840 IT. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Drift gill nets. — A fishery with drift gill nets was prosecuted by 97 

 vessels in 1929. The}^ made 501 trips to three main fishing grounds, 

 and were absent from port 1,411 days, or an average of 2.8 days per 

 trip. Their catch amounted to 6,117,493 pounds, or about 2 per cent 

 of the total landings by vessels at the three ports. Of this amount, 

 86 per cent consisted of herring, which were taken on Bay of Islands 

 fishing grounds. The remainder consisted mostly of mackerel, which 

 were taken on grounds near the shore. 



Purse seines. — A fishery with purse seines (mackerel fishery) was 

 prosecuted by 113 vessels in 1929. They made 1,504 trips to 14 main 

 fishing grounds, and were absent from port 4,712 daj'^s, or an average 

 of about 3.1 days per trip. Their landings at the three New England 

 ports amounted to 38,704,258 pounds, or 12 per cent of the total 

 landings by vessels at these ports. Of this amount, 95 per cent con- 

 sisted of mackerel, and the remainder mostly of herring. Of the total, 

 51 per cent were taken on shore grounds and 26 per cent on South 

 Channel. Only minor quantities were taken on other banks where 

 these vessels fished. 



Scallop drags or trawls. — -A fishery with scallop drags or trawls was 

 prosecuted by two vessels in 1929. These made two trips to Boston 

 and were absent from port nine days. The catch consisted of 5,596 

 pounds of scallop meats, and was taken on Georges Bank and banks 

 along the shore. 



Summary. — In general, regular otter trawls were the most important 

 gear used by the vessels landing fish at the three New England ports, 

 catching 40 per cent of the total landings. Line trawls were next in 

 importance, catching 21 per cent of the total. The various sizes of 

 V-D otter trawl vessels caught 17 per cent; purse seines, 12 per cent; 

 sink gill nets, 4 per cent; hand lines, 3 per cent; and harpoons, drift 

 gill nets, and scallop drags the remaining 3 per cent. 



Among the fishing grounds Georges Bank was the most important, 

 furnishing 42 per cent of the fish caught by the vessels. South 

 Channel, which is near Georges Bank, was second, and furnished 29 

 per cent. In 1928 the best fishing was on South Channel. Shore 

 grounds furnished 12 per cent, and Browns Bank 5 per cent. All of 

 these grounds are off the United States. The catch on any one of 

 the other banks or grounds where fishing was prosecuted by the vessels 

 furnished less than 7,500,000 pounds each. 



The fishery products landed at the three ports by vessels are taken 

 chiefly on fishing grounds off the United States west of 66° west 

 longitude. In 1929 these grounds furnished 95 per cent of the total 

 landings by vessels at the three ports. 



Those fishing grounds ofli Canadian Provinces east of 66° west 

 longitude furnished 3 per cent, while those oft" Newfoundland, also 

 east of 66° west longitude, furnished 2 per cent. The large catch on 

 grounds off the United States is due chiefly to the large catches by 

 otter trawlers on Georges Bank, South Channel, and Nantucket 

 Shoals, which fishing grounds are suited to this type of gear, and 

 which are comparatively near packing centers. Compared with 1928, 

 there was an increase of 21 per cent in the landings of fish taken on 

 grounds off the United States, a decrease of 43 per cent in the landings 

 of fish taken off Canadian Provinces, and an increase of 54 per cent 

 in the landings of fish taken oft' Newfoundland, the latter being due 

 principally to the large amount of herring taken on these grounds. 



