REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 99 
fore the public and concentrated attention on its points of interest 
and excellence. Newspapers were furnished items recounting the 
unusual history of the fish—its discovery, practical extermination, 
and reappearance; incidents in the campaign were exploited; fish 
were more or less conspicuously supplied to prominent persons; lead- 
ing hotels and restaurants were induced to give the tilefish prominence 
on their menus; a great motion-picture company placed a camera 
man on the Stranger and exhibited motion pictures of the fishery as a 
feature of its weekly news reel; and the Bureau’s own advertising 
matter was distributed freely. 
The propaganda conducted in behalf of this fishery covered practi- 
cally the entire field. The fishing grounds were found and pointed 
out to fishermen; a regular commercial fishing vessel was engaged 
to demonstrate the financial yield of this fishery under regular indus- 
trial conditions; the wholesale trade was enlisted in the distribution 
of the fish; the retailer was furnished with attractive display adver- 
tising matter calling his customers’ attention to the fact that the fish 
was on sale; and the consumer was told about the tilefish and how 
to cook it, and his curiosity and interest were stimulated to the point 
where he wished to try it and asked his dealer for it. As a conse- 
quence, when the Bureau ceased its fishing operations, other vessels 
were already at work, and within 10 days of the landing of the last fare 
by the Stranger eight schooners were either in the fishery or about to 
enter it and by the end of the month had landed in New York about 
156,000 pounds of tilefish. 
The progress of this fishery has far exceeded expectations. While 
New York continues to be the center of the industry, Boston, At- 
lantic City, Newport, and other places have become practically inter- 
ested by putting vessels in the fishery. At the end of June, 1916, the 
New York fleet consisted of 13 vessels making regular trips to the 
fishing grounds, although earlier in the season a number of other ves- 
sels were engaged. The catch has varied from month to month, but 
has shown a general upward trend as increased fares were brought in 
to meet the growing demand, and the yield in June exceeded that 
of any preceding month, aggregating over 1,221,000 pounds landed 
at New Yorkin 28 fares. A new record was made in July, 1916, when 
2,200,000 pounds were landed at New York, 230,000 at Boston, and 
various ‘minor fares at other ports. 
By the end of the fiscal year 1916, when the fishery was only eight 
months old, upward of 4,388,500 pounds of tilefish, which brought 
the fishermen over $210,000, were caught and sold. The monthly 
receipts at New York were as follows: 
Months. Pounds. Months. Pounds, 
Woveriper lorsrecs - on 25. And ictceee 156; 500 PA prilh 396s: . dc ce AE hs Seat 626, 000 
DECOMUMPLOLg cate cao acd oo dann sce se 170, 200 BY VLG. «wc peates ate tues dtenbae tases 620, 000 
gantary {196 shee FETC. Sak ee 398, 000 || June, 1916.....- 5S). 35, Shaheen de donee 1, 221,000 
MGDIUsrys UOLGhe eee et! he oo oes ok 469, 000 os 
March! 196 s/ee 2a. SMITE ys 615, 000 Motale te AUPE ay 4, 275, 700 
| 
The tilefish grounds extend along the edge of the continental shelf 
from a point south of Nantucket to an area east of Atlantic City. 
Few fish have been taken in depths over 100 fathoms, and the best 
