BULLETIN. OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 155 



THE PROPOSED USE OE STEALERS IIV THE JIACKERE E FISHERY. 



By CIIAS. W. SMILEY. 



Daring the second week of July quite an excitement was created at 

 Gloucester, Mass., by the announcement that Capt. Daniel T. Church, 

 of steamer Jemima Boomer, Tiverton, B. I., had ordered of Messrs. H. 

 & G. Lord a mackerel seine, and that menhaden being so scarce he pro- 

 posed to turn his steamer to good account by catching mackerel. The 

 Cape Ann Advertiser, of July 14th, contained an article entitled, "Threat- 

 ened innovation of the mackerel fishery," in which it said, " The doings 

 of this steamer will be watched with a great deal of anxiety by the 

 captains of the one hundred steamers formerly engaged in the menhaden 

 fisheries, as well as by the large number who depend upon mackerel fish- 

 ing for employment and for the investment of capital. It is not difficult 

 to anticix^ate the result, if this class of steamers engage in this branch of 

 the fisheries. There is no reason to doubt their ability to catch almost 

 or quite as many mackerel as they have formerly caught menhaden. 

 (Several of them are large, capable of carrying 2,800 barrels of fish in 

 bulk. They carry a double gang of men and apparatus to correspond. 

 During moderate weather, when mackerel generally school the best, and 

 sailing vessels find it difficult to move, these steamers can play around 

 the fleet of schooners, and catch almost every fish that shows itself." 



Having thus described the vast superiority of steamers over sailing 

 vessels in this business, and proceeding upon the supposition that the 

 mackerel when caught would be used for oil and guano as had the men- 

 haden, it continues, "Can we afford to take the risk of having such a 

 valuable fishery destroyed and have this vast industry, giving employ- 

 ment to thousands and delicious fish-food to millions, diverted from its 

 proper channel? Is it economy; is it justice to manufacture into oil 

 and guano millions of barrels of the best food-fishes we have?" It then 

 calls for legislation "to prevent the catch of mackerel for the purpose 

 of manufacturing oil and guano." 



A correspondent of the Boston Advertiser, writing from Gloucester, 

 July 10, briefly stated the same facts, and added: "The employment of 

 these steamers has undoubtedly broken up and driven off the menhaden, 

 and the same effect will be produced upon the mackerel. The general 

 feeling is that some stringent laws should at once be enacted for the 

 protection of the mackerel fishery." 



The same day Capt. J. W. Collins wrote to Prof. S. F. Baird stating 

 that he had been requested by certain persons largely interested in the 

 fisheries to bring the matter to his attention, and stating the fear that 

 the proposed innovation will soon practically deprive us of one of the 

 most valuable food-fishes of the American coast. 



To all the reports concerning the use to be made of the mackerel so 



