been very extensive for mackerel between Cape Chat and Magdalen River, a distance of 63 miles. 3. To the best of my knowledge, about 100 vessels have visited these shores yearly during the period mentioned mackerel-fishing. 4. These schooners used to make good voyages yearly, and their cargoes averaged 350 barrels of mackerel each trip. These schooners average about 65 tons, with a crew of about 15 men. 5. The mackerel fishery seems to have decreased, but the cod and herring fisheries are the same as formerly. 6. The Americans take mackerel by means of hand-lines and seines. 7. During the Reciprocity Treaty, on this coast the Americans have always fished for mackerel inshore. 8. It is the common practice of the Americans to come in among our boats, and by throwing bait, entice the fish away with them, thereby causing us a great loss. 9. I know that the American fishermen have used the hauling-seines very often. I once helped to load an American schooner in the Magdalen River with mackerel. They were all taken with a hauling-seine inshore. 10. Since 1871 the codfishery has greatly increased. I believe it is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. Mackerel were very plenty last year, and a great increase over former years. 11. Mackerel feed inshore on lance, sea-fleas, and other small animals. 12. It is a great advantage to Americans to be able to transship cargoes, because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds and to double and triple their fares. 13. It is of no advantage to us to be able to fish in American waters; and I don't know of any vessel from here ever going there to do so. 14. Fishing by Americans in our waters injures our fishing operations to a great extent. It brings in a competition that we cannot sustain, they having better vessels and better gears. 15. Some years ago three American vessels came and anchored in Magdalen River until they had their full load of halibut. They caught them with trawls, and all inshore. his CHARLES + FOURNIER. mark. Witness: A. D. JOHNSTONE. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at Magdalen River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this 27th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. L. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 191. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, ALEXIS NOIL, of Fox River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Have been acquainted with all the fisheries on this coast from Griffin's Cove to Chlorydrome, a distance of 33 miles, for the last 30 years. From 1854 to 1866 the fishing by the Americans has been very extensive. The number of American vessels that have visited these shores for mackerel fishing, during the period mentioned, have been about 150 yearly. The average tonnage of these vessels was about 65 tons, with a crew of about 16 men each. The average cargo of these vessels, yearly, is 350 barrels mackerel. And I have heard the captains of these vessels say that they generally make two trips in a season. 2. The cod and herring fisheries are about the same as they were 20 years ago. 3. The Americans take mackerel by means of seines and hand-lines, principally the latter, and all inshore in 2 or 3 fathoms of water. 4. The throwing of fish offals overboard on the fishing grounds is a great injury to them and the fisheries, because it poisons the water, drives away the large fish, and kills the eggs. 5. The Americans have always fished iushore and made their loads of mackerel. During the Reciprocity Treaty, and before, often very close to the shores. 6. The inshore fishery is by far of greater value than the outside, because all the fish on this coast are caught inshore. 7. I have seen the Americans frequently come in among our boats while they were fishing mackerel and entice the fish away by throwing bait, thereby causing our fishermen great loss. They have done the same to me often. 8. The cod fishery has greatly increased since 1871, owing no doubt to the Americans having left our waters, thereby giving them a chance to restock. 9. I have heard the Americans say many times that our mackerel were better and brought a higher price in their markets than their own. 10. Mackerel feed all along our inshores on lance and other small fish. 11. I have seen the Americans several times setting nets close to our shores for mackerel. 12. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be allowed to transship their cargoes, because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds and to double their fares. 13. It is of no advantage to Canadian fishermen to be able to fish in American waters, and I never knew of any vessel from here going there to do so. 14. The privilege granted to Americans to transship cargoes is worth a load, and the privilege of getting bait in our inshores for their cod and halibut fisheries is worth these fisheries. 15. Fishing by Americans in our waters hinders the fishing operations of our fishermen to a great extent, because we cannot compete with such well supplied and geared vessels. his Witness: A. D. JOHNSTONE. ALEXIS × NOIL. mark. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, at Fox River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this 27th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 192. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the treaty of Washington. I, JOHN PACKWOOD, fisherman and farmer, of Cape Rosier, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, make oath and say as follows: 1. I am acquainted with all the fisheries carried on on this coast from Cape Gaspé to Griffin's Cove since twenty-five years. During the Treaty of Reciprocity mackerel fishing by the Americans on this coast was very extensive. I mean from 1850 to 1856. 2. I have seen the Americans fishing for mackerel here in Cape Rosier Cove, at Cape Bon Ami, at Jersey Cove, and catching mackerel. I have been on board of their vessels when they were fishing, and I have seen them from the shore and from my boat, and catching mackerel, and always inshore, generally in line with the points. I have seen them yearly during the period mentioned above many times during each season. 3. During the period mentioned, to the best of my knowledge, sixty schooners visited these shores here yearly for mackerel-fishing. These schooners averaged 65 tons, and carried away from here and neighboring places about 400 barrels, for the Americans themselves told me that they always made good voyages. 4. Cod fishery is as good now as formerly; it has increased very much of late. Herring is about the same. Last year there was a good deal of mackerel on our coast. 