No. 84. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission, at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, CHARLES SMITH, of Lunenburg Town, in the county of Lunenburg, master mariner, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for fifteen years. I have fished along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, around Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, on the eastern side of New Brunswick, around the Magdalenes, on the Labrador coast, and am well acquainted with the inshore fisheries in Lunenburg County. I have taken all the kinds of fish found on the above-mentioned coasts. I have also been engaged in Bank fishing. 2. I have seen at Port Hood, in the Island of Cape Breton, about seven years ago, over three hundred sail of American mackerel vessels at one time. The last year I was in the North Bay I fished in an American vessel, Alice M. Lewis, of Gloucester. We took the most of the mackerel inshore-within three miles of the shore. We had on board the said vessel a crew of fifteen hands, and took four hundred and twenty-five barrels of mackerel in one trip, nearly all within three miles of the shore. I have often seen, year after year, upward of one hundred American vessels, at one time in sight, engaged in taking mackerel. By the North Bay I mean the water around Prince Edward Island, eastern side of New Brunswick, northwestern side of Cape Breton, and the Magdalenes. These vessels took the most of their mackerel inshore, within three miles of the shore. I do not think it would pay Americans to go to the North Bay to fish mackerel, unless they could catch them within three miles of the shore. 3. The Americans get bait and ice in large quantities at Northwest Bay on the Aspotogon Peninsula, in Lunenburg County. They get the ice in which to pack their bait upon the mountains. This ice they get free. Nearly the whole fleet of Lunenburg Bankers get their fresh bait at the said Northwest Bay. So many Americans getting bait and ice at this place interferes with our vessels. They make the bait scarce and dearer. Without this bait, and ice in which to pack it, the Americans could not carry on successfully the deep-sea fishery. 4. The Canadian vessels in which I fished in the North Bay took codfish with hand-lines. The Americans all trawled, at least all I saw, and I saw many in the said bay. 5. When on the Labrador coast, in 1871-'2'3, I saw American vessels engaged in seining codfish on the shore. These vessels were on the Canadian coast of Labrador, and took two thousand quintals of codfish to each schooner. These schooners carried from twenty to twenty-two men each. 6. When in the American schooner we always fished inshore when we could. We moved away when a cutter appeared, and returned inshore when she disappeared. CHARLES SMITH. Sworn to at Lunenburg, in the County of Lunenburg, this 13th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. JOSEPH W. LOCKHART, J. P. No. 85. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission, at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, BENJAMIN WENTZLER, of Lower La Have, in the county of Lunenburg, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for twenty-seven years up to eighteen hundred and seventy-five, inclusive, and fished every year in the North Bay, around Cape Breton, Prince Edward's Island, eastern side of New Brunswick, and around the Magdalenes. I have taken all the fish found in the waters on the above-mentioned coast. I am also well acquainted with the inshore fisheries in Lunenburg County. I have seen often more than a hundred American vessels fishing on the above-named coasts in one fleet together, and I have seen these vessels make off from the shore when a steamer appeared to protect the fishery; when the smoke of the steamer could not be seen they came in again to the shore. Such large numbers of them made it dangerous for Nova Scotian fishermen, and I have lost many a night's sleep by them in order to protect our vessel. I have seen in Por. Hood Harbor about three hundred sail of American vessels at one time, and it is seldom, if ever, that a third of them are in any harbor at one time; and I have been run into by an American schooner in Port Hood Harbor. From 1871 to 1875, inclusive, I have seen the Americans in large numbers around Prince Edward Island, eastern side of New Brunswick, and around Cape Breton. I have seen many American vessels on the above-mentioned coasts engaged in taking codfish. They took fish inshore by trawling-offshore and wherever they could catch them. Some parts of the season the codfish is better inshore than off, and in my experience I have caught in our vessels more codfish inshore than off shore. 2. The Americans took in their schooners from three to four hundred barrels of mackerel to each vessel, and they made three such trips. The Americans fish on Sunday which our vessels do not do. The American mackerel-men carry from fourteen to twenty men. The American codfishermen have about fifteen or sixteen men on board, and take from six hundred to a thousand quintals. 