170 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 

 Receipts offish at Gloucester, Mass., April, 1885. 



From— 



Fares.  Codfish. Halibut. Haddock. 



George's Bank. 

 Western Bank . 

 Shore . 



La Huve Bank- 

 Grand Banks . 

 Fishing Banks. 



Total 



181 

 



38 



2 



4 



16 



250 



Pounds. 



3, 822, oon 

 370, 000 

 355, 000 

 45, 000 • 



Pou iids. \ Pounds 



150,710 

 63,000 . 

 17,000 I. 



185, 000 



131, 000 

 612, 000 



4, 592, 000 



978, 710 



Gloucester vessels fishing or en route to the fishing grounds April 30, 1885. 



185, 000 



Sail. 



Mackerel fleet, south W2 



Halibut fleet, Grand and Western Banks 36 



Halibut and cod, Grand and Western Banks 49 



Shore cod, Grand Banks 40 



George's Bank, cod and halibut 115 



Haddock fleet 20 



Greenland halibut fleet -'--- 6 



Iceland halibut fleet 5 



Total 373 



37.— NEW ENGEANO FISHERIES IN WAY, 1§85. 



By W. A. WILCOX. 



The close of the month finds nearly all of the fishing vessels away on 

 the various banks and fishing grounds, the total number reported being 

 943 sail and 7 steamers. 



Mackerel have worked north slowly. The first of the mouth the fleet 

 were taking them off the Delaware Breakwater, at the close off Block 

 Island and No Man's Land, a few sail being off the Nova Scotia shore. 

 On April 29 a severe gale caused the loss of 18 seine-boats, and the schooner 

 Neponset, of Boston, lost 4 men. This was followed on the 14th of May 

 by another heavy blow, in which 4 seine-boats were lost. During most 

 of the month fish were found abundant. The larger part of the vessels 

 brought their fish to market fresh ; it caused an oversupply, and very 

 little was realized for them. Prices ranged from 50 cents to $5 a thou- 

 sand fish. The fish were mostly of medium size, about one-tenth being 

 of large size. Those that were salted were also sold at very low prices ; 

 uncalled, in fishermen's order, $2.25 to $3 a barrel. From a general de- 

 pressed trade, an oversupply of fresh mackerel, inferior size and qual- 

 ity of salt mackerel, with severe losses by gales and rough weather, 

 the mackerel catch this year, to date, has financially been a failure to 

 nearly all engaged. 



The first mackerel was taken in the weirs at Sandy Point, Cape Cod, 

 on May 4. A large catch of fine fish is yearly expected at this point. 



