two ports is due to the higher values for 

 lobster landings, particularly in the Rock- 

 land area. 



The fishing ports raost dependent on 

 groundfish landings have not experienced 

 postwar prosperity, (table I-li). The aver- 

 age value of the Boston catch in the 1955- 

 57 period vras 29 percent below that of the 

 19li7-ij9 average. Comparing the same periods, 

 Gloucester's catch value was down 21^ per- 

 cent from the 19ii7-l;9 average and off 29 

 percent from the 1950-52 peak years. New 

 Bedford's landed vtilues have shown a long- 

 terra upward trend because of its prosper- 

 ous scallop fishery. 



The Maine ports of Portland and Rock- 

 land present a less clear picture. In 

 Portland average landed values for all fish 

 and shellfish from 1955-57 were 23 percent 

 above the 19ii7-li9 average and k percent be- 

 low the 1950-52 average. Further analysis 

 indicates that the in -re as e from 19li7-ii9 

 to 1955-57 is priraariiy due to groundfish 

 values, which increased 38 percent con^iared 

 with a 13 percent increase in the value of 

 shellfish, principally lobsters. Groundfish 

 landings, primarily ocean perch, increased 

 steadily in Portland from 19^*7 to 1951 and 

 have declined since then, so that there 

 has been a loss in average annual "value be- 

 tween 1950-52 and 1955-57 of 12 percent. 



In Rockland landed values for all fish 

 and shellfish increased 16 percent between 

 19l47-lj9 and 1955-57. At the same time, the 

 value of the shellfish catch rose 26 per- 

 cent and the groundfish catch only 9 per- 

 cent. The influence of the groundfish 

 values is more apparent if comparisor. is 

 made of the 1950-52 and the 195^57 periods. 

 Despite a 20 percent increase in the value 

 of shellfish between these two periods, 

 total landed values of all fish and shell- 

 fish in Rockland showed only a negligible 

 increase. The explanation is a 30 percent 

 drop in groundfish values. 



In retrospect, it can be seen that 

 the depression in the primary groundfish 

 industiy made itself felt in the haddock 

 and ocean perch ports at different times. 

 Boston landings and values began to suffer 

 in 19ii9, while it was not until 1952, when 

 ocean perch became scarcer in local waters, 

 that Gloucester, Portland, and Rockland 

 became sore-pressed. It should be noted. 



too, that the loss in groundfish values in 

 Maine landings is evident since 1952 de- 

 spite groundfish fleet additions from 

 Massachusetts ports* 



The severity of the crisis in the 

 groundfish industry has been manifested by 

 many indicators. Declines in employment 

 and earnings, lengthening average age of 

 men and ships, and a drastic loss in the 

 domestic industry's share of the United 

 States groundfish fillet market are com- 

 pelling signals ttiat this industry is 

 rapidly losing its conqietitive vitality, 



1. Brployment 



The wartime prosperity of the indus- 

 try increased en^jloyment between 1939 and 

 192i7 by 81 percent; (table 1-5). Since 

 then there has been a fairly steady decline 

 in New England's en^sloyraent total, and this 

 has been most striking in Massachusetts. 

 From 19li7 to 1957 total New England em- 

 ployment fell 25 percent, while that in 

 Massachusetts declined 37 percent. Part 

 of the decline in Massachusetts jobs cre- 

 ated work opportianities in Maine, as a 

 substantial nuitfcer of vessels transferred 

 operations from Massachusetts to Maine 

 ports. Employment on Maine trawlers near- 

 ly tripled between 19ii7 and 1951. Jobs 

 there have shrunk 6l percent, however, 

 since 1951. 



The marked increase in Rhode Island 

 employment does not reflect greater activ- 

 ity in groundfishing, but rather a growth 

 in the fishery for industrial (trash fish 

 used for reduction purposes) fish and 

 flounders. Only 2 percent of the value of 

 Rhode Island otter trawl landings are ac- 

 counted for by groundfish, whereas ground- 

 fish in Massachusetts represents 67 per- 

 cent and in Maine 87 percent of total otter 

 trawler landings. 



Aiother index of en^jloynent in the 

 groundfishery is the number of trips made 

 annually by large otter trawlers, which 

 land groundfish almost exclusively. The 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries reports 

 that the annual nurfcer of trips by such 

 boats based in Massachusetts has fallen 

 from 1,875 in 1917 to 1,101 in 1957. This 

 represents a decrease in activity of I4I 

 percent. 6/ 



6/ fishery Statlstica' of the United 

 States. 1947. P. 99; 1957. p. 121. 



