16 REPOETS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. 



the presence of enemy submarines along the coast and on the fishing 

 grounds for some time during the summer and the consequent loss of 

 a number of fishing vessels. This condition was due largely to the 

 increased demand for fishery products and the prevailing high prices 

 during the war period. 



The fishing fleet discharging at these ports in 1918 comprised 521 

 sail, steam, and gasoline screw vessels. They landed at Boston 2,830 

 trips with 109,476,041 pounds of fish, valued at $6,587,754; at Glou- 

 cester 3,414 trips with 74,175,499 pounds, valued at $3,062,605; and 

 at Portland 2,506 trips with 21,849,613 pounds, valued at $881,189; a 

 total of 8,750 trips and of 205,501,153 pounds of fresh and salted fish, 

 having a value to the fishermen of $10,531,548. This total includes 

 60 trips landed at these ports by 21 Canadian fishing vessels, amount- 

 ing to 5,602,749 pounds of fresh fish, valued at $218,625. These 

 fish were landed in accordance with an arrangement with the Canadian 

 Government, as an emergency war measure, granting reciprocal priv- 

 ileges to fishing vessels of both countries, one feature of which was that 

 Canadian fishing vessels were permitted to land their fares at Ameri- 

 can ports directly from the fishing grounds. Canadian fishing vessels 

 began to utilize this privilege in April and continued during the re- 

 mainder of the year. The larger part of these fish, or 4,668,620 

 pounds, valued at $164,946, were landed at Portland. 



There was a decrease of 534 trips in the total number for the three 

 ports as compared with the previous year, but an increase of 30,070,567 

 pounds, or 17.14 per cent, in the quantity, and of $2,170,216, or 25.95 

 per cent, in the value of the fish landed. The catch of cod increased 

 27.19 per cent in quantity and 52.57 per cent in value; haddock, 24.49 

 per cent in quantity and 27.12 per cent in value; and pollock, 83.07 per 

 cent in quantity and 66.08 per cent in value. The catch of halibut 

 increased less than 1 per cent in quantity, but had 37.88 per cent 

 greater value. There was considerable falling off in both the quan- 

 tity and value of hake, cusk, mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish. 



The fishery products landed at these ports by fishing vessels each 

 year are taken principally from fishing grounds lying off the coast of 

 the United States. In the calendar year 1918, 68.10 per cent of the 

 quantity and 70.86 per cent of the value of the catch landed by Ameri- 

 can and Canadian fishing vessels were taken from these grounds; 4.36 

 per cent of the quantity and 4.70 per cent of the value were from 

 grounds off the coast of Newfoundland; and 27.52 per cent of the 

 quantity and 24.43 per cent of the value, from fishing grounds off 

 tne Canadian Provinces. NcAvfoundland herring constituted 3.10 

 per cent of the C[uantity and 3.15 per cent of the value of the prod- 

 ucts landed during the year. The herring were taken on the treaty 

 coast of Newfoundland, and the cod and other species from fishing 

 banks on the high seas. All fish caught by American fishing vessels 

 off the Canadian Provinces were from offshore grounds. 



Cod. — Cod ranked first in importance in both quantity and value, 

 the catch, fresh and salted, amounting to 71,824, 427 pounds, valued 

 at $3,617,205. 



Haddock. — The catch of haddock ranked second to that of cod, 

 amounting to 66,671,541 pounds, valued at $3,199,276. 



Hake. — The yield of hake has fallen off in the past few years. In 

 1918 the catch was 5,280,829 pounds, valued at $273,085. In 1916 

 over 13,000,000 pounds were taken, and in 1910 the quantity landed 

 at Boston and Gloucester alone was nearly 20,000,000 pounds. 



