44 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



MACKEREL. 



The total catch of fresh mackerel taken by the American fisliing 

 fleet in 1920 was 79,799 barrels, compared with 53,992 barrels in 

 1919, ail increase of 25,807 barrels. The total catch of salted mack- 

 erel was 4,897 barrels, compared with 7,007 barrels the previous 

 year, a decrease of 2,110 barrels. The quantity of mackerel landed 

 at Boston, Gloucester, and Portland by the fishing fleet during the 

 year was 7,293,721 pounds, valued at $703,094, of which 6,284,529 

 pounds, valued at $671,310. were fresh, and 1,009,192 pounds, 

 valued at $91,784, were salted. These were all landed by American 

 fishing vessels. There was an increase in the total catch of mackerel 

 landed at these ports of 1,580,525 pounds in quantity and $215,852 

 in value over the previous year. 



The season of 1920 was one of the best on record in the southern 

 mackerel fishery for both the purse-seine and gill-net vessels. The 

 fleet numbered about 50 seiners and 125 netters. The first fare, 

 consisting of 3,600 pounds of large mackerel, was landed by a 

 Gloucester vessel, April 14, at Cape May. Some of the best stocks 

 made by the seiners in the southern fishery were from $9,153 to 

 $26,449, the crews sharing from $197 to $649. The mackerel caught 

 weighed from 1^ to 3^ pounds each, averaging about 2 pounds each, 

 and sold from 8 to 22 cents per pound, according to market condi- 

 tions. The schooner Helen G. McLean, from Nova Scotia, engaged 

 in the southern mackerel fishery, and is said to be the only Canadian 

 vessel to engage in this fishery for 25 years. The first arrival at 

 Boston was a fare of 35,000 pounds of large and medium fresh 

 mackerel on May 14, caught 35 miles south by west of Block Island, 

 and sold at 18 cents per pound. In May there was a large body of 

 mackerel off South Shoal Lightship, and the receipts at Boston 

 landed by vessels were larger than for the same month in any recent 

 year. The catch of mackerel on the Cape Shore was disappointing; 

 the weather was foggy and the fish were well off-shore, wild, and 

 hard to catch. The nrst fares landed at Boston from this locality 

 arrived on June 7. The fresh mackerel sold at 12 cents per pound 

 and the salted mackerel at $17 to $17.50 per barrel. Later arrivals 

 of fresh mackerel sold from 10 to 10^ cents per pound. The Cape 

 Shore fleet consisted of 30 vessels, which landed 1,290,000 pounds of 

 fresh mackerel and 3,217 barrels of salt mackerel, compared with 32 

 vessels, and 2,119,000 pounds of fresh and 6,275 barrels of salt 

 mackerel the previous year. The total catch of mackerel up to 

 July 1 was 60,842 barrels fresh and 3,357 barrels salted, compared 

 with 38,787 barrels fresh and 6,452 barrels salted the previous year. 



SWORDFISH. 



The catch of swordfish amounted to 2,531,669 pounds, valued at 

 $494,202. The number of vessels engaged in this fishery was 62, 

 or 6 more than in the previous year, and there was a large increase 

 in the catch. 



FLOUNDERS. 



The catch of flounders in the vessel fisheries amounted to 3,637,774 

 pounds, valued at $166,895, an increase of 1,185,918 pounds, or 

 48.36 per cent, in quantity, and $63,845, or 61.95 per cent, in value. 



