﻿6 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  the 
  worst 
  in 
  some 
  respects 
  for 
  shad 
  and 
  alewives 
  in 
  40 
  years. 
  The 
  

   season 
  of 
  1914 
  was 
  even 
  worse, 
  and 
  a 
  general 
  failure 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  

   in 
  both 
  salt 
  and 
  fresh 
  water 
  was 
  recorded. 
  This 
  failure 
  depended 
  

   solely 
  on 
  the 
  scarcity 
  of 
  fish. 
  The 
  only 
  measure 
  of 
  relief 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  

   afforded 
  to 
  the 
  sadly 
  harassed 
  schools 
  of 
  spawning 
  fish 
  has 
  come 
  from 
  

   the 
  exercise 
  by 
  the 
  Federal 
  Government 
  of 
  arbitrary 
  authority 
  over 
  

   the 
  waters 
  for 
  purposes 
  of 
  navigation, 
  which 
  has 
  insured 
  the 
  opening 
  

   of 
  narrow 
  lanes 
  through 
  the 
  mazes 
  of 
  fixed 
  nets 
  that 
  fringe 
  the 
  shores 
  

   and 
  block 
  the 
  streams. 
  

  

  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  VESSEL 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  extensive 
  and 
  valuable 
  sea 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  are 
  

   those 
  centering 
  at 
  Boston 
  and 
  Gloucester, 
  Mass., 
  where, 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  

   term 
  of 
  years, 
  detailed 
  statistical 
  and 
  other 
  data 
  have 
  been 
  collected 
  

   by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  through 
  local 
  agents. 
  The 
  statistics 
  are 
  published 
  

   monthly 
  and 
  annually 
  in 
  one-sheet 
  bulletins 
  which 
  are 
  issued 
  to 
  the 
  

   trade. 
  The 
  extent 
  of 
  these 
  fisheries 
  in 
  the 
  calendar 
  year 
  1913 
  is 
  

   shown 
  by 
  months 
  and 
  by 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  in 
  the 
  tables 
  which 
  follow. 
  

  

  Taken 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  vessel 
  fisheries 
  were 
  less 
  suc- 
  

   cessful 
  in 
  1913 
  than 
  in 
  1912. 
  The 
  catch 
  of 
  cod, 
  cusk, 
  haddock, 
  and 
  

   hake 
  decreased, 
  while 
  poUock, 
  halibut, 
  mackerel, 
  and 
  swordfish 
  were 
  

   caught 
  in 
  larger 
  quantities. 
  More 
  fares 
  of 
  fish 
  were 
  landed 
  and 
  the 
  

   value 
  of 
  the 
  product 
  was 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  1912. 
  

  

  The 
  fleet 
  numbered 
  approximately 
  250 
  sailing 
  vessels 
  and 
  175 
  

   steam 
  and 
  gasoUne 
  screw 
  vessels. 
  Vessels 
  landing 
  their 
  catches 
  at 
  

   Boston 
  made 
  3,582 
  trips, 
  aggregating 
  92,351,594 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  

   $2,988,552; 
  vessels 
  making 
  Gloucester 
  their 
  headquarters 
  brought 
  in 
  

   5,247 
  trips, 
  aggregating 
  69,865,192 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $1,994,465. 
  

   The 
  combined 
  fleets 
  landed 
  8,829 
  fares, 
  comprising 
  162,216,786 
  

   pounds 
  and 
  having 
  a 
  first 
  value 
  of 
  $4,983,017. 
  Compared 
  with 
  1912, 
  

   there 
  were 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  1,180 
  trips, 
  a 
  decrease 
  of 
  20,487,273 
  pounds, 
  

   and 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  $203,758. 
  Practically 
  all 
  receipts 
  at 
  Boston 
  are 
  

   fresh, 
  while 
  at 
  Gloucester 
  about 
  three-sevenths 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  are 
  

   salted. 
  The 
  herring 
  fishery 
  on 
  the 
  treaty 
  shores 
  of 
  Newfoundland 
  

   showed 
  a 
  marked 
  decline 
  in 
  both 
  frozen 
  and 
  salt 
  fish. 
  

  

  