13 



Lobster and Salmon Fishing. 



Lobsters have received some attention during the past 

 few years, and the export of canned lobsters to this 

 country, to which they are almost wholly sent, amounts 

 to over ;^ 20,000. This fish will decidedly need the appli- 

 cation of some conservative measures, for it already gives 

 signs of exhaustion which it would be wise to regard. The 

 high quality of the Newfoundland lobsters has secured for 

 them the only gold medal given for this fish by the jurors 

 at the present Exhibition, and the local Government will no 

 doubt direct its attention to the means by which to guard 

 this promising industry against strains beyond its capacity. 



Salmon are found in greater or less quantities all around 

 the coast, the finest being those taken at Labrador. In 

 quality these are equal to any in the world. This fishery is 

 carried on for purely commercial purposes, and nets are the 

 means of its prosecution. June and July are our salmon- 

 fishing months, and one rarely sees the fish at any other 

 time. In addition to fish consumed in the colony the 

 catch averages 4000 tierces of 300 lbs. each, salted, packed 

 and sent chiefly to American markets, where they are sold 

 for from £6 to £y per tierce. 



The fish offal has not hitherto been turned to account, 

 beyond what was used by the fishermen and small farmers 

 for their limited crops, but during the present year Job^ 

 Brothers, and Co., Newfoundland and Liverpool merchants, 

 have established some expensive factories for the manufac- 

 ture of fish guano ; and, as it will be so much reclaimed 

 from waste, we may hope the adventure will become 

 permanent and profitable. 



The above enumeration exhausts the category of those 

 fisheries that enter into the commerce of the colony. The 



