Fishing by Americans in our waters hinders the fishing operations of our fishermen to a large extent, because we are not supplied with vessels and gears to compete with them. Witness: his JAMES SAMUEL. mark. A. D. JOHNSTON. 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. 195. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, EDWARD TRACHY, of Percé, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Am acquainted with all the fisheries on this shore for 60 years past. 2. Between 1854 and 1866, the fishing by the Americans on this coast has been very extensive, between Cape Cove and Cape Percé, a distance of about nine miles. 3. I have seen the American schooners inshore engaged in mackerel fishing. I have been on board their vessels many times, and I have seen them from the shore and from my boat fishing and catching fish between Bonaventure Island and the mainland. 4. About 150 American vessels have visited these shores yearly for mackerel fishing, each vessel averaging about 70 tons, having from 12 to 15 men for a crew each. 5. During that time I have spoken to American captains, and they told me that they had made good voyages, and sometimes two during a season. 6. These schooners have carried away yearly from our shores an average of 500 barrels of mackerel each trip. 7. The fisheries are about the same as they were 20 years ago; but this year the cod fishery has increased greatly. 8. The Americans take mackerel by means of hand-lines. I have never seen them using seines. 9. The Americans, before and during the Reciprocity Treaty, have taken the most of their mackerel inshore. 10. The inshore fishery is of much greater value than the outside on this shore. Herring, caplin, launce, codfish, and the best part of the mackerel are taken inshore. 11. I have been greatly annoyed while out fishing mackerel, by hav ing the Americans come in among our boats, and by throwing bait, entice the mackerel outside with them, where we could not go. 12. I have seen the American fishermen many times come inshore and set nets for bait, and thus taking the bait away from us. 13. I have seen yearly several American schooners come in the cove here for bait; and I remember once of one waiting two days until our fishermen had caught enough bait for her. 14. There is a great increase in the cod fishery since 1871. I think this is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. 15. The same fish that are taken by the Americans inshore are also taken by the Canadians. 16. Herring are all taken inshore. The Americans catch them for bait only on this coast. 17. It is a great advantage to Americans to be able to land to dry and repair their nets. I have seen them doing so frequently. 18. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to trag-ship cargoes; because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds and to double their fares. 19. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to procure bait either by catching or buying it. If they buy it, it is because they save time, and more profitable to them. 20. It would be impossible for the Americans to carry on the cod and halibut fishery without being able to procure bait in our inshores. 21. The privilege of transshipping cargoes enjoyed by 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. 22. Fishing by the Americans in our waters injures our Canadian fishermen very much. I have had my nets badly torn by the American fishing vessels anchoring among them and sailing over them. It is also an injury to us, because it brings in a competition that we cannot sustain. Their vessels and gears are so much better than ours, that they take all the best fish. EDWARD TRACHY. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at Percé, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, this 26th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 196. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, EDWARD BUNN, 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 20 years. During the Reciprocity Treaty, the fishing by 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, these vessels averaging about 65 tons, with a crew of about 15 men. Each vessel takes away from our shores, on an average, 350 barrels of mackerel a trip. They very often make two trips in a season. 2. The Americans take mackerel by means of seines and hand-lines. I never saw them using their seines on this coast. They take all their mackerel inshore in two or three fathoms of water. 3. The throwing of fish offals overboard as practiced by the Americans is a great injury to the fisheries, because it poisons the water on our fishing grounds, driving away the large fish and killing the eggs. 4. The Americans have always fished inshore during the Reciprocity Treaty, and always made their loads of mackerel, and often very close to the shore. 5. The inshore fishery is of much greater value than the outside. All the fish on this coast are caught inshore. 6. It is the common practice of the Americans to come in among our boats, and by throwing bait entice the mackerel outside out of our reach. 7. Since 1871, the cod fishery has greatly increased. 8. The same fish that are caught by the Americans inshore are also taken by the Canadians. 9. I have heard the American fishermen say that our mackerel were better, and brought a higher price in their markets than the mackerel caught in their own waters. 10. Mackerel feed along our inshores on launce, shrimps, and seafleas. 11. I have seen the American fishermen frequently setting their nets close to our shores for mackerel. 12. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to transship 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 don't know of any vessels 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 fishery is worth these fisheries. 15. Fishing by Americans in our waters hinders the fishing operations of our fishermen to a great extent, because their vessels are so much better equipped than ours, that they always take the best fish. his EDWARD + BUNN. 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 27th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 197. