REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 7 
numbers. While during the past three years there was a slight ten- 
dency toward an increase in numbers, the fish are much scarcer than 
they were eight or ten years ago. 
Georges Bank, the most celebrated fishing-ground off the coast of 
New England, continues to be the chief resort for the large fleets hail- 
ing from Gloucester, Boston, Provincetown, and other ports, especially 
those vessels engaged in supplying the increasing demand for fresh 
salt-water fish. During the spring the catch of cod was light, but in 
the fall the fish were more abundant. Haddock were more numerous 
than for many years. Many vessels, returning after a few days’ fishing, 
brought from 80,000 to 100,000 pounds of fresh fish, chiefly haddock. 
The market was often overstocked with haddock, and the surplus had 
to be cured. 
A somewhat interesting phenomenon attended the operations of the 
vessels frequenting Georges Bank. During the great abundance of 
haddock on Georges Bank cod were very searce on the same grounds. 
This, in the opinion of many fishermen, was owing to the habit of 
throwing the offal overboard, thus covering the feeding-grounds and 
driving the cod away, although why the haddock were not also affected 
by the offal is not clear. During the scarcity of cod on Georges they 
were unusually plentiful on Cashes Bank and Jeffreys Ledge, adjoining 
' grounds. 
