EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 33 



quantity of cod landed was 43,622,562 pounds, valued at $1,556,882, 

 of which 35,993,089 pounds, valued at $1,218,569 were fresh, and 

 7,629,473 pounds, valued at $338,313, were salted. 



Haddock. — The haddock is the most important of the fishes taken 

 in these fisheries. The quantity landed was 60,555,792 pounds, 

 valued at $1,761,675, nearly all in a fresh condition, only 184,296 

 pounds, valued at $4,293, being salted. 



Hake. — The year's yield of hake amounted to 13,172,299 pounds, 

 valued at $337,240. The entire catch was landed fresh with the 

 exception of 143,208 pounds, valued at $2,944, which were salted. 



Pollock. — The pollock fishery was in a prosperous condition in 1916, 

 and the catch landed at Boston and Gloucester exceeded that of the 

 previous year by 791,577 pounds in quantity and $93,234 in value. 

 The total yield for Boston, Gloucester, and Portland was 15,603,630 

 pounds, valued at $383,616. This quantity was landed fresh except 

 101,143 pounds, valued at $2,038, which were salted. 



Gusk. — The catch of cusk was 6,068,297 pounds, valued at $119,- 

 450, of which 51,770 pounds, valued at $1,035, were salted. 



Halibut. — The halibut fishery on the Atlantic has varied but little 

 during the past few years. The- catch in 1916 was 3,458,765 pounds, 

 valued at $385,585, all of which was landed fresh except 95,244 

 pounds, valued at $8,510, salted. The quantity landed at Boston 

 and Gloucester declined from 3,870,685 pounds in 1915 to 2,923,451 

 pounds in 1916, but in the latter year there was an increase of $4,627 

 in the value. 



Mackerel. — ^There is reason to believe that the abundance of mack- 

 erel is increasing, and there is no reason why the large catches of 

 former years may not be repeated. The yield of fresh mackerel by 

 the American fleet in 1916 was 102,420 barrels, compared with 

 71,564 barrels the previous year, an increase of 30,856 barrels. The 

 output of salted mackerel was 19,554 barrels, compared with 19,691 

 barrels the previous year, a decrease of 137 barrels. The quantity 

 landed at Boston, Gloucester, and Portland during the year was 

 15,906,349 pounds, valued at $1,049,288, of which 10,831,631 pounds, 

 valued at $627,539, were fresh, and 5,074,718 pounds, valued at 

 $421,749, were salted. 



In 1917 up to June 30 the catch of fresh mackerel was 38,947 bar- 

 rels and of salted mackerel 7,131 barrels, as against 43,169 barrels 

 fresh and 4,468 barrels salted for the previous year to the same date. 

 The mackerel fishery in the spring of 1917 was interrupted owing to 

 a strike among the fishermen at the beginning of the season. The 

 seining fleet was delayed in sailing, and the season was a failure so 

 far as the seiners were concerned. The gill netters had a very 

 successful season, and the fishermen made the largest shares for 

 many years. During the season of six weeks some of the fishermen 

 shared $1,000 each, and a considerable number shared $500 each. 

 The fleet numbered about 30 sail of seiners in the south and about 

 125 sail of netters, about the same number as in the previous season. 

 The fish taken were of mixed sizes, weighing from about If to 3^ 

 pounds each, and brought from 8 to 14 cents a pound, according to 

 market conditions. Up to the latter part of May the catch was only 

 about one-third that of the previous season. The first fare of 

 mackerel of the season of 1917, amounting to 5 barrels, was landed 