3. The Americans take codfish by trawling, and did so as long as I can remember. About five years ago our vessels commenced trawling, in order to compete with the Americans. This trawling I consider very injurious to the fishery. 4. The Americans get bait all along the coast and in this harbor. Without this bait and ice they could not carry on the deep-sea fishery. 5. It would, in my opinion, be of great value to us fishermen if the Americans were excluded, and I know of no benefit to us in allowing the Americans to come into our inshore waters. BENJAMIN WENTZLER. Sworn to at Lower La Have, in the county of Lunenburg, this 8th day of August, A. D. 1877. JAMES H. WENTZEL, J. P. No. 86. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, GEORGE CONRAD, of South Village, in the county of Lunenburg, master-mariner, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for forty years, and have fished mackerel, herring, codfish, halibut, haddock, pollock, and hake along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, eastern side of Cape Breton, in the Bay of Chaleur, around Prince Edward Island, and the Magdalene Islands for twelve years. I have fished as master of a vessel. 2. About twelve years ago, I have seen in Port Hood, in the island of Cape Breton, over three hundred sail at one time-about fifty or sixty were Nova Scotian, the remainder Americans. About eight years ago I have seen upwards of one hundred at one time on the coast of Prince Edward Island, fishing mackerel. These vessels fished inshore for mackerel, and were American vessels. I, along with other Nova Scotian captains, have made calculations when fishing in the Bay of Chaleur, and we concluded that there were upwards of four hundred American vessels at the time fishing mackerel in the bay. Mackerel must be fished inshore, as they are an inshore fish. The American vessels carry from twelve to eighteen men each. Around Bay of Chaleur and the Banks there would not be less than three or four hundred vessels engaged in taking codfish. Codfish vessels carry from twelve to eighteen Some American vessels are fitted out for halibut alone, but take large codfish, throwing away the small codfish. The Americans trawl for halibut and codfish. men. 3. The American vessels take two to four hundred barrels of mackerel each, and some of them make three trips. American codfishmen take from one thousand to eighteen hundred quintals of codfish each, and make three trips. 4. While in the Bay of Chale ur this summer, I have seen the Americans with purse seines, and told me that they used them; and these purse seines, in my opinion, spoil the fishery. I have never seen any Canadian vessels with purse seines. I am acquainted with thirty or forty vessels which run out of Lune nburg every year, and none of these carry purse seines. 5. The throwing overboard of gurry w hich is practiced on the grounds is very injurious to the fishing-grounds. 6. Unless the Americans got bait and ice they could not carry on the fishery of cod and halibut. GEORGE CONRAD. Sworn to at Lunenburg, in the county of Lunenburg, this 4th day of August, before me. JOSEPH W. LOCKHART, J. P. No. 87. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington. I, GEOFFREY COOK, of Rose Bay, in the county of Lunenburg fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been sixteen years constantly engaged in the fishery. I have for two years fished as skipper. I have fished around Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, on the eastern side of New Brunswick, on the Labrador coast, and along the southern coast of Nova Scotia. I have caught mackerel for bait, and have been mostly engaged in taking codfish, and am at present well acquainted with the inshore fishery in Lunenburg County. 2. While in the Bay of Chaleur, the summer before last, I saw many American vessels there engaged in fishing, and have also seen many of them there fishing since 1871. I have counted the summer before last fifty American vessels within three fourths of a mile from each other. The most of the American vessels which I saw fished inshore around the above-mentioned coasts. I saw them take both codfish and mackerel inshore, within three miles of the shore. Mackerel are taken mostly all inshore, and I would not fit out a vessel to take mackerel unless she fished inshore. 3. Including the codfishermen on the Banks and those in the bay, there are as many of them as of mackerelmen. I mean the Banks around our coasts. So many Americans take away the fish from us; they lee bow us. I have often seen them run into Nova Scotian vessels, and so many of them make it dangerous for our fishermen. 