REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 35 



The vessel fishory wliicli attracts most attention Ix'cjuiso of the 

 remarkable decline that it has underj^tme is tlie mackerel. The season 

 of 1910 was the ])oorest in the history of the Ameiican fishery. Tlu' 

 yiehl in 1911 was much better, amountinjj; to 43,541 barrels of fresh 

 fish and 6,633 barrels of salted fish for all New En^jland, as against 

 19,950 barrels fresh and 3,395 barrels salted in the previous year. 

 The quantity landetl at Boston and Gloucester was 3,098,834 pounds 

 fresh and 1 ,439,100 pounds salted, valued at $283,887. In 1912, how- 

 ever, the fishery experienced another decline, and the total catch to 

 July 1 was the smallest on record to that date. 



For several years the usual run of mackerel has consisted of large 

 fish, but in 1912 tinkers were taken in very considerable quantities. 

 The fleet of vessels that went south in spring numbered 25 seiners, in 

 addition to many ^mall vessels fitted with gill nets. The early season 

 was very unsuccessful for seiners, and few of them paid expenses; but 

 the netters had a fairlj'- good season owing to the high prices received. 

 The Cape Shore fleet, consisting of about 40 seiners, experienced bad 

 weather, found fish scarce, and had an unsuccessful season. 



The winter herring fisheiy on the coast of Newfoundland is inter- 

 esting and impoi'tant because of its international relations and its 

 economic value. In the season of 1911-12, 55 American vessels w^ere 

 engaged in the fishery and nearly all obtained full cargoes, second tri])s 

 being made by 19 vessels and a third trip by 1 vessel. On Januaiy 17, 

 1912, unusually severe weather came on and 27 vessels were caught 

 in the ice, 17 at Bay of Islands and 10 at Bonne Bay. The revenue 

 cutters Androscoggin and Gresham w^ere immediately sent to their 

 rescue, but before the arrival of the cutters the wind changed, the ice 

 broke up, and the fishing vessels were able to reach the open w^aters 

 of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, w^iere the cutters met them. One 

 schooner which returned to Bonne Bay was frozen in again and com- 

 pelled to remain until May. 



No Canadian vessels w^ere on the ground, but frequent shipments 

 of pickeled and fresh frozen herring were made from Bonne Bay and 

 Bay of Islands to Halifax by an agent who was stationed at Birchy 

 Cove. Two Newfoundland vessels were engaged in the fishery and 

 landed their fares at Halifax, Nova Scotia. 



Besides the usual number of schooners fitted with pans for arti- 

 ficially freezing herring, one vessel was equipped with a cold-storage 

 })lant, by which means several cargoes of herring were frozen and then 

 shipped to Gloucester in other vessels belonging to the same firm. 

 A large steamer was provided with a cold-storage plant of about 

 1,000,000 pounds' capacity; but, owmg to the lateness of the season 

 when the machinery was installed, no business was done. Shoidd 

 large vessels of tliis class engage in the fishery, it would have a tendency 

 to change the frozen-herrinjr industrv, as the native fishermen, instead 



