3262 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



No. 191. 



I, Martin Ryan do solemnly declare that : I am living at Middle Mil- 

 ford, County of Guysboro' I am 63 years old have been fishing in 

 mackerel vessels over thirty years about 7 years ago I left off Bay- 

 fishing in vessels since that time I have been boatfishing and farming 

 the Americans do not as far as I know dry their nets or cure their fish 

 on British coasts Provincial vessels do not according to my experience 

 catch any smaller quantity of mackerel on account qf fishing alongside 

 of an American mackerel fleet in the Gulf of St Lawrence while I was 

 out fishing in the Gulf the Americans, during the time they had the 

 privilege of fishing inshore as well as at other times when they had to 

 fish in limits, caught nearly all their mackerel outside the 3 mile line 

 from shore it was only an odd vessel that went in-shore and caught their 

 mackerel there the mackerel during most of the years I was in the 

 Gulf mackerel fishing kept mostly in the deep water and not more than 

 one fourth of the entire catch of the American vessels in which I was 

 was caught inside a line 3 miles from shore I have always fished in 

 American vessels with the exception of five seasons when I was fishing 

 in Provincial vessels the bait used by the mackerel vessels in which I 

 fished was Porgies and clams, we used no other bait Porgies and clams 

 all comes from the United States between one third to of the crew of 

 the American fleet of mackerel fishing vessels are men having their homes 

 in the British Provinces the Americans have much benefited the people 

 here in the Strait of Canso the American herring fishers that come 

 here in the spring give the first relief to our poor people and if it was 

 not for the American fishing vessels on our coasts a very great 'number 

 of our laboring men would be without employment, the great number of 

 the American mackerel fleet come to the Gulf of St Lawrence from 

 about the 10th of July the mackerel fishery has much fallen off and 

 during the last three years the catch of mackerel has not been a paying 

 one at all; during the last two years mackerel fishing has been almost 

 a failure; and I do solemnly declare that I make this solemn declara- 

 tion conscientiously believing it to be true and by virtue of an Act passed 

 during the 37th year of her Majestys reign entitled an Act for the sup- 

 pression of voluntary and extra-judicial oaths. 



Dated Middle Millford August 7th 1877. 



MARTIN RYAN 



In presence of: 



OSCAR MALMROS 



PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA 



COUNTY OF GUYSBOROUGH 



I hereby Certify that the above named Martin Ryan voluntarily de- 

 clared to and subscribed before me the foregoing solemn declaration 



Given under my hand and Notarial Seal at Middle Milford in the 

 County of Guysborough Province of Nova Scotia this 7th day of August 

 1877 

 (Seal.) JAMES G McKEEN 



, Notary Public 

 No. 192. 



I, Philipp Ryan do solemnly declare that : I am living at Middle Mil- 

 ford, I am 42 years of age I think I was about 16 years when I first 

 went out fishing in the Gulf of St Lawrence in fishing vessels I have 

 mostly been mackerel fishing although some seasons I have been Cod- 



