FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 102." 295 



Some of the other more important products, in the order of their 

 value, were haddock, 93,518,826 pounds, valued at $2,656,900; 

 oysters, 11,301,829 pounds, or 1,614,547 bushels, valued at $2,070,006 ; 

 mackerel, 26,653,363 pounds, valued at $1,519,438; flounders, 

 30,854,736 pounds, valued at $1,339,076; clams, 7,961,000 pounds, or 

 838,069 bushels, valued at $1,065,531; halibut, 4,500,931 pounds, 

 valued at $788,925; herring, 60,235,656 pounds, valued at $661,679; 

 swordfish, 2,882,214 pounds, valued at $527,726; scallops, 1,267,506 

 pounds or 211,251 bushels, valued at $407,541; hake, 18,499,317 

 pounds, valued at $306,941; pollock. 8,294,896 pounds, valued at 

 $220,747 ; and smelt 688,400 pounds, valued at $152,885. The remain- 

 ing products aggregated 41,228,940 pounds, valued at $952,361, or 

 about 10 per cent of the quantity and 5 per cent of the value of the 

 total production. 



Compared with 1919, the latest previous year for which complete 

 statistics of the fisheries of this section were collected, there was a 

 decrease of 6,254. or 20.33 per cent, in the number of persons 

 engaged; $12,035,273, or 29.65 per cent, in the amount of capital 

 invested; 60,517,705 pounds, or 12.95 per cent, in the quantity and 

 $1,020,525, or 5.14 per cent, in the value of the products landed by 

 the fishermen. 



Comparisons of the yield of certain important fisheries with those 

 of previous years give interesting indications of the trend of the 

 New England fisheries. Statistics on total yield are available for 

 35 years back. Unfortunately, however, the canvasses were taken 

 only at intervals of from 3 to 11 years, and as nothing is known of 

 conditions in the intervening years, any conclusions that might be 

 drawn from the records must be accepted with reservations. The 

 cod fishery apparently maintained a fairly uniform yield during 

 this period. The 1924 total was somewhat higher than that of 1919 

 but was below some of the previously recorded yields. 



The haddock fishery has increased considerably in recent years 

 and is now nearly equal in importance to the cod fishery. In" 1924 

 the yield was the highest on record and was approximately twice 

 as large as the totals recorded in the latter part of the nineteenth 

 century. The flounder fishery increased from a minor fishery yield- 

 ing less than 3,000,000 pounds in 1899 to one of major importance 

 in 1924, with a yield of over 30,000,000 pounds. Hake and pollock 

 showed considerable growth during the first half of the period con- 

 sidered, but declined considerably in recent years. The same may 

 be said of the alewife. The herring and mackerel fisheries both 

 have been subject to fluctuations of such magnitude that no clearly 

 defined trend can be recognized, although the yields of mackerel in 

 recent years have been larger. The halibut and shad fisheries both 

 show a decided downward trend, the present yield being only half as 

 large as those recorded in earlier years. The yield of swordfish in 1924 

 was more than double that of 1919 but below'the record yield in 1908. 

 The yield of whiting in 1924 was only half as large as that in 1919 

 but considerably above any previous records. The lobster fishery 

 shows an almost continuous decrease from over 30,000,000 pounds 

 in 1889 to less than 10,000,000 pounds in 1924. Soft clams also have 

 decreased considerably in recent years, although in 1924 the catch 

 7477—26 7 



