KEPOliT OF. COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 1 1 7 



The quantity of lish hiiuled ;it l>ost()n by Am(iri<'iui (ishing vessels 

 was nearly S7,r><>0,0(M) ])(>im(ls, with a v;iliie of over $1, (■»()( »,00(). The 

 ai)pareiit incoiisisteiicy in (ho lijiurcs Ibi- (Uoiicestcr and Hostoii (the 

 lar<>or receipts at the hitter i)la<'e liaviiii;- imicli less value) is explained 

 by the conditiou in which the tish were brought, a hu<;"e ])ereeiita,i;e of 

 the (iloucest<'r lish being' salted, whiU' practically the entire I'eceipts at 

 Boston consisted of fresh lish. 



The aii'.urenate (|uantity of ijround tish, nuickerel, and other lish 

 brought into iJoston by American lishiug vessels in 18!>4 was larger 

 than for any previous year. The growth of the market tislieries cen- 

 tering at Boston is one of the most noteworthy features of the New 

 l^higland fisheries in recent years. The expansion of this branch has 

 been largely at the expense of the salt-tish business. The following 

 table shows the extent of the ground-tish trade during the six years 

 ending in 1894. The receipts in the last-named year are seen to have 

 exceeded by over 1;>,(»()(>,0()(> ](oun(ls those tor ]8!)L*, the next highest 

 year, and to have- been over 1*.>,000,000 ])Ounds more than the average 

 lor the six years. 



The number of trips of fish brought into Boston in 1894 was 4,537. 

 The arrivals from the grounds east of the sixty-sixth meridian num- 

 bered oidy 289, while 4,U48 were from the grounds adjacent to the New 

 England coast, this being in marked contrast to Gloucester, where 

 more than one-tifth of the fares were from the far eastern grounds. 

 The number of trips from La Have Bank was 135, from Western Bank 

 8(5, from ('ape Shore (5(1, an<l from Gi-and Bank only 1. (Jeorges Baidc, 

 Middle Bank, and Jetfreys Ledge each contributed between 500 and 

 000 fares. South Ghannel over G50 fares, and general shore grounds 

 over 800 trips. 



Of the fishes which enter into tlie lish trade of Boston the haddock is 

 ])reeminent. The (pumtity brought in during 1891 was over 39,500,000 

 pounds, valued at ;;<(» 10,000. The receipts exceeded those of the previ- 

 ous year by over 8,000,000 i)ounds. The quantity taken on Georges Bank 

 was over 13,000,000 pounds, and in South Ghannel nearly 10,000,000 

 jiounds. The catch on these two grounds was 5,000,000 jxmnds greater 

 than in 181>3. Of the remaining grounds the most important as regards 

 the haddock catch were Middle Bank,' Jeffreys Ledge, Cashes Bank, 

 Browns Bank, and ofl" Highland Light. 



Cod ranks next to haddock in important^e. The receipts at Boston 

 were over 21,500,000 iiounds, having a valu(> of nearly .f500,0()0. 



