While the postwar years in Nevj England 

 have been marked by declining landings and 

 values of principal groundfish species, the 

 Canadian groundfish industry has shown sub- 

 stantial vitality. Haddock landings in the 

 Maritime Provinces increased from 35 mil- 

 lion pounds in 19ii6 to a peak of 93 million 

 pounds in 1956; catch values doubled in the 

 same period. In Newfoundland haddock 

 landings increased from 21 million pounds 

 in I9U9 to 62 million pounds in 19^. 

 Canadians also augmented their ocean perch 

 catch. In the Maritimes, only 2 million 

 pounds were landed in 19)49; by 1956, 36 

 million pounds of ocean perch were caught. 

 Catch values of ocean perch in the Mari- 

 times in 1958 were ten times those of a 

 decade earlier. Newfoundland landings of 

 ocean perch more than doubled from 18 mil- 

 lion pounds in 19li9 to 38 million pounds 

 in 1951. After 1951, Newfoundland ocean 

 perch landings declined to 16 million 

 pounds in 1957 only to return to 25 mil- 

 lion pounds in 19^, (table 11-10). 



The growth in landings and value for 

 haddock and ocean perch reflects the in- 

 creased postwar use of offshore ottsr 

 trawlers. The catch is sold in the United 

 States frozen fish market. The cod fishery 

 has not received as much attention. New- 

 found3-and cod production has been signif- 

 icantly lower since 19ii9 with 1958 

 landings 36 percent less than those in the 

 earlier year. Cod landings in the Mari- 

 times and Quebec have been relatively 

 stable with little increase in catch 

 values . 



In each of the principal fishing prov- 

 inces of Canada, cod is still the dominant 

 species in both landings and value . In 

 aggregate groundfish landings and values, 

 Newfoundland is the Atlantic Province's 

 leader followed by Nova Scotia and New 

 Brunswick. 33/ if the Provinces are ranked 

 according to cod landings, the same re- 

 sults are seen. Nova Scotia, however, is 

 the leader in haddock and ocean perch 

 landings. In 1957 it produced nearly two- 

 thirds of haddock landings and over one- 

 half of ocean perch landings, while New- 

 foundland caught about one -third of the 



total poundage landed of each species, 

 (table 11-11). Thus, when the New England 

 industry talks about Canadian, groundfish 

 competition, it is primarily referring to 

 that of the Provinces of Newfoundland and 

 Nova Scotia. 



a. The Inshore Jilsherv 



The Atlantic fisheries have two dis- 

 tinct branches - the inshore fishery and 

 the deep-sea fishery. The inshore fishery 

 operates within 12 to 15 miles of land, 

 while the deep-sea fishery is found on the 

 offshore banks. The inshore fishery is 

 moi^ important. It has no exact counter- 

 part in the commerciauL groundfish industry 

 of New England. In 1957, 52 percent of 

 total Atlantic Coast groundfish landings 

 were made by inshore boats. The inshore 

 fishery is primarily a cod fishery; in 

 1956, 96 percent of Newfoundland cod 

 landings and I4.6 percent of those in the 

 Maritimes and Quebec were from the inshore 

 fishery. Inshore fishing is not a factor 

 in ocean perch landings in either area. 

 It does account for about 20 percent of 

 haddock landings in the Maritimes and 

 Quebec, but is of no significance in the 

 Newfoundland haddock catch. 



The inshore fishery is conducted by 

 fishermen who, individually or in pairs 

 fish near their homes, making daily trips 

 in small row-boats, sailboats, or motor- 

 boats. The gear used consists principally 

 of hand lines and trawl lines with indi- 

 . vidually baited hooks; in Newfoundland, 

 however, most of the inshore cod is taken 

 by cod -traps. 



The inshore fishery, particularly in 

 Newfoundland, is the source of the bulk of 

 Canadian saltfish production. The inshore 

 fishermen in Newfoundland live in small, 

 often isolated settlements scattered along 

 the coast. They dry and salt their land- 

 ings and sell to middlemen who are often 

 their source of credit during the off- 

 season months. Although there has been 

 generally a great growth in the Provinces 

 of production for the fresh and frozen 

 fish market, the inaccessibility of these 



33/ Quebec, which is not part of this study, ranks third in Atlantic Coast groundfish 

 procfuction due to cod landings, which in 1957 amounted to 79,000,000 pounds. 



17 



