PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 83 



Buzzards Bay Fisheries. - - The investigation of the fisheries of 

 Buzzards Bay, which was begun in 1913 according to chapter 104 

 of the Acts of that year, was continued during 191G. A statis- 

 tical study was made of the quantities and species of edible and 

 non-edible fish, and the general effect of the present restrictive 

 laws in respect to the taking of these fish. The results of this 

 investigation are to be presented as House No. 534. 



THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Introduction. - - An important duty of a progressive fish and 

 game commission is the systematic investigation of our natural 

 resources for the purpose of determining effective methods of 

 conserving these valuable assets for the benefit of the public. 

 The present condition of the alewife fisheries of Massachusetts 

 presents a serious problem worthy of the most extensive study. 

 In the following pages a summary of the results of a biological 

 investigation of the alewife streams, to be published later as a 

 complete report, is presented. 



Importance. - - Along the Atlantic coast the alewife or branch 

 herring (Pomolobus pseudo harengus) is considered the most valu- 

 able river fish next to the shad, and in Massachusetts it is of 

 greater commercial importance owing to the present scarcity of 

 the latter. Ever since the landing of the Pilgrims the alewife 

 has been closely related to the progress or poverty of the shore 

 towns. In colonial records mention is made that the alewife 

 provided food for the first inhabitants of New England. In each 

 town the fishery was early made a public asset, and was held in 

 common for the inhabitants. Indeed, the fisheries have been 

 for years a source of no mean cash value to the shore tow r ns. 



The alewife is valuable for the following reasons: - 



(1) As a food, either fresh or cured, despite the numerous 

 bones, it forms an excellent and staple article of diet. 



(2) As a bait it is most satisfactory for the line fishermen, and 

 is available at certain seasons fresh, and at all times salted. 



(3) The alewife not only supplied the early inhabitants with 

 food and fertilizer, but also proved of greater value in attracting 

 the schools of large fish, such as pollock, bluefish, mackerel and 

 other predaceous food fish, to the Massachusetts coast. With 

 the decline of the alewife fisheries there has been a corresponding 

 decrease in the entire shore fisheries, which indicates that the 

 success of our fishing communities in considerable measure is 



