August; but during the months of September and October the boats take their catch further out, say two miles or two and a half. It is a very rare occasion that they go out three miles, or beyond it. 13. Of the total catch in the boats, over nine-tenths are caught well within the three-mile limit. 14. The American fishing fleet have always fished on the same ground as the boats. They go in as close and closer to our coast than half a mile, commence throwing over bait, and drift off, taking fish with them off the shore, and when they lose the fish tack for the land again and renew operations. I can't say the proportion of their catch taken within the limit, because they sometimes make a good catch outside in deep-sea waters. The fleet have always fished within the three miles before the abolition of the Reciprocity Treaty and afterwards. They never gave up. The cruisers frightened them a little, but as soon as they were past, the fishing-vessels went right to work again and fished as before. 15. I prosecute the herring-fishing in the spring for bait, and get enough for that purpose, and to a small extent the cod-fishing, but my previous statements have entire reference to the mackerel fishery. The herring are all taken close to the shore. ALEX. M. MCNEILL. Sworn to at Charlottetown, in Queens County, Prince Edward Island, this 18th day of June, A. D. 1877, before me. E. JAMES SALMER, Commissioner for taking Affidavits in the Supreme Court, DOMINION OF CANADA, No. 2. Province of Prince Edward Island, Queens County, to wit: I, HUGH JOHN MONTGOMERY, of New London, in Prince Edward Island, merchant, make oath and say: 1. That I am aged thirty-six, and have resided all my life, excepting the last four or five years, on the north shore of this island, and have prosecuted the fishing business both in boats and schooners, and profess to have a good knowledge of the business, having been mixed up in it all my life. That during the past four or five years I have resided at Clifton, about four miles from the sea-shore, and have traded a good deal with the fishermen, and acquired, from actual experience, and from a prolonged and constant intercourse with the fishermen, a thorough knowledge of the different branches of fishing, as carried on along the shores and coasts of this island. That one season I commanded a schooner of my own, and fished in her along the north side of this island, and up the Bay Chaleur. That during the last few years the increase in the boat-fishing around this island has been enormous, between fifty and sixty boats fishing out of the New London Harbor, and from one hundred and fifty to two hundred out of Rustico Harbor, while other harbors with which I am not so minutely acquainted, such as Malpeque, Cascumpec, Tiguish, Nail Pond, Mimenegash, Egmont Bay, Murray Harbor, Souris, Tracadie, and Saint Peters, send out, every season, very large numbers of well-equipped fishing boats. That during the past winter still larger preparations were made for the coming season, and I fully believe the number of boats fishing around the coasts of this island will be, this year, largely in excess of previous years. That the increase in the number of fishing boats does not seem in the slightest to lessen the number of fish; on the contrary, from the increased quantity of bait used, the effect is rather to keep the fish within the fishing limits where the boats fish. That from my experience I would be prepared to swear that at least three-fourths of the total quantity of mackerel caught in the schooners are taken within the three-mile limit, while of the boats I believe almost the entire catch is taken within such limit. That for the past two years the American fishing fleet in the gulf has been small, while for many years previously it would average six hun dred sail. That the presence of the fleet along the shores injured the boat-fish. ing because of the mode of fishing, which was, with the wind off shore, to approach the shore as closely as possible and commence fishing, keeping constantly throwing bait and drifting to sea, taking the mackerel off the shore with them and away from the boats. That, as a general rule, my experience has led me to conclude that the American fishing-vessels usually secured two fares during the sea. son in the gulf, and in some cases as many as three fares would be secured. The vessels ranged, as a rule, from sixty to seventy tons, and a single fare would be in the neighborhood of six hundred or seven hundred barrels. That in the spring of the year large quantities of herring are taken around our shores, which are used chiefly for mackerel bait. That during the season I myself commanded my little schooner, whose tonnage amounted to twenty-seven tous, my catch was 190 barrels of mackerel only, but this I accounted for because I only fished two months out of the season, the vessel being engaged during the rest of the season in the carrying trade; and during the same season my catch of codfish was one hundred and seventy-five quintals of codfish, and three hundred and fifty barrels of herring. HUGH J. MONTGOMERY. Sworn to at Charlottetown, in Queens County, this 18th day of June, A. D. 1877, before me, the erasures opposite my initials being first made. M. MCLEOD, Commissioner for taking Affidavits in the Supreme Court DOMINION OF CANADA, No. 3. Province of Prince Edward Island, Prince County, to wit: I, JOHN D. WHITE, of Alberton, in Prince County, in Prince Edward Island, cooper and trader, make oath and say: 1. That I have now resided twenty-five years on Prince Edward Island, during twenty-three years of which I have been engaged in the fishing business. 