384 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
fresh and 1,109,300 pounds, valued at $55,654, were salted. There 
was an increase in the total catch of mackerel landed by fishing 
vessels at these ports of 10,022,795 pounds and of $215,333 in value, 
as compared with 1925. 
In 1926 the catch of mackerel up to July 1 was 93,798 barrels 
fresh and 1,352 barrels salted, compared with 46,934 barrels fresh 
and 1,075 barrels salted for the same period in 1925. The southern 
mackerel seiners had a very successful season, but the netters had 
very poor success, which was largely due to the fact that the prices 
were low most of the time. The seining fleet numbered about 50 
vessels, compared with 33 vessels the previous year. The increase 
consisted largely of small vessels. The netting fleet also numbered 
about 50 vessels. The first seiners arrived at Cape May on April 11, 
which was Sunday. The next day (Monday) there were 11 vessels 
having 142,000 pounds of fresh mackerel. These fish weighed from 
1 to 214 peunds each, but mostly from 1144 to 1% pounds each. 
They were caught 85 miles southeast of Cape May and were shipped 
to New York and Boston, where they were sold at 22 to 25 cents 
per pound. 
The first netters arrived at Cape May and New York on April 28. 
stormy weather prevailed soon after the first catches were made, and 
a large number of vessels lost seines and seine boats and had to take 
time to replace them. The first arrivals last year were at Cape May 
on April 13, when five vessels arrived with a total of 87,000 pounds 
of mackerel, weighing about 1 pound each, which were sold at 23 to 
25 cents per pound. This year the first arrival at Boston, direct 
from the south, was on May 10, consisting of 70,000 pounds of large 
and medium fresh mackerel caught off Barnegat, N. J., which were 
sold at 5144 cents per pound. ‘The first arrival in the previous season 
was on May 6, consisting of 3,000 pounds of large and medium-sized 
fresh mackerel caught 60 miles southeast of Atlantic City, which sold 
at 19 cents per pound. 
The first mackerel taken in New England waters this year were 
three fish caught in a trap net at Seaconnet, in the vicinity of Newport, 
R. I., on April 28, two days earlier than the first taken the previous 
year. The traps at Rockport, Mass., contained eight mackerel on 
May 20—the first of the season in that locality. Nine mackerel were 
taken in a trap net at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on May 19, the first 
of the season on that shore. The first taken last year in that locality 
consisted of 53 fish on May 20. 
The Cape Shore fleet numbered about 48 vessels. The first arrival 
was on June 2, five days later than the first arrival last year, and 
consisted of 25,000 pounds of large and medium mackerel caught off 
Halifax, Nova Scotia, which were sold at 13 cents per pound. It 
was reported that the weather had been bad and that the mackerel 
were in small schools. 
The Cape Shore catch of mackerel for the past five years, shown i in 
pounds, was as follows: 





Year Trips Fresh Salted 
M9262 53502. 225 see See ee eA SS Ste LES SE EES 54 | 2,397, 700 270, 400 
ih! 7) ee Oe ee a se a Sao eS a ee OP eee | ee Se 34 | 1,545,000 215, 000 
TODS ait enna a pana Shae antnce note oe ae oe ee Se eo 24 996, 000 170, 800 
Ae eS Se ee eee ee eee Ses a ae EE Pg meee te ae Se ed Se 31 1, 240, 680 42, 200 
Ot!) 7 ap ga Se See oe as Pee ee eee peek oe Se eS Soe eas 37 353, 900 468, 800 


