296 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



pounds, valued at §3,007,949, of which 141,871,580 pounds, worth 

 $3,423,426, were caught by vessels and 7,lT2,928 pounds, worth $184,- 

 523, b}^ boats in the shore fisheries. The more important species 

 were cod, 67,647,095 pounds, $1,729,309; haddock, 39,215,730 pounds, 

 $801,792; hake, 14,349,954 pounds, $191,279; pollock, 10,579,219 

 pounds, $104,824; cusk, 2,893,307 pounds, $45,510; flounders, 885,350 

 pounds, $30,362; tautog, 197,500 pounds, $6,120, and halibut, 12,155,- 

 934 pounds, $648,643. A number of other species — blue-lish, mackerel, 

 cat-fish, cunners, dog-fish, eels, scup, sea bass, squeteague, striped bass, 

 and whiting or silver hake — were taken in smaller quantities. The 

 secondary products, such as oil, roe, and sounds or swim-bladders from 

 fish taken b}' lines, amounted to 204,669 pounds, for which the 

 fishermen received $8,689. 



The seine catch, which was next in value, was 21,316,747 pounds, 

 valued at $879,412. The species taken w^ere mackerel, 13,954,853 

 pounds, $804,529; herring, 3,841,866 pounds, $30,878; alewives, 1,749,- 

 450 pounds, $21,445; pollock, 965,612 pounds, $4,828; menhaden, 

 430,000 pounds, $2,950; sand eels, 120,000 pounds, $2,000; cod, 88,750 

 pounds, $1,855; blue-fish, 85,625 pounds, $6,850; tomcod, 30,000 

 pounds, $450; squeteague, 14,500 pounds, $145; eels, 8,400_ pounds, 

 $420; shad, 13,932 pounds, $757; striped bass, 1,459 pounds, $175, and 

 shrimp, 6,000 pounds, $1,500. 



Gill nets took 24,397,978 pounds of dsh, valued at $497,378. The 

 greater part of this quantity, or 19,814,835 pounds, valued at $318,354, 

 was herring, of which 18,469,335 pounds, valued at $305,909, were 

 from off" the coast of Newfoundland, and 1,345,500 pounds, valued at 

 $12,445, were taken in the boat or shore fisheries. The remaining 

 species secured in gill nets were mackerel, 2,856,219 pounds, $134,844; 

 cod, 1,622,414 pounds, $37,664; blue-fish, 65,375 pounds, $5,034; bonito, 

 26,135 pounds, $1,046; squeteague, 5,000 pounds, $150; haddock, 

 3,800 pounds, $76, and shad, 4,200 pounds, $210. 



Gill nets were first used in the cod fisheries of this country in 1878, 

 being introduced from Norway by Prof. Spencer F. Baird, then Com- 

 missioner of Fisheries. For a number of years they were used quite 

 extensively in Ipswich Bay, but, shore cod becoming scarce, their use 

 was practically discontinued. Within the past few years cod have 

 been more abundant and gill nets have again been emplo3'ed success- 

 fully in this fishery. In the meantime the waters of this section 

 have been restocked each year with young cod from the government 

 fish hatchery at Gloucester. 



Pound nets and trap nets secured 19,234,567 pounds of products, 

 valued at $241,220. The species taken in largest quantities were her- 

 ring, 4,862,500 pounds, $46,219; squeteague, 3,712,717 pounds, $88,- 

 517; whiting or silver hake, 2,256,200 pounds, $7,585; pollock, 

 630,825 pounds, $8,116; scup, 476,200 pounds, $11,823; menhaden, 



