EEGULATIGN OF THE SEA-FISHERIES BY LAW. 119 



tioii of two years, upward of 200,0[)0 barrels annually. Last season it 

 was 2;U,()00 barrels. It will be .seen that the catch of fish from year to 

 year differs as widely as the i^roduct of our land. 



About 1840 there appeared on our coast, south of Cape Cod, large 

 quantities of shad, which appeared to be the same species with those 

 that visit the Connecticut and Merrimack Eivers annually, {Alosapresta- 

 hUis.) Fishermen from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Khode Island 

 eng'a<i;ed in this fishery, and found it ])rofitable. In 1S42 an act was 

 l)assed by the legislature to prohibit fishermen from other States from 

 fishing for shad within aline drawn from Monomoy Point to Point Gam- 

 mon. I myself engaged in this fishery, but we found there was no 

 need of the passage of such an act. The shad ai)peare(l in small numbers, 

 so that not enough were caught to pay expenses. They were also caught 

 in large quantities in the waters north of Cape God. They tiien disap- 

 peared, so that only a- few straggling specimens have since been caught 

 in these localities. Where were they before they appeared in our waters ? 

 What was the cause of their coming? Where are they now ? All that 

 can be said in answer, I can say in three words — they are gone. 



Sir, I ask to be allowed to allude briefly to two species of fishes that 

 are not caught by any mode of fishing that we are asked to prohibit. I 

 do so for the reason that no less than four times petitions have been sent 

 to the legislature asking for an act to prohibit fishing with trawl lines 

 (so called) in Massachusetts Bay. The rei)ort from the comnnttee has 

 always been "leave to withdraw." In 1858, wlien the report came up 

 in the house of representatives, it was discussed at length, and it was 

 there stated that if this mode of fishing was not prevented by legislative 

 enactment, soon haddock would be as scarce as salmon. The report of 

 the committee was accepted, and this mode of fishing has been in use 

 since that time, and this species has been increasing from year to year, 

 until they have increased in vast numbers, so much so that they are too 

 l^)lenty for the fisherman or dealer, and during the spawning season, 

 whicli is the spring, they are sold at a low price — from two dollars dowu 

 to fifty cents per 100 i)Ounds. But it may be said the consumer pays a 

 high price. I cannot help that ; it is not that that I am discussing. 1 am 

 trying to show the danger of exterminating the race of fish, if there is 

 any, and do not intend to leave my subject, lest I may be called to order. 

 W^hen I first engaged in the fisheries, haddock was scarce on our coast, 

 and in winter sold much higher than cod. They did not increase for 

 many years after. They, however, became plentiful when the trawl-line 

 was first used — about 1850 — and every year they seem to be increasing. 

 On the 4th of last March, when a large number of fishing-boats were 

 out, the catch was larger than I ever knew before. Tlie next day, 5th, 

 there was brought to tliis city and sold at Commercial wharf, of cod and 

 haddock, 021,053 pounds, as taken from the books of dealers 1:hat bought 

 that day — a larger quantity than ever was sold of all kinds of fresh fish 

 in a single day since Boston has been a city. What has been the cause 

 of so great an increase? If I was asked how their numbers could be 

 diminished, I have two ways now suggested to my mind : one is to intro- 

 duce the beam-trawl, which has not been used in our waters, which is a 

 large net-bag witli a long beam across its open mouth, which is kept up 

 some two feet from the bottom by an iron frame- work at each end of the 

 beam, and as it is dragged along by the fishing-boat the fish pass into 

 the net and are caught in the pockets at the sides as they attempt to 

 pass out. This net being dragged over the bottom, would destroy the 

 joung fish as it jiassed over them, and might tend to diminish their 

 numbers. 



