HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND SALMON RIVERS. 



87 



number being in 1918. The fish averaged largest in 1895 and 1902, but the average in 

 1903 was not much smaller. The lowest average was in 1905 and the lowest average of 

 the last three years of the table was the lowest for the 14 years. The apparent four or 

 five-year periodicity suggests that, had they hved, the fish would have been five and six 

 years of age in the next spring; which would also suggest two and three years of river 

 hfe and two winters in the sea. If this be true, it corresponds somewhat with the situa- 

 tion in the Miramichi as indicated by Huntsman. 



TABLE 16. 



The Commercial Salmon Catch in Penobscot River and Bay, 1895-1905 and 1918-1920. 



Table 17 shows the quantities in pounds of salmon taken by commercial fishermen 

 in Maine waters at irregular intervals in the 42 years from 1887 to 1929 both inclusive; 

 also the catch in the Penobscot Bay and River for seven of the 1 1 years, with the ratio 

 of the latter to the total Maine catch each year of the seven. 



The largest catch in any of the 11 years was in 1888. In 1889 this amount fell off 

 42,409 pounds. In nine years there was a further loss of 99,418 pounds. In four years 

 there was some increase and still another in three years. This ye&v (1905) the catch 

 for the state was the heaviest of any in the years represented by the table since 1889. 

 There was an increase of 32,976 pounds over that of 1898. Almost 86 per cent of the 

 catch was made in Penobscot Bay and River, which one of the three numerical maxima 

 of that region indicated in table 16. The number was 6,378 fish which weighed 74,158 

 pounds as indicated. Both tables indicate a decline in the fishery, but the state catch 

 seems to have picked up somewhat in 1929, although it is still below that of 1905 by 

 something over 50 per cent. 



