FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1925 



251 



In 1925 the catch of mackerel up to July 1 was 46,934 barrels fresh 

 unci 1,075 barrels salted, compared with 38,916 barrels fresh and 860 

 barrels salted up to July 3 in 1924. The southern mackerel fleet 

 consisted of about 33 purse-seine vessels and about the usual num- 

 ber of gill-net vessels. The catch taken by seiners was the largest 

 for a number of years. The netters also had a successful season. 

 The first arrivals were at Cape May on April 13 and consisted of 

 live fares amounting to about 87,000 pounds. The fish were shipped 

 to New York and Boston, where they were sold at 23 to 25 cents 

 per pound. The first arrival at Boston direct from the southern 

 fleet was on May 6 and consisted of about 3,000 pounds of large and 

 medium mackerel, which were sold at 19 cents per pound. In June 

 small mackerel weighing about 1 pound each were caught in the 

 vicinity of Block Island and along the shore to Boston Bay. The 

 traps at Provincetown also caught mackerel of about this size. 

 Good catches of mackerel also were taken along the coast of New 

 Jersey in June. These were small fish that weighed from three- 

 quarters of a pound to 1 pound each. The Cape Shore catch of 

 fresh mackerel was the largest since 1921, and the salted catch was 

 the largest since 1922. The mackerel landed included large and 

 medium fish, such as usually are landed from this fishing ground. 

 The first trip of mackerel from Cape Shore was landed at Boston 

 on May 28 and consisted of 24,000 pounds of large and medium fish, 

 which were sold at 13 cents per pound. Fresh mackerel from Cape 

 Shore sold during the season at from 4% to 13 cents per pound, 

 and salted mackerel brought $12 to $13 per barrel. The Cape Shore 

 catch of mackerel for the past five years, shown in pounds, was as 

 f ollows : 



Swordfish. — The catch of swordfish amounted to 1,527,180 pounds, 

 valued at $385,929. There were 41 vessels engaged in this fishery, or 

 4 less than in the previous year. There was a decrease in the catch, 

 as compared with the previous year, amounting to 24.52 per cent in 

 quantity and 14.21 per cent in value. 



Flounders. — The catch of flounders taken in the vessel fisheries 

 amounted to 6,637,972 pounds, valued at $275,787, an increase of 

 2,302,745 pounds, or 53.12 per cent, in quantity, and of $84,272, or 

 44 per cent, in value. The catch taken by boats under 5 tons net 

 tonnage is not included in these statistics. 



Herring. — The catch of herring amounted to 3,942,801 pounds, 

 valued at $102,818. Of this quantity 1,542,465 pounds, valued at 

 $18,553, were taken off the coast of the United States and landed 

 fresh. The rest, consisting of 2,400,336 pounds salted, valued at 

 $84,265, were Newfoundland herring. 



