﻿THE 
  HERRING 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  NORTHEAST 
  COAST. 
  405 
  

  

  Fundy. 
  Formerly 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  extraordinarily 
  abundant 
  in 
  that 
  

   region, 
  but 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years 
  ago 
  it 
  entirely 
  disappeared 
  and 
  has 
  

   never 
  returned. 
  During 
  its 
  occurrence 
  it 
  was 
  an 
  important 
  item 
  of 
  

   diet 
  to 
  most 
  if 
  not 
  all 
  the 
  foes 
  of 
  the 
  herring, 
  and, 
  like 
  the 
  latter, 
  it 
  was 
  

   fair 
  game 
  to 
  everything 
  that 
  fed 
  ui)on 
  fish. 
  The 
  attention 
  which 
  was 
  

   then 
  divided 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  is 
  now 
  directed 
  wholly, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  

   largely, 
  to 
  the 
  herring, 
  and 
  its 
  numbers 
  must 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  suffer 
  in 
  

   consequence. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  there 
  must 
  now 
  be 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  

   herring 
  itself 
  a 
  greater 
  food 
  supply, 
  and 
  it 
  would 
  appear 
  that 
  this 
  dis- 
  

   turbance 
  of 
  the 
  faunal 
  balance 
  must 
  be 
  greater 
  and 
  more 
  far-reaching 
  

   in 
  its 
  effects 
  than 
  the 
  pollutions 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  lobster 
  pots 
  or 
  the 
  injudicious 
  

   use 
  of 
  gill 