2. Before coming to Prince Edward Island, namely, in the years fortyone and forty-two, I fished off the American coast. The result of the first year's catch was one hundred and sixty barrels, and of the second, seventy-three barrels. Both catches were all made nearly thirty miles from land. No mackerel were then taken by the American fleet off the coast of the United States excepting a long distance from land; none were taken within three miles of the coast. 3. In the year 1852 I came to Prince Edward Island, and in the year 1854 settled at Tignish and engaged in the business of coopering and fishing. I kept a fishing-stage and employed a number of boats and men, and have continued steadily in the business ever since. 4. In 1860 I removed my business to Alberton, and I am now largely engaged in the business, employing one schooner, ten boats, and fiftysix men. 5. The increase in the boat-fishing has been large of late years. The numbers and the catch of the boats have more than trebled since 1854. 6. From Hardy's Channel to Kildare Cape, a distance of about thirty miles, there are seven fishing-stages, and in the harbor of Cascumpec alone there are thirty-nine large fishing-boats, the average cost of which is about three hundred dollars. 7. All the mackerel taken in and around this part of the coast, for many miles, are taken at a distance between one-quarter of a mile and two miles from the shore. A few may be taken outside of two miles from the shore, but none are taken outside of three miles. 8. The average catch of the boats for a period of twenty years has been from seventy to eighty barrels of mackerel each every season. 9. The American fleet have largely frequented this coast. I would say that from 1854 to 1874 the average number of the mackerel fleet of American vessels frequenting the Gulf of St. Lawrence ranged between four hundred and four hundred and fifty per season. 10. A large portion of this fleet frequent the shores around Cascumpec and take their catches there. They catch their fish close to the shore, about the same distance as the boats, that is between one quarter and two miles from the shore. A very small proportion of the catch of the American fleet is taken outside of the three miles. The practice of the fleet is to run in close to the shore, throw out bait and drift off, some times taking the schools of fish with them. 11. The boats fishermen dislike the presence of the American fleet very much. It interferes sadly with the catch of the boats. The Americans dress their fish on the deck and throw the offal overboard, and this offal destroys the fishing grounds. 12. In my opinion, nine-tenths of the fish taken by the American fishermen are taken within the three miles from shore, and I am quite sure if they were excluded from these limits they would have to abandon the fisheries in the gulf altogether. It would be useless and senseless for them to prosecute the business. 13. If American fishermen were excluded from our waters I would not care for the duty of two dollars per barrel levied in the United States. The demand for mackerel is well known, the quantity required is known, and we would have the business to a large extent in our own hands if the Americans were excluded from our shores. If they increased the duty the consumers would still, in my opinion, have to pay the increase. 14. The privilege of landing to get supplies and transship is a very valuable one. The mackerel season is very short, and this privilege is equal to an extra trip and is so looked upon by the Americans. 15. The new mode of fishing with purse-seines has a very bad effect on the fishery. It not only entirely disturbs and scares away the fish, but a very large number of small mackerel and other kinds of fish are taken and destroyed, thrown away dead, and the waters thus polluted. JOHN D. WHITE. Sworn to this third day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. STANISLAUS F. PERY, J. P. for Prince County, Prince Edward Island. No. 4. I, SYLVAN F. ARSINEAUX, of Tignish, in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, inspector of fish, make oath and say: 1. I have had charge of a fishing-stage for the last twenty years on this shore. I used, during that time, to be myself actually engaged in fishing, always in boats. I am now fish inspector for this county. 2. There are over two hundred and thirty boats engaged in the fisheries between Mimnigah and Kildare; I know this from my own actual experience. The average catch of mackerel would be about forty-five barrels for each boat; for codfish and hake, the average for all the boats would be about forty quintals each. The average catch of herring for all boats would be about twenty barrels; the fishermen only try to get enough herring for mackerel bait and for home use. 3. The boats have trebled in number in the last ten years, and they are three times better boats; they are larger, better sailers, better rigged and fitted out. There is a large amount more money invested in the boat business than there was ten years ago. The business has enormously increased. 