4. The American mackerel men take about four hundred barrels of mackerel to each vessel, and generally make three trips. The mackerel men carry from seventeen to twenty-one of a crew, and take the most of their mackerel inshore, within three miles of the shore. The codfish vessels carry from twelve to fourteen men, and take about a thousand quintals, and make from two to three trips. They take this codfish inshore when they can get it, and wherever they can. I have seen as many as eighty American vessels at one time taking mackerel within two and three miles of the shore at once. This I have seen durind the past four years. 5. The throwing overboard of offal is injurious to the fishery, as it gluts the fish and drives them away, and the sound-bone, which is thrown overboard, is injurious to the fish. 6. The Americans in my experience always fished inshore when they could, whatever the treaty was. They made off when a cutter appeared, and returned when she went away. 7. The inshore fishery, in my opinion, is of the greatest value. On the Labrador coast we always catch the codfish inshore, often with seines on the shore; and I have seen, during the past sixteen years, large numbers of Americans seining codfish on the Labrador coast, and I have seen them do this every year for the past sixteen, and also last year. 8. I have seen the Americans catching bait within three miles of the shore, around Prince Edward Island. This bait was used for taking codfish. They catch and buy bait all along the coasts and wherever they can get it. They make the bait scarce for our bankers by gobbling it up before herring and mackerel are plenty. 9. Fish have not increased since 1871, particularly mackerel. This I consider is owing to overfishing, and the bad methods employed by the Americans in taking fish. 10. The herring fishery is all inshore, and the Americans take them in large quantities on the Labrador coast, mostly by seining from the shore. 11. Without bait, and ice in which to preserve it, the Americans could not carry on the deep-sea fishery, as fresh bait is necessary. This bait the Americans get all around our coasts, and buy it often, because it saves time and expense. 12. I have never known nor heard of any of our fishermen going to fish in American waters, and I consider this right of no value. /13. The Americans hinder our fishermen by taking away the fish, as already stated, and I consider that it would be a great benefit to us if the Americans were excluded from our inshore fisheries, and I know of no benefit that we derive from American fishermen. JEFFREY COOK. Sworn to at Rose Bay, in the county of Lunenburg, this 8th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. JAMES H. WENTZEL, J. P. No. 88. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax under the Treaty of Washington. I, DANIEL GETSON, of Getson's Cove, in the county of Lunenburg, master mariner, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in fisheries for sixteen years. I have fished along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, around Cape Breton, on the eastern coast of New Brunswick, around Prince Edward's Island, the Magdalenes, and on the Canadian coast of Labrador, and I have also been personally engaged in Bank fishing and am well acquainted with the inshore fishing in Lunenburg County. I have taken mackerel, herring, and codfish, and all the kinds of fish found on the above-mentioned coasts. 2. I have seen at one time in the North Bay five hundred American mackerelmen at least. I have made calculations along with Nova Scotian and American skippers, and one fall we concluded there were 700 sail in the said bay. This calculation was made about five years ago. During the last five years I have seen the Americans in the North Bay in very large numbers. 3. Mostly all the mackerel are taken inshore, and it would not pay us to go there unless we could take them within three miles of the shore, nor would I go, as I intend to do in a week's time, unless I could catch them within three miles of the shore. The Americans often lee-bow us, and I have been run into by American vessel, and have suffered from five to six hundred dollars loss. 4. The Americans get bait from Cape Sable to Labrador, all round the Canadian coast, and without this bait it would be impossible for them to catch fish upon the Banks. 5. The Americans take codfish principally by trawling, and very seldom use hand-lining. Trawling I consider bad for the fishery, as it destroys the mother fish. 6. I have seen the Americans use purse-seines inshore and off shore, and this purse-seining I consider very injurious to the fishery, as they take the small fish, and many fish are destroyed. I have never seen a Canadian vessel use a purse seine. DANIEL GETSON. Sworn to at Getson's Cove, in the county of Lunenburg, this 8th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. No. 89. JAMES H. WENTZEL, J. P. In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax under the Treaty of Washington. I, DAN RISSER, of Rose Bay, in the county of Lunenburg, fisherman, make oath and say as follows: 1. I have been engaged in fishing for twenty-five years. I have fished in the Bay of Chaleur, around Cape Breton, eastern side of New Bruns |