282 EEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



29,235,201 pounds, ^01,031; mackerel, from G,703,36i pounds, 

 $3Gl,86i, to 17,624,322 pounds, $930,985; pollock, from 7,081,037 

 pounds, $13,015, to 12,175,056 pounds, §117,768; squeteague, from 

 1,371,910 pounds, $39,518, to 3,770,217 pounds, $90,252; Tvhiting or 

 silver hake, from 37,200 pounds, $192, to 2,286,200 pounds, $7,886; 

 clams, hard and soft, from 1,981,487 pounds, $153,318, to 3,133,951 ' 

 pounds, $288,386; lobsters, from 1,693,741 pounds, $147,702, to 

 1,<395,688 pounds, $175,095, and squid, from 1,069,425 pounds, $14,620, 

 to 5,365,076 pounds, $25,340. The catch of cod has decreased in quan- 

 tit}" from 71,314,978 pounds to 69,521,385 pounds, but has increased 

 in value from $1,407,039 to $1,772,942. Hake have decreased in catch 

 from 21,331,816 pounds to 14,357,954 pounds, and increased in value 

 from $163,634 to $191,379. Scup have decreased from 1,043,625 

 pounds to 588,900 pounds in (juantity, and increased from $14,253 to 

 $14,978 in value. 



The decrease in the catch of cod was reported to have been largely 

 due to the great abundance of dog-lish along the coast, which often 

 destroyed the trawls and the fish on them, and drove the iincaught 

 fish from the fishing grounds. 



Cod roe. and sometimes that of haddock, is shipped to France for 

 use as bait in the sai'dine fisheries. The quantity of this product saved 

 by the fishermen in 1902 as compared v\'ith the returns for 1898 has 

 increased from 700 iwunds, vakied at $18, to 16,700 pounds, valued at 

 $531. 



The halibut fishery on the Atlantic coast has decreased greatl}' in 

 recent years. From 1875 to 1880 the entire catch of this species in 

 the fisheries of Massachusetts, varying from 9,000,000 to 16,000,000 

 pounds a 3'ear, was from fishing banks in the Atlantic Ocean. Halibut 

 from the Pacific coast were introduced into eastern markets by the 

 shipment of a few carloads in 1880. In 1898 a Boston firm fitted out 

 a steamer for catching halibut in the North Pacific Ocean, and, encour- 

 aged by the success of the enterprise, in 1902 fitted out another. The 

 total catch of halibut by Massachusetts vessels in 1902 was 12,155,934 

 pounds, valued at $648,643. Of this quantity 7,136,934 pounds fresh 

 and salted, valued at $447,883, was from the Atlantic, and 5,019,000 

 pounds fresh, valued at $200,760, from the Pacifi.c coast. 



The mackerel catch in 1902 was taken chiefly b}^ 108 vessels, carry- 

 ing 168 purse seines. The fleet included 103 schooners and 5 steamers, 

 9 of the schooners having auxiliarj^ power hy the use of gasoline. In 

 Essex County there were 87 vessels with 141 purse seines, in Suffolk 

 County 15 vessels with 18 purse seines, in Plymouth County 2 vessels 

 with 2 purs^ seines, and in Barnstable Count}" 4 vessels with 7 purse 

 seines. Large quantities of mackerel also were taken by vessels and 

 boats with gill nets and hand lines, and in the pound-net and trap-net 

 fisheries. The fish were generally large, and as a result the small 



