420 BULLEEIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



There have been 25 boats fisliing with nets. The average was 20 nets 

 to a boat. Some of them stopped fishing with nets the first of March. 



The majority of the haddock-catchers have stopped fishing for this 

 year. Five of the largest, however, will continue fishing for haddock 

 daring the summer. The haddock-catchers have all done well this 

 winter. 



I will tell you some of the stocks. Schooner Mystic stocked $17,576.44; 

 schooner Eeporter stocked $15,300 ; schooner Martha C. stocked $12,000. 

 These are the three largest. The average stock of the fleet is $9,000. 

 The price for haddock has been high all winter. Some of the vessels 

 have been offered $1.80 ])er hundred until the 1st of June, for all they 

 could catch. They refused that price. They think they will do better. 



The George's fleet has done very well. The price for salt fish is high, 

 $3 a hundred pounds out of the vessels. All the fish the vessels have 

 brought in this spring have been split. No round ones as in former 

 years. The halibut catchers have fetched in some good trips recently. 

 They have made large stocks. The price for halibut, as well as for all 

 kinds of fresh fish, has been good. Halibut sold yesterday at 7 cents 

 per pound; cod, 3 cents per pound ; haddock 2 cents per pound. These 

 are high j^rices for this time of year. 



They are catching some herring in the harbor; that will start the 

 small boats. 



I am sorry to say there are two more vessels missing — two of the 

 George's fleet. They have been gone six weeks. The owners have 

 given them u^). The mackerel fishing looks well for the year to come. 

 'No old mackerel in the market. All kinds of fishing look well for this 

 year. 



Gloucester, Mass., April 9, 1882. 



I send the amount of fish taken at Gloucester during the month of 

 April : 



George's cod (salt fish) pounds . . 2,114,000 



George's halibut do ... . 38,000 



Western bank codfish do 2,128,000 



Western bank halibut do 30,800 



Grand bank halibut do.... 407,000 



Haddock (caught on George's) do 205,000 



Haddock (shore) do. . . . 183,800 



Cod (shore) do ... - 107,100 



Imported fish (dried haddock) quintals . . 197 



Imported fish (dried hake) do 96 



Herring (frozen) number. . 200,000 



Herring (fresh) caught at Gloucester and sold to the fisher- 

 men barrels . . 275 



Gloucester, Mass., May 3, 1882. 



