REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 23 



Prices were good and some of the netters made large stocks. The 

 first mackerel of the season were landed on April 8, at Fort Mon- 

 roe, Va., the fare consisting of 1,200 fish weighing 2^ pounds each. 

 The seiners reported seeing a good body of fish off the southern coast, 

 but they were wild and could not be caught with seines. Of the fresh 

 mackerel landed, 1,000 barrels were caught on Nantucket Shoals 

 and the remainder mostly off the coast of New Jersey and in the 

 vicinity of Block Island. The salted mackerel were all from the 

 Cape Shore, and were all large fish. The light catch so far during 

 the season on the Cape Shore is attributed to the fact that the fish 

 passed along the coast far offshore outside of the fleet. 



The investigation of tl^e fisheries of the Philippine Islands was 

 completed before the close of the year, and the statistics and other 

 information relating to the commercial fisheries are being compiled. 



A canvass of the salmon fisheries of the Pacific coast has also been 

 made and the returns will be published at an early date. 



In the spring of 1910 a beginning was made in the collection of 

 comprehensive statistics of the oyster fishery. This is the greatest 

 single national fishery in the world, and of itself yields a more valu- 

 able product than that derived from the entire fisheries of many 

 important maritime countries. The work is demanded in the in- 

 terests of the trade and for enlightened legislative regulation of the 

 fisheiy. A canvass of the shad fisheries of the South Atlantic States 

 was begun at the same time, and both inquiries were in progress at 

 the close of the year. 



The usual information was collected by the local agents at Boston 

 and Gloucester, Mass., as to the quantity and value of fishery prod- 

 ucts landed at those ports by American fishing vessels during the 

 year. The investigation of the movements of mackerel was con- 

 cluded, and an inquiry was made regarding the condition of the shad 

 and alewife fisheries of Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, and the 

 fisheries of Mississippi. 



The statistics collected by the local agents at Boston and Glouces- 

 ter, Mass., of the extensive vessel fisheries at those ports have been 

 published as monthly bulletins and distributed to the trade in various 

 parts of the country, and also as annual bulletins giving the quantity 

 and value of fishery products landed by American fishing vessels by 

 months and by fishing grounds for the calendar year. The number 

 of trips landed at these ports in 1909 was 6,306, aggregating 173,- 

 1 (L\224 pounds of fish, valued at $-1,616,444. Compared with the 

 previous year the receipts have decreased 8,363,02:5 pounds in 

 quantity and $12,981 in value. There was a decrease in the catch of 

 eusk. hake, and mackerel, but an increase in that of cod. pollock, and 

 halibut. The statistics are given in detail on the following pages. 