4. The boats carry, on an average, crews of four men each. 5. I would account for the increase in the number of boats, and the increased attention given to the business, by referring to the increase of population. There are greater numbers of fishermen springing up all the time; they are more enterprising, and they find the business pays. The boat-fishing also affords employment to numbers of men. 6. With some few exceptions, the boats get their fish close to the shore. The best fishing ground is looked upon as inside of three miles of the shore. 7. For the last ten years the American fleet-fishing off the coast has averaged, I should say, about five hundred sail. When the cutters are not bere, the Americans must catch three-quarters of their fish inshore. When the cutters were here they also caught more fish within three miles of the shore than outside, but not so much as when the cutters were away. They used to dodge the cutters and get inshore. There were not enough cutters to keep them off altogether. The Americans were frightened off a good deal by the cutters. If the Americans were prevented from fishing within three miles of the shore, it would not be worth their while to fit out for the gulf fishery. It would not pay them. 8. When the Americans come down they do a great deal of harm to the boats, as they throw a great deal of bait and draw the fish out. They come inshore, throw out bait, and draw the mackerel out after them. This leaves our boats without fish and destroys their chance of a catch. They have better bait than we have, and are enabled to do this damage. 9. Our fishermen look upon the coming of the Americans as an injury to the boat and island fishermen; the vessels draw away the fish. The fleet, in fact, puts an end to the good fishing, and are the cause of great loss to us. 10. The Americans, when they see boats getting fish, come up and "lee bow" them, thus depriving the boats of the fish. "Lee-bowing" is getting to windward of the tide or current and throwing out bait and drawing off the fish. The American schooners also frequently drift down upon our boats, when the latter have to get out of the way. The boats are often injured by the vessels drifting down on them. 11. It would certainly be an advantage to the Americans to be able to transship their fish here. They would thus be able to fit out again for fishing and go back to the grounds without losing much time; whereas, if they had to go home with their loads they would lose from three to four weeks right in the middle of the fishing season. It would be also a great advantage as enabling them to watch the fluctuations of the mackerel market, which is very variable. 12. The mackerel season here lasts from about the end of June till the middle of October. The Americans get here about the end of June. Some of them are off here now. 13. The mackerel I believe come down from the direction of the Magdalen Islands, or from the south ward and eastward, and work northward and westward till some time in August, and then work back, and they strike this island both ways. The Americans follow the course of the fish. S. F. ARSINEAUX. Sworn to at Tignish, in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, this 28th day of June, A. D. 1877, before me. JOSEPH MACGILVARY, No. 5. I ALEXANDER FRANCIS LARKIN, of Nail Pond, in Prince County Prince Edward Island, fish-trader and fisherman, make oath and say 1. That I have been engaged in fishing and in the fishing business practically for over twenty years, in both boats and vessels, and know the fishing-grounds right round this island, particularly the north end of this island. I have been on board of fishing schooners four years, in one of which I owned an interest, and the last year I was master of her. 2. The first two years that I was on board a schooner was in the Pearl, with Captain Champian one year and with Captain Fidele Gallant another year. Our catch of fish that year was small, as we were not fitted out for the business, and were only out a small part of the season. That was eighteen or nineteen years ago. 3. That I fished in the schooner Rechabite for about two years, but only for part of the season. I owned a third interest in her, and the second year I was master of her. She was thirty-seven tons burden. She was only out about five weeks that year, as we took freight both spring and fall. We caught in that time about three hundred quintals of codfish each year. All these fish were caught within three miles of the shore. 4. The American schooners often very seriously interfere with our codfishing schooners, as they often carry away the nets our schooners have out for catching bait. The greater part, I should say nine tenths, of our island-catch of codfish are caught within three miles of the shore. Another very serious trouble that the Americans cause our cod fishing within three miles of the shore is, that when we put out our set-lines the Americans, when springing their vessels up to anchor for the purpose of fishing mackerel, often in getting in their gear interfere with our setlines, and this trouble is increasing, as we are going more in for set-lines now. The set-lines are now taking the place of hand-lines, and the island coast will soon be a perfect network of set-lines. I myself have now about three thousand hooks out in set lines. 5. That the Americans interfere very seriously with the cod fishing and with our set-lines within three miles of the shore by their seining. |