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, JOSEPH D. PAYSON, of Westport, in the county of Digby, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in the fisheries twenty years; two years on board of American fishermen in Canadian waters. 2. American vessels to the number of three and four hundred annually fish in the Bay de Chaleur for mackerel; the average number of men is from twelve to fourteen to each vessel. This is within my knowl edge for the past twelve years. 3. The average number of codfish taken by Americans is about twelve hundred quintals to each vessel; and besides that, they annually make a mackerel trip of from three to five hundred barrels of mackerel. 4. The present condition of the fishery is not as good as it was in the past for either codfish or mackerel. Herring have not decreased as much, but they also are not as good as the past. 5. Americans carry on the codfish and halibut fishery chiefly with trawls; they do some by hand-line on George's. Mackerel are caught by seines and hook and line. 6. Most of the mackerel caught in the Bay de Chaleur are caught within three miles from the shore, and have been before and during the Treaty of Washington, by large numbers of American fishermen. 7. The American fishermen use what is called "purse-seines," and are ruining the mackerel-fishery wherever they are used, by driving the fish from the shores. 8. American fishermen catch bait within three miles from the shores in Saint Mary's Bay, but not very large quantities. 9. American fishermen trawl for halibut and codfish in the Bay of Fundy in the inshore waters. Halibut, codfish, haddock, hake, and pollock are caught inshore by Canadian fishermen. 10. Since the Treaty of Washington there has been a decrease in all kinds of fish in the Bay of Fundy, caused principally by trawling, and by the large quantity of fish-offal thrown over by the fishermen from the vessels. 11. The herring fishery is greater inshore than outside in Canadian. waters. Americans catch herring for bait and for sale at Magdalen Islands. The American fishermen catch some herring for bait in the Bay of Fundy. 12. There are a few mackerel caught in American waters at some seasons of the year that command a higher price in the American market, but my opinion is that mackerel caught in the Bay de Chaleur are quite as good and usually bring about the same price in the American market. 13. The food of mackerel is found chiefly inshore, called "brit"; they breed in the head of the bays; their principal breeding and feeding places are inshore. 14. The privilege of transshipping cargoes enjoyed by American fishermen since the Treaty of Washington is a very great advantage to them; it enables them to catch a much larger quantity of fish. 15. It is a very great advantage to Americans to procure bait from the Canadian inshores. They prefer to buy it, as it saves time. 16. The American fishermen could not carry on the cod and other fisheries of the deep sea to any extent, or with any profit, without the privilege of resorting to our inshores for bait. 17. It is a great advantage to Americans to resort to Canadian inshores for ice to preserve bait. Quite a number of American vessels have been supplied with ice at Westport this present season. 18. The privilege of fishing in American waters is of no practical value or advantage to Canadians. 19. If it was not for the large fleet of Americau fishermen in Canadian waters, a large and very profitable business could be done by Canadian fishermen. The foregoing statement is correct, to the best of my knowledge and belief. J. D. PAYSON. Sworn to at Westport this 11th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. BENJ. H. RUGGLES, J. P. No. 198. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, THOMAS C. COOK, Cape Canso, in the county of Guysboro', merchant, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in the fisheries actively for the period of twenty-five years. During that time I have been engaged in the fish trade, buying and selling and carrying on a general fish business. 2. During prosperous years, as many as three or four hundred American vessels, I understand, are engaged in the mackerel fishing in the North Bay. Each vessel would average from twelve to fifteen men. The American vessels now fishing are larger and better than those formerly used. Each vessel fits out to take three hundred barrels on an average. 3. I have known from two to three hundred American vessels call at Canso during the season for bait. To make up this number, I count several calls by the same vessel. I have known them hook squid inshore, but not much. They generally buy it, because it pays them best and saves them time. 4. The inshore fisheries are of greater value to the inhabitants along the coast than those outside. All kinds of fish are caught inshore by our fishermen. Our people do not, in the county of Guysboro', prosecute the outshore fishery almost altogether. 5. The opportunity given to the Americans of transshipping their cargoes is of great advantage to them; also the privilege of getting bait and ice. They are enabled, by having these privileges, to make more trips and catch more fish. Bait can be bought cheaper in Canadian ports than in the United States. Ice also, I think. 6. American fishermen could not so profitably carry on the deep-sea fisheries if they were not permitted to land and buy their bait and ice, otherwise they would not land and do so. 7. Never heard of any Canadian vessels fishing in American waters. THOS. C. COOK. Sworn to at Canso, in the county of Guysboro', this 25th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. JAMES A. TORY, J. P., For the County of Guysborough. No. 199. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, W. WYSE, of Chatham, in the county of Northumberland, in the Province of New Brunswick, at present of Chatham, merchant, maketh oath as follows: 1. I have been in business for five years in Chatham, and have had business with fishing parties around our coast previous to '72 and since 1854. I have had charge of a salmon-preserving establishment on Fox Island, Miramichi Bay, and exported salmon in tins to amount of from 8 to 10,000 per annum, also lobster and mackerel to amount of about 1,000 dollars per annum; also during this time American fishermen have been accommodated on this island with water and other matters |