130 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The smelt fishery in 1892 gave employment to over 2,000 persons, of 

 whom more than 1,900 were in Maine. These used, as apparatus of 

 capture, 101 seines, 305 bag nets, 02 traps aud weirs, and 3,858 lines, 

 which, with 408 boats, had a value of $32,400, of which over $29,000 

 represented the investment in Maine. The quantity of smelts taken 

 was 1,697,708 pounds, for which the fishermen received $123,963, the 

 catch in Maine being 1,616,758 pounds, valued at $115,913. The prod- 

 uct of the fishery in 1892 was greater than in any other year for which 

 data are available. Thus, in 1880, the New England catch was 966,641 

 pounds, worth $51,313; in 1887, 1,316,350 pounds, $96,467; in 1888, 

 1,397,450 pounds, $103,584; in 1889, 1,209,385 pounds, $84,912. More 

 than half the aggregate catch in 1892 was obtained with seines, after 

 which, in point of output, came lines and bag nets. 



The increase in recent years over 1880 has been chiefly due to the 

 employment of more fishermen and the use of more apparatus. Thus, 

 in Maine the smelt fishermen in 1880 numbered only 992 against 1,913 

 in 1892, and the number of smelt seines (the most prominent apparatus 

 now used) increased from 4 to 152. 



The lobster fishery. — This fishery has of late attracted much attention 

 on account of the serious decrease in the output in the principal lobster- 

 producing States, and special attention was given to it in the field 

 inquiries. The lobster is generally distributed in the coastal waters of 

 the New England States, and in each its capture constitutes an impor- 

 tant industry. It is more valuable in Maine than in all the other 

 States combined, and is the principal fishery product of the State. 



This fishery in 1892 gave employment to 3,673 persous directly 

 engaged in fishing. Of these, 2,628 were in Maine, 26 in New Hamp- 

 shire, 616 in Massachusetts, 145 in Rhode Island, and 258 in Connecti- 

 cut. The vessels employed in catching lobsters numbered 55, and 

 were valued, with their outfit, at $63,590. They were provided with 

 6,457 pots, having a value of $11,124, and carried 151 fishermen. Seven 

 of the vessels belonged in Maine, 2 in Massachusetts, 12 in Ehode 

 Island, and 34 in Connecticut. The number of boats used was 3,925, 

 valued at $323,290; 2,888 were in Maine, 29 in New Hampshire, 739 in 

 Massachusetts, 80 in Ehode Island, and 183 in Connecticut. The pots 

 or traps employed in the boat fishery numbered 190,617, valued at 

 $206,118, of which 152,E21 are to be credited to Maine, 1,393 to New 

 Hampshire, 25,872 to Massachusetts, 5,121 to Ehode Island, and 6,110 

 to Connecticut. The live-cars and other accessory property connected 

 with this fishery had a value of $55,709, of which $30,746 belonged in 

 Maine and $18,573 in Massachusetts. The quantity and value of 

 the lobster catch in 1892 were as follows: Maine, 17,642,677 pounds, 

 $663,043; New Hampshire, 196,350 pounds, $11,790; Massachusetts, 

 3,182,270 pounds, $205,638; Ehode Island, 774,100 pounds, $53,762; 

 Connecticut, 1,614,530 pounds, $101,358; a total of 23,409,927 pounds 

 and $1,035,591. 



A comparison of the extent of the New England lobster fishery in 

 1880 and 1892 shows that in the aggregate there has been an advance 



