Mr. y. G. Bourinot on Canada's Marine and Fisheries. 9 



The same authority gives the following statement of the value of the fish 

 imported from the provinces for a term of years : — 



1858 1,500,000 



1860 1,600,000 



1861 1,797,722 



18C5 2,193,384 



1866 1,627,00(> 



1867 1,773,669 



1862 1,078,073 



1863 957 166 



1864 1,477,155 



If these figures prove anything it is this, that the value of the export 

 from all British North America into the United States Las varied very little 

 before and since the Reciprocity Treaty. The Canadian returns give the total 

 value of all the fish exported to all countries by the Dominion in 1870-1 at 

 $4,000,000, of which less than one-third was sent to the Uuited States. It 

 may be safely estimated that half a million of dollars will, for some years, 

 represent the total value of the remissioa of duties on Canadian produce. 

 It may, indeed, be urged that since the free use of our fisheries will increase 

 the catch of the American fishermen, the sale of our own maybe conse- 

 quently diminished to a certain extent in the American market. At all 

 events it is reasonable to suppose that the quantity henceforth exported by 

 Canada to the United States will not be very much greater than hereto- 

 fore. The Americans under any circumstances, are forced to bu}" our 

 lumber and fish, and in case of a duty the consumer must pay it of neces- 

 sity. We must remember, too, that instead of the repeal of the Reciprocity 

 Treaty crippling Canada to the extent anticipated five or six years ago, 

 it has really stimulated the energies of her people, and forced them to seek 

 new and remunerative markets elsewhere for the sale of their surplus pro- 

 ducts. It is now within our power to supply South America more cheaply 

 with the fish which the Americans have been in the habit of buying from 

 us and re-exporting to those southern countries. 



The growth of the fishery interest of British North America has been 

 steady during the past twelve years. In 1860 the value of the fish caught 

 in the Dominion waters was about $4,000,000, and adding $4,440,000 for 

 Newfoundland, and $272,532 for Prince Edward Island, we have an aggre- 

 gate value of $8,712,532. In 1866, the value of the Dominion catch was 

 estimated at $6,263,000, and that of the product of all the provinces at 

 $10,837,000. The actual quantity of fish, exported and consumed within 

 the Dominion, was estimated in 1870 by the Marine and Fishery Depart- 

 ment at a value of $8,000,000, and adding as much more for Newfoundland 

 and Prince Edward Island, we have a total of $16,000,000. While the 

 tonnage of the American fishing interest has been steadily declining, since 

 1860, the value of the same branch of industry in the Dominion as well as 

 in all British North America, has doubled. The value of the exports in 

 1871 was as follows : — 



Nova Scotia $2,852,255 



New Brunswick .... 374,379 



Quebec 678J162 



Ontario 89,479 



Total for the Dominion . . $3,994,275 



Newfoundland .... 7,825,159 

 Prince Edward Island . . , 350,000 



Total for all B. N. America . $12,169,434 



