REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 21 



III. The Location of Fish-Traps within the Waters of Nar- 



RAGANSETT BaY, AND THE COLLECTION OF DaTA BeARING 



UPON Their Ownership. 



A glance at the table giving the number of traps for each year 

 since 1898, which is appended, shows that there has been a steady 

 increase in the number of traps in Narragansett Bay and vicinity. 

 Wliereas in 1898 there were 119 traps, in 1905 there are 240. Sub- 

 tracting from the latter the 6 which were set off Block Island, and 

 were not included in the earlier reports, we see that in the past eight 

 years the number of traps lacks only four of having doubled itself. 



The depletion in the amount of fish caught, which it was feared 

 would be the outcome of extensive trap fishing, does not seem to have 

 taken place. It should be remembered that the amount of fish 

 caught this past year can not, with any approacli to accuracy, be 

 compared with years more than a decade ago. For the earlier 

 years we are mostly dependent on the memory of the fishermen and 

 not on an}^ reliable records. Allowing for fluctuations from year to 

 year, there can be little doubt that the amount of fish has not ap- 

 preciably decreased during the past ten years. 



The distance which the traps have been placed from shore has 

 increased very markedly. The immense traps of the Fisheries 

 Company last season extended in an unbroken line for a distance of 

 three miles from Sakonnet Light, and the results of the past season's 

 fishing have caused the fishermen to decide to still further extend 

 their traps in the coming year. Offshore fishing has also been carried 

 on later in the fall with good success. 



The principal items in regard to the past season's fishing are the 

 lateness of the season, both in time of commencement and length 

 of run, and the unusual abundance of pollock and horse-mackerel. 

 It might also be stated here that the impounding of scup which has 

 taken place for the last few years seems to be of benefit to the scup 

 fisheries in an luilooked-for manner. The scup which are thus 



