29 



Harwich, twelve to fifteen women were engaged in the process 

 of scaling the fish on May 11, 1920. It is estimated that 3 to 

 4 pounds of scales may be obtained from 1 barrel of alewives. 

 The high value of the scales is shown by the great increase in 

 the sale price of the Agawam River fishery which rose from 

 $1,255 in 1919 to $11,000 in 1920. Whether this mushroom in- 

 dustry is a transient or permanent affair remains to be demon- 

 strated. At any rate, it has markedly enhanced the value of 

 the alewife fishery. 



Statistics. 



Since exact statistics are impossible to obtain because certain 

 operators feel that business secrets will be revealed if they 

 report the amount of their catch, our production figures are 

 but approximately correct. However, more accurate figures 

 have been obtained from the annual sale of fishing privileges, 

 as ordinarily these are a matter of town record. 



Comparing recent with past years only two natural streams 

 have maintained a high standard of production, — Agawam 

 River, Wareham, and Herring River, Harwich. Among the 

 artificial fisheries, Mattakessett Creeks and Tisbury Great Pond 

 have yielded excellent returns. Two of the best natural streams 

 — Monument River and Mattapoisett River — of late years 

 have given inferior production, and require more careful regu- 

 lation by their respective towns. 



The streams north of Boston have shown the greatest de- 

 crease, since at present with the exception of the few alewives 

 taken at Essex River and Weymouth Back River there is not 

 a fishery in operation north of North River. Of the large rivers 

 the famous fishery of the Merrimack has disappeared in the 

 same manner as the earlier Charles, Mystic, Neponset and 

 Connecticut River fisheries, while that of the Taunton has 

 seriously declined. 



Revenue. — The only accurate method at our disposal for 

 determining the past condition of the fishery is a comparison of 

 the revenues received by the towns from the leased streams. 

 Even these figures are unsatisfactory, as they indicate the 

 popular estimate of the worth of the fishery rather than its 

 productive value, and only nine streams have consecutive rec- 

 ords of the yield from leasing or town operating. 



