CONSERVATION OF THE MACKEREL SUPPLY. 821 

 CONSERVATION OF THE MACKEREL SUPPLY. 



By EOBEET F. WALSH. 



DURING the past few years there has been a serious scarcity 

 of mackerel off the northern Atlantic coast, or rather the 

 fishermen have been unable to capture such large numbers of this 

 fish as had been their custom in former years. This falling off in 

 the mackerel " catch " has a marked effect upon the fish-food supply 

 of our markets. Scarcity of any commodity tends to increase the 

 prices of articles which are used for similar purposes ; hence, not 

 only has mackerel become a fish of luxury — because of its scarcity 

 — but the prices of most other fishes have been advanced correc- 

 tively with the decrease in the general fish supply caused by the 

 partial failure of the mackerel fishing during the past few years. 



Recognizing this, the United States Fishery Commissioners 

 inquired into the subject, but arrived at no definite conclusions, 

 either with regard to the causes of this scarcity of mackerel, or as 

 to how the supply could be increased to the former standard. 

 However, some enterprising owners of fishing schooners having 

 a knowledge of the enormous " banks " of mackerel that frequent 

 the southern Irish coast at certain seasons, equipped their ves- 

 sels for the ocean voyage and sent them across the Atlantic to fish 

 for mackerel in Irish waters. In the matter of capturing large 

 quantities of fish — superior to that which is caught in the west- 

 ern Atlantic — they were successful ; but the question is undecided 

 as to whether or not a continuance of the experiment would be 

 financially judicious. 



To my mind it seems clear that the sending of vessels to the 

 Irish coast to capture fish for this market could not be profitably 

 continued ; but I believe that I can point out, not only the causes 

 which led to the failure of the mackerel fishing upon this coast, 

 but also show — from practical observation of the habits of mack- 

 erel and the methods of fishing for them — how the supply off the 

 northern Atlantic coast could be readmitted. 



The solution of such a problem as this can not be arrived at 

 by any theoretical examination of the question. Study of the 

 habits of the fishes, through centuries, and practical observation 

 of their movements and instincts, can alone guide one in arriving 

 at satisfactory conclusions. And, in order that my statements 

 may receive due consideration, I think it not unwise to premise 

 that at the Fisheries Exhibition in London, in 1883, I read a 

 paper upon this subject before a special International Confer- 

 ence, and was awarded for it one of the few " grand diplomas of 

 honor " which were conferred by the " commissioners appointed 

 by her Majesty's Government." 



