188 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



JonN Orpins, a liiie-fisliermaii, bas been fisbiiig for tbirty years and 

 never knew fisb so scarce as at present. Every year tbey grow less and 

 less. * 



Captain Winslow, a line-fisberman, bas not cangbt balf as many fisb 

 tbis year as last. Tbe nets were so tbick tbat tbe blue-flsb did not get 

 by. None got into tbe barbor to spawn. Formerly large nnmbers bave 

 spawned in" tbe barbor. He bad been off a number of times, and found 

 none; never knew sucb a tbing before. Tbere bave been no large scup 

 tbis year, but plenty of small ones. 



Captani G. Dunham, E. Dunham, and C. Dunham, line-tisbermeu 

 say : We did not catcb any large scup tbis season ; tbere were plenty of 

 little ones at Long Hill. We could get but very few blue-fisb on tbe nortb 

 side, and bad to go to tbe soutb sbore fortbera. Tbey were not as plenty 

 as in past years on tbe soutb sbore. We bad to go to (ireat Point for 

 blue-fisb ; could catcb 25,000 to 35,000 fisb in a season formerly ; but last 

 year could not catcb any fisb. Since tbe fisb-pounds bave been set, we 

 can get scarcely any fisb. 



David Andrews, a line-fisberman, tbinks tbere bave not been more 

 tban balf as many blue-fisb on tbe nortb side as last year; tbey bave 

 been becoming scarcer every year for four or five years. Tliere were not 

 so many on tbe soutb side as last year ; and tbougb tbe weatber was 

 better and tbe season longer, be did not get as many fisb. He did not 

 catcb a large scuj) tbis summer ; little ones were plenty at Long Hill, 

 but few in tbe barbor. He w^ent fisbing several times for blue-fisb on 



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tbe nortb side, but did not get a bite : never did it before in bis life. 



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David Andrews is regarded in Nantucket as an entirely trutbful man. 



Sylvanus Andrews, a line-fisberman, bad been off fisliing several 

 times on tbe nortb side of tbe island, and did not get a bite; never knew 

 sucb an occurrence before. The nets took all on the nortb side, so tbat 

 be could not catcb any. Tbe nets did not get as many as last year, the 

 fisb having been growing scarcer for eight or ten years. He did not 

 catcb a large scup this season, but got a large number of small ones. 



J. G. Orpins, line-fisberman, went blue-fishing part of tbe season on 

 tbe soutb side; the fisb were not so plenty as last year. Ou the north 

 side the nets stopped all book-fishing. 



William Wood, line-fisberman, had been fishing many years; never 

 saw so few^ fisb as this year; on tbe nortb side there w^as no line-fisbing; 

 tbe nets took all or kept them off. Fisb were not so plenty on the north 

 side as last year. 



Charles Gardner, a line-fisberman, said blue-fisb were so scarce on 

 tbe north side of the island be did not fisb for them ; caiight a large 

 number of small scup. For tbe last few years blue-fisb and scup grow 

 less and less. 



Moses Beatman, a net-fisherman, said that in 1871 he caught some 

 large scup ; but this year caugbt but four large scup ; plenty of little 

 ones at Long Hill. No blue-fisb in the barbor, as in former times; very 

 few on tbe nortb side ; none to be caugbt with tbe book and line ; the 

 nets did not do as well as last year. 



Yery few of the fisbermen keep any account of tbeir catch. At the 

 custom-bouse an account was kept of the number of pounds of blue-fisb 

 caught at the island. Tbe rei)ort is as follows : 



1871, from April 1 to June 30, 75,000 pounds. 



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