3406 AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



tbe quantities of fish taken on any portion of the coast of the United 

 States, bat I have derived the information I have obtained from the re- 

 ports of Commissioner Baird and his assistants, and also from conver- 

 sations with fishermen. Now we know, for instance, that George's Banks 

 are not more than 35 years old as a fishing ground. At first it was fre- 

 quented exclusively for halibut. The halibut seemed to reign there 

 supreme. They were finally caught out, as fishermen say. 



Q. Halibut is a powerful fish? A. It is a much more powerful fish 

 than cod, and drives the cod from all favorite places of resort. Then 

 after the halibut had been driven away cod began to increase. I would 

 here say that cod and halibut were taken together in the first instance, 

 but much more halibut than cod. The cod taken were of large size, as 

 is always the case when a fishing-ground is first established on any banks; 

 then they gradually diminish in size and in number except in certain 

 localities. Now, although I know nothing of my own knowledge, never- 

 theless from conversations I have had with fishermen, there is no doubt 

 it is more difficult now to get a cargo of large cod, for example, not- 

 withstanding the extensive use of bultows, on Georges and in every lo- 

 cality on the coast of the United States, than it was when the fishery 

 was first commenced ; and in the same way on our own coast. 



Q. You mean the trawl ? A. Yes. The reason why I make use of 

 the term " bultow " is because the term " trawling" is applied to a totally 

 different mode of fishing in Europe. 



Q. You mean the long line and minor lines from it? A. Yes. 



Q. Take our own fisheries; as far as you are aware are they practi- 

 cally inexhaustible? A. As far as all experience goes, judging from 

 history and what we see at the present time, there are certain locali- 

 ties practically inexhaustible. There is no portion of the world where 

 there is such a constant and unvarying supply of codfish as in the 

 Straits of Belle Isle. It has been so for the past 300 years, and you 

 may even go farther back, to the time of the old French forts and towns, 

 including the town of Brest, the ruins of which still exist on the coast 

 of the Straits of Belle Isle. From the year 1590 down to the present 

 time, tbe whole of the Straits of Belle Isle, a distance of 60 miles, have 

 been famed for the uniform quantity of cod. The same holds good with 

 regard to the Grand Banks and Newfoundland. The same also applies 

 to that amazing fishing-ground at the south coast of Newfoundland, 

 where the codfish winter at a depth of from 150 to 200 fathoms, and 

 where they can be taken constantly during the winter. Compared with 

 European fisheries, the Newfoundland fisheries and Labrador fisheries 

 are far superior in every particular. The character of the Norwegian 

 fisheries, for instance, is very remarkable. The sufotner Norwegian 

 fisheries are prosecuted on the northern coast, and are identical in- 

 regard to character of fish with the Labrador fisheries. The only large 

 fish caught are taken at Loffoden, Romsdal, and another locality. But 

 the quantity of fish there taken, compared with what is taken on the- 

 Newfoundland coast, is on an average as the proportion to 3 to 5 ; where 

 5 fish or 5 quintals are taken on tbe coast of Newfoundland, 3 fish or 3 

 quintals only are taken on the whole coast of Norway. 



By Mr. Wbiteway : 



Q. That is including Loffodeu Islands? A. Yes; the exports of Nor- 

 way very rarely exceed 500,000 or 600,000 quintals. 



By Mr. Thomson : 



Q. Among the fish for which we are indebted to the Arctic current, 

 I do not recollect that you named herring; that is one? A. Certainly. 

 1 did not name herring, but it was an inadvertence. 



