No. 203. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, GEORGE DUMARESQ, of Fox River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, merchant, make oath and say as follows: 1. I am acquainted with all the fisheries carried on on this coast and on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the last 34 years. 2. During the Reciprocity Treaty, from 1854 to 1866, and previous to that time, mackerel-fishing by the Americans on these shores, from Cape Rosier to Mont Louis, and also in the Bay of Gaspé, has been very extensive. 3. During the period just mentioned, an average of 150 schooners have visited our shores here yearly for mackerel-fishing. These vessels averaged 70 tons, with a crew of 15 men. 4. These vessels made yearly a good voyage on these shores. I heard the Americans say so many times, and that often they were making two voyages. 5. American fishermen have acknowledged before me that yearly these schooners that visited our shores here for mackerel, carried away from 400 to 500 barrels of that fish. I have known vessels taking 250 barrels of mackerel in three days, and very close to the shore at about 4 and 5 fathoms of water, near Fox River. 6. The cod fishery is as good now as it was formerly. 7. The Americans catch mackerel with hand-lines and seining. I have seen them fishing, and catching fish with both. I have never seen the Americans fishing elsewhere on these coasts than inside the three miles. 8. The practice of American fishermen of throwing fish offals overboard is very injurious to our fishing grounds in several ways; in the first place it feeds the fish too much, thus preventing the fish from tak ing bait; also the putrid offals upon which the fish feeds on the bottom must be injurious to the mother fish, thereby destroying the fry. 9. On these shores the Americans have always fished inshore. I have seen them fishing inshore continually during the Reciprocity Treaty. I have seen vessels loaded. I have not seen them seining elsewhere than in Gaspé, but I have seen seines on board of several vessels. 10. The inshore fisheries are by far of a greater value than the outside ones. All the fish here are caught inshore. 11. I am aware that the Americans have been in the habit of using artificial bait when they came to fish among our own boats, and the moment that bait was thrown out mackerel would suddenly rise to the surface, and after them, making good catches. The Americans would leave for deep water, and no more mackerel was to be caught inshore. I am aware, also, that Americans have threatened to stone, and did stone, too, our fishermen in their boats, because they say our fishermen were interfering with their fishing. 12. This practice has been carried on during all the time the Americans have visited our coasts for mackerel fishing, and this was at a time of the cod fishery when mackerel as bait was most needed. 13. The Americans use both hauling and purse seines, both of which, in my opinion, are injurious to the fisheries in this respect, that it takes all size of fish, a part of which they do not save, being of no market value. 14. The cod fishery has rather increased since 1871; herring keeps about the same. The increase of codfish in my opinion is greatly due to the fact that the Amerians have retired from our waters. 15. I have heard American fishermen say that our number one mackerel was superior to theirs, and reached a higher price in their market than their own. 16. Mackerel feeds on shrimps, launce, and fry of other fish. The food of mackerel is all inshore; that is what keeps mackerel inshore on these coasts. 17. It is a great advantage for Americans to be able to land on our shores, and to dry their nets and cure their fish. 18. It is a great advantage to Americans to be able to transship their cargoes, because it enables them to remain on the fishing grounds and to double their fares. 19. It is a great advantage to Americans to be allowed to procure bait inshore by catching it, or by buying it; and if they buy, it is because it is more profitable to them. 20. It is not an advantage to us to be allowed to fish in American waters. 21. The privilege of the Americans of transshipping their cargoes on our inshores is worth to them another voyage, perhaps two. 22. The Americans would not carry on halibut or cod fishery profitably in our waters if they were not allowed to procure bait in our inshores. 23. The privilege of being allowed to get bait inshore for cod or halibut fishing by the Americans, is equal to their fisheries of cod and halibut. 24. The fishing by the Americans in our waters injures our fishing operations greatly, because it brings in a competition that we cannot sustain, the Americans being so well supplied and fitted out with vessels and fishing gears, that on the fishing grounds they take the best fish. Besides, with their large seines seining for mackerel, as I have seen them in Gaspé Bay, have prevented our fishermen from taking bait for cod-fishing. 25. The Americans being allowed to catch their bait themselves, this practice is an injury to our own fishermen, because it restrains their trade of bait. GEORGE DUMARESQ. 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, 1877, before me. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 204. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, ALEXANDER CAMPION, of Magdalen River, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Am acquainted with all the fisheries on this coast for the last thirty years. 2. From 1854 to 1866 the fishing by the Americans has 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. Have been piloting American fishing-schooners on this shore and on the north shore for three or four seasons, during the Reciprocity Treaty. I have seen them fishing and catching mackerel, and I have caught mackerel whilst in their employ, and always very close the shore, sometimes so close that I could step on shore from the schooner. 5. These schooners used to make good voyages yearly, previous to 1865, and their cargoes yearly averaged 300 barrels of mackerel each trip. These schooners averaged about 65 tons, with a crew of about 16 men. 6. The mackerel fishery seems to have decreased, but the cod and berring fisheries are the same now as formerly. 7. The Americans take mackerel by means of hand-lines and seines. During the Reciprocity Treaty each schooner had boats which they sent to fish inshore. 8. The throwing overboard of fish offals, as practiced by the Americans, injures the fishing grounds very much, because it gives too much nourishment to the fish, and because it poisons the water, drives away the large fish, and kills the eggs. 9. I have never seen the Americans fishing for mackerel other than inshore, during the Reciprocity Treaty and before, on this shore. 10. The inshore fishery is by far of greater value than the outside. All the fish are taken inshore there. 