is a market in the provinces are the 

 small cod and poorer grades of mackerel 



I think that the fishermen of the United States will be injured by the 

 Treaty of Washington The Canadians can build ships cheaper than 

 the Americans and by the free clause of the Treaty they can carry and 

 in some cases have carried their fish directly to the American ports and 

 sold them there Under the old Reciprocity Treaty the Canadian fishing 

 fleet increased largely but as soon as the repeal of the treaty prevented 

 their taking their fish into the United States free of duty, it became so 

 unprofitable that it was to a great extent given up and vessels which 

 they had begun building for the fishing business were left unfinished on 

 the stocks Since the present Treaty has taken effect, the business has 

 increased very largely in the Provinces 



I consider the inshore fisheries of little value, we send few vessels 

 and they take few fish All the value of the treaty to our fishermen is 

 the right to traid, buy bait &c unmolested and if we could be protected 

 in this, we should much prefer and desire the old tariff this right to 

 trade we have always claimed but it has been denied to us and we have 

 been harassed in every way 



SYLVANUS SMITH 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 



ESSEX ss GLOUCESTER Dec 28th 1875 



Then personally appeared the above named S.vlvauus Smith to me 

 known and made oath that all the foregoing statements by him sub- 

 scrilu'd are true so far as they depend upon his own knowledge and as 

 far as they depend upon information and belief he believes them to be 

 true before me 



(Seal.) DAVID W. LOW 



Notary Public 

 No. 35. 



I, Morris Whelen of Gloucester in the County of Essex and Com- 

 monwealth of Massachusetts, being duly sworn do depose and say, that 

 I have been twenty-two years engaged in fishing for mackerel. I have 



