76 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



mackerel caught with hook and liue from bouts, aud lauded in said boats, or iu traps 

 and weirs connected with the shore. 



Sec. 2. That section forty-three hundred and twenty-oue of the Revised Statutes 

 is amended, for the period of live years aforesaid, so as to read before the last sen- 

 tence as follows: "This license does not grant the riglit to fisli for mackerel, other 

 than for what is known as Sjianish mackerel, between the Hrstday of March and the 

 first day of .June, iuclusive, of this year." Or in lieu of the foregoing there sli.all 

 be inserted so much of said period of time as may remaiu unexpired under tliis act. 



Skc 3. That the penalty for the violation or attempcd violation of this act shall 

 be forfeiture of license on the part of the vessel engaged in said violation, if a vessel 

 of this country, and the forfeiture to the United States, according to law, of the 

 mackerel imported or landed, or sought to be imported or landed. 



Sec. 4. That all laws in conflict with this law are hereby repealed. 



Approved, February 28, 1887. 



On the approach of the usual time for .starting ou the southern cruise 

 for mackerel, a large fleet of vessels from Gloucester, Portland, and other 

 New England ports sailed for the grounds off the Virginia aud Dela- 

 ware coasts, where fish were sighted in due time. Large schools were 

 reported from time to time, but they consisted mostly of small indi- 

 viduals which were turned loose when caught. A few vessels made 

 satisfactory fares which realized good prices and encouraged others to 

 continue the search for fish. The season closed, and the fishery passed 

 into history generally regarded as a failure. A few thousand barrels of 

 fresh mackerel were landed and a few hundred barrels of salt fish were 

 saved, but many of the vessels failed to secure any fish whatever, and 

 only a few paid expenses. The season was remarkable for the extremes 

 of sizes represented by the fish landed. Some of the fares consisted of 

 fish that averaged considerably larger than had been taken south during 

 any recent years, while a cargo of 25 barrels of mackerel brought into 

 New York was made up of smaller fish than were ever before sold in 

 that market, 2,500 to 3,000 being required to fill a barrel. 



THE NEW ENGLAND GROUND-FISH FISHERIES. 



The importEfnt bank fisheries for cod, haddock, hake, cusk, and hali- 

 but were followed with the usual vigor during the year, and the catch, 

 on tlie whole, was fully uj) to tlie average in recent years, while the 

 price and demand were regarded as all that could be expected. 



For several years the Grand Banks had shown a marked decrease in 

 the abundance of cod, resulting in many broken voyages and consider- 

 able pecuniary loss to fishermen and owners. A much smaller fleet 

 than usual was consequently sent out in 1892, and only about a dozen 

 vessels from Provincetown, Mass., and Bucksport, Me., in addition to 

 the comparatively large fleet from Gloucester, Mass., have represented 

 the United States on these banks. Contrary to the general expecta- 

 tion, in 1892 cod were again found in great abundance on the Grand 

 Banks. Nearly all of the Gloucester fleet made two trips, returning 

 each time with full fares, and the aggregate catch was larger than 

 during any year since 1887. Halibut were found in about their usual 