5. The Americans fished mackerel with hand-lines and seines, but I never saw them use the seine here. 6. The practice of the Americans of throwing fish offals overboard is much injurious to our fishing grounds, because it gluts the fish and prevents the fish from biting; and also because the decaying of these offals poisons the water, drives the large fish away, and kills the eggs. 7. I have never seen the Americans fish here outside of three miles; they have always fished very close to the shores. 8. The value of our inshore fisheries is, by far, greater than the outside ones. All the fish here is caught inshore. 9. Since 1871 the cod fishery has considerably increased here; and I believe, with all the fishermen here, that it is because the Americans have been less in our waters. 10. I have heard many times the Americans say that our mackerel here was larger and of a better quality than their own, and that it is worth $20 against their own $10. 11. Mackerel feeds all along our coasts here upon launce, sea-fleas, &c. 12. The fishing by Americans in our waters is extensively injurious to us, because they are supplied so well with every kind of gear to carry on the fisheries of all kinds that we cannot compete with them, so that when they come to fish amongst us they take all the fish before we can take a share. JOHN PACKWOOD. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at Cape Rosier, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this 28th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 193. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, MESIAH TAPP, of Fox River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. I am acquainted with all the fisheries that are carried on on this coast for the last 25 years. 2. From 1854 to 1866 the fishing by the Americans was very exten. sive for mackerel. 3. About 100 American mackerel-fishing vessels have visited these shores yearly during the period mentioned above. These vessels average above 65 tons, having about 16 men for a crew. These vessels carried away from our shores yearly about 400 barrels of mackerel a trip. 4. The Americans take mackerel by means of seines and hand-lines. 5. The practice of throwing fish offals overboard, as done by the Americans, is injurious to the fisheries, because it gluts the fish, poisons the water, and kills the eggs. 6. The Americans have always fished inshore here during the Reciprocity Treaty for mackerel, about one-half mile from the shore. 7. The inshore fisheries are of much greater value than the outside. All the fish here are taken inshore. 8. I have seen the Americans come in among our boats, and by throwing bait entice the mackerel away with them; and I saw them one time throwing ballast rocks at a boat that had gone too near their lines. 9. Since 1871 the cod fishery has increased greatly, and I believe it is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. 10. I have heard the Americans say frequently that our mackerel were better, and brought a higher price in their markets than their own. 11. Mackerel breed and feed on this coast inshore. Their food is launce and sea-fleas. 12. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to transship their cargoes, because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds, and to double their fares. 13. It is of no advantage to us to be able to fish in American waters, and I don't know of any vessel from here ever going there to do so. 14. The privilege of transshipping cargoes to the Americans is worth a load, and the privilege of getting bait in our inshores for their cod and halibut fisheries is worth these fisheries. 15. The fishing by the Americans in our waters hinders the fishing operations of our Canadian fishermen, because they are better supplied and geared than we are, that they take all the best fish. his MESIAH + TAPP. mark. Witness: A. D. JOHNSTONE. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at Fox River, County of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this 31st day of July, A. D., 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Canada. No. 194. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. 1, JAMES SAMUEL, of Fox River, County of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Have been acquainted with all the fisheries which are carried on on this coast from Griffin's Cove to Chlorydorme, a distance of 33 miles, for 25 years. The mackerel fishery by the Americans has been very extensive during the Reciprocity Treaty, from 1854 to 1866 and before, on these shores. 2. I have been several times during a season on board of American mackerel-fishing vessels. I have seen them fish, and have fished my self with them. They fished always inshore very close the shore in 2 or 3 fathoms of water. 3. The number of American schooners which have visited these shores for mackerel fishing yearly during the period mentioned above, was about 150. The average tonnage of these vessels is about 65 tons, hav ing about 15 men for a crew each. These vessels have taken away from our shores yearly, at least 350 barrels of mackerel. I have heard the captains of some of these schooners say that most of them were on their second trip. They also told me that their first trip was generally made about the Strait of Canso, Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island. 4. The cod and herring fisheries are about the same as formerly. 5. The Americans take mackerel by means of hand-lines and seines. But I have seen them use the hand-lines only on this coast. 6. The throwing overboard of fish offals as practiced by the Americans injures our fishing grounds and fisheries; because it gluts the fish, and then the decaying of these offals poisons the water, driving the large fish away and killing the eggs. 7. The American schooners have always fished inshore during the Reciprocity Treaty and afterwards, and have made their loads of mackerel often very close to the rocks. 8. The inshore fishery is of much greater value than the outside. All the fish on this shore are caught inshore. 9. It is the common practice of the Americans to come in among our boats when we are catching mackerel, and by throwing bait entice the fish outside, where we cannot go. 10. Since 1871 the cod fishery has considerably increased, and it is my opinion that it is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. 11. I have heard the Americans say frequently that the mackerel caught in our waters were of a better quality than their own, and brought a higher price in their markets. 12. Mackerel feed all along our inshores on lance and shrimp. 13. I have seen the Americans frequently setting their nets close to our shores for mackerel. 14. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to transship cargoes, because by doing so it enables them to remain on the fishinggrounds and to double their fares. 15. It is of no advantage to Canadians to be able to fish in American waters. 16. The privilege of transshipping cargoes to the Americans is worth a load. And the privilege of getting bait in our inshores for their cod and halibut fisheries is worth these fisheries. |