11. Many times, whilst I was fishing mackerel inshore, the Americans have come in among our boats, and by throwing bait, enticed the mackerel away with them, and thereby causing us great loss. 12. I know that the American fishermen have used the hauling-seines very often for mackerel. I have seen them using seines at the Cove, Mount Louisa, and at river a la Pierre. And one time there was so much mackerel in the bunt of the seine that it ruptured, and they lost all. The seines they used were hauling-seines; they hauled them from the shore. 13. The hauling-seines destroy more mackerel than the lines. 14. Since 1871, salmon and codfish have increased greatly. I believe it is owing to the absence of Americans from our waters. There was also a great quantity of mackerel on these shores last year, and a great increase over former years. 15. I have heard the Americans say frequently that our mackerel were of a better quality than their own, and reached a higher price in their markets. 16. Mackerel feed inshore on launce and other small fish; also on seafleas, which are plenty on this shore. 17. It is a great advantage to Americans to be able to transship their cargoes, because it enables them to keep on the fishing grounds and to double their fares. 18. It is of no advantage to us to be able to fish in American waters, and I never knew of any vessels from here ever going there to do so. 19. Fishing by Americans injures the fishing operations of our fishermen to a great extent. Without considering injuries actually done to our own fishermen, by enticing the fish out of their catch, and the injury done to their nets by sailing over them and spoiling them, the privilege granted to Americans of fishing in our waters brings in a competition that we cannot sustain, they being better equipped and geared than we are, so that they take all the best fish. ALEX. CAMPION. 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. N. LAVOIE, Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. No. 205. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, ALEXIS MALOUIN, of Griffin's Cove, county of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Have been acquainted with all the fisheries that are carried on on this coast and on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the last 30 years. 2. During the Reciprocity Treaty, from 1854 to 1866, the fishing by the Americans has been very extensive on these shores. 3. To the best of my knowledge, about 100 American fishing vessels have visited these shores for mackerel, yearly, during the Reciprocity Treaty. These vessels average about 65 tons, having about 16 men for a crew each. Each of these vessels have carried away from our shores about 400 barrels of mackerel at a trip, yearly. The most of these vessels make two trips in a season. 4. The Americans take mackerel by means of seines and hand-lines. I have seen them seining several times in this cove and catching fish. 5. The throwing of offals overboard, as practiced by the Americans, is injurious to our fisheries, because it gluts the fish, poisons the waters, and kills the eggs. 6. The Americans have always fished inshore here during the Reciprocity Treaty, often inside of half a mile. 7. The inshore fishery is of much greater value than the outside. All the fish here are taken inshore. 8. I have seen the Americans several times each season during the Reciprocity Treaty come in among our boats, and by throwing bait, entice the mackerel away with them. They have done it to me frequently. 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 breed and feed all along our inshores. They feed on launce and shrimps. 11. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be allowed to land to dry and repair their nets. I have seen them frequently doing so. 12. The Americans could not profitably carry on the cod and halibut fisheries without being able to procure bait in our inshores. 13. 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. 14. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to procure ice in our inshores to preserve their bait. 15. The privilege of transshipping cargoes to the Americans is worth a load; and the privilege of procuring the bait in our inshores, for their cod and halibut fisheries, is worth these fisheries. 16. Fishing by Americans in our waters hinders our fishing operations, because they are so much better equipped than we are, that they take all the best fish. ALEXIS MALOUIN. Sworn to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at Griffin's Cove, 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 Quebec. No. 206. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, CHARLES GAUL, of Douglas Town, County of Gaspé, Province of Quebec, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. Am acquainted with all the fisheries that are carried on in this bay for the last 30 years. 2. From 1854 to 1866, and before, the fishing by the Americans was very extensive for mackerel in the Bay of Gaspé. 3. During the Reciprocity Treaty, about 100 American vessels on an average have visited these shores for mackerel fishing. These vessels averaged about 70 tons, having a crew of about 15 men. 4. During the period mentioned above, the American fishing schooners made good trips yearly, and very often they make two voyages in a season. They carry away from our sbores about 400 barrels each trip yearly on an average. 5. The cod and herring fisheries are as good now as they were for merly. 6. The Americans take mackerel by means of seines and hand-lines. I have seen the Americans seining in this bay at Sandy Beach. 7. The throwing of fish offals overboard as practiced by the Americans is injurious to the fisheries, because it poisons the fishing grounds, drives the fish away, and kills the eggs. 8. The Americans fished all inshore in this bay during the Reciprocity Treaty. 9. Our inshore fisheries are of much greater value than the outside. All the fish are caught inshore in this bay. 10. I have seen the Americans many times come in among our boats and entice the mackerel away from us by throwing bait; and when we went to follow their vessels they threatened to sink us with ballast rocks. 11. The practice of seining is injurious to the fisheries, more especially the purse-seine, because it takes all kinds of fish, both large and small, and the latter are all thrown away. 12. The same fish that are taken inshore by the Americans are also taken by the Canadians. 13. There has been a great increase in the cod-fishery since 1871, and the mackerel are more plenty this year than they have been for many years past. 14. The Americans take herring inshore here for bait only. 15. Mackerel breed and feed in this bay; their food is launce, shrimps, &c. 16. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be allowed to land to dry and repair their nets. 17. 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 t double their fares. 18. It is a great advantage to the Americans to be able to procure bait |