180 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The catch of halibut amounted to 4,874,504 pounds, valued at 

 S922,654, all landed fresh except 1,510 pounds salted, valued at $108. 

 There was a considerable decrease in the quantity, but an increase in 

 the value, as compared with 1922. The cpiantity landed at Boston 

 was 3,560,375 pounds, valued at S679,259; at Gloucester, 108,394 

 pounds, valuecl at .S22,221; and at Portland, 1,205,735 pounds, 

 valued at $221,174. 



MACKEREL 



The total catch of fresh mackerel taken by the American fishing 

 fleet in 1923 was 121,982 bari'els, compared with 53,703 barrels in 

 1922, an increase of 68,279 barrels. The total catch of salted mackerel 

 was 18,864 barrels, compared with 2,749 barrels in 1922, an increase 

 of 16,115 barrels. The quantity of mackerel landed at Boston, 

 Gloucester, and Portland during the year was 11,565,228 pounds, 

 valued at $487,637, of which 10,684,423 pounds, valued at $433,795, 

 were fresh, and 880,805 pounds, valued at $53,842, were salted. 

 There was an increase in the total catch of mackerel landed by fishing 

 vessels at these ports of 6,838,481 pounds in quantity and of $211,138 

 in value, as compared with 1922. 



In 1923 the total catch of mackerel up to July 1 was 22,866 barrels 

 fresh and 217 barrels salted, compared with 25,090 barrels fresh and 

 2,344 barrels salted for the same period in 1922. The southern 

 mackerel fleet numbered about 25 purse-seine vessels and 136 gill- 

 net vessels. Both seiners and netters had poor success on account 

 of windy weather and scarcity of fish during the spring months. 

 The first catch was landed at Norfolk on April 9, and consisted of 

 300 pounds of large mackerel, which sold at 75 cents per pound in 

 New York. This was three days earlier than the landing of the first 

 catch the previous year. A considerable quantity of tinker mackerel 

 scattered in small schools was reported in the south. The first 

 catch of mackerel from Cape Shore was landed at Yarmouth, Nova 

 Scotia, on May 29, and consisted of 4,000 pounds of large fish, 

 which were shipped to Boston. The first arrival at Boston, direct 

 from the fleet, was on June 7, and consisted of 20,000 pounds of large 

 fish, which sold at 03^ cents per pound. Fresh mackerel sold during 

 the season at from 63^ to 40 cents per pound, according t) market 

 conditions, and salted mackerel from Cape Shore sold at $11 per 

 barrel. 



SWORDFISH 



The catch of swordfish amounted to 2,455,419 pounds, valued at 

 $448,119. There wer.^ 52 vessels engaged in this fishery, or 2 more 

 than in the previous year. There was, however, a decrease in the 

 catch of 25.17 per cent in the quantity, but a slight increase of about 

 a quarter of 1 per cent in the value. 



FLOUNDERS 



The catch of flounders taken in the vessel fisheries amounted to 

 3,436,820 pounds, valued at $163,683, an increase of 155,493 pounds, 

 or 4.73 percent, in quantity and of $28,934, or 21.47 per cent, in 

 value. The catch taken by boats under 5 tons net tonnage is not 

 included in these statistics. 



