226 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 



THE WIi-VTEB EIADDOCK FISHERY OF NE^V EIVOKiAIVD. 



By O. BKOTI^W OOOOE and CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. 



The winter fishery for the capture of the haddock, Melanogrammus 

 ccgJefimis, is carried on chiefly from the ports of Gloucester and Port- 

 land, though jjarticipated in to some extent by vessels from Portsmouth, 

 Swamiiscott, and Boston. Although haddock are caught in large quan- 

 tities, from spring to fall, by numerous vessels and boats emjjloyed in 

 the inshore fisheries between Portland and Philadelphia, the winter 

 haddock fishery is i)eculiar in its methods. It is of comparatively recent 

 origin, dating back about thirty years. We are told that in 1850 im- 

 mense quantities of haddock were caught on the trawls in Massachu- 

 setts Bay, and that a petition was i)repared by the Swampscott fisher- 

 men asking for a law \yliich should prohibit trawl-fishing, on the ground 

 that this method would soon exterminate the haddock. It is impos- 

 sible to trace with any <legree of certainty the steps in the history of this 

 fisher^k , since it is pursued for a few months in the jear only, by vessels 

 otherwise occupied a large portion of the time. Since the fish have 

 always been disposed of in a fresh condition, they have been less care- 

 fully recorded. 



FISHING GROUNDS. 



The winter haddock fishery is prosecuted, from October to April, on all 

 of the inshore ledges and the nearest of the oft'-shore banks south of Sable 

 Island bank and north of Sandy Hook. The principal haddock fisheries 

 are, however, located north of Cape Cod. The depth at which the fish 

 are taken varies with the locality, but is within the limits of 25 and 90 

 fathoms; usually in water deeper than 30 fathoms. 



In the fall, when fishing first begins, the vessels set their trawls along 

 the coast ftom Nantucket Shoals to Grand Menan, in 30 to 90 fathoms 

 of water. On the outside of Cape Cod the fishing is within 5 to 15 miles 

 of the shore; in Massachusetts Bay, principally on the outer sloi)e of 

 Middle Bank and the southern slope of the shoal ground that lies to the 

 eastward of Cape Ann, usually called "the Southeast," the eastern 

 l)art of the shoal water on Jeffries Ledge, and along the coast of Maine 

 within 30 miles of the shore, especially about Monhegan Fall, South- 

 southwest and Western Ground. Fishing in this region continues until 

 midwinter, and is kept up by a smaller class of vessels, such as those 

 hailing irom Portland, throughout the whole reason. In the latter part 

 of January and in February the larger vessels, comprising the major 

 portion of the Gloucester fleet, strike farther out to sea, fishing upon 

 George's Bank, usually in 25 to 40 fathoms, near the localities frequented 

 by the winter cod-fishermen, and also on the western part of the bank. 

 They also fish on Brown's Bank, in water about the same depth, and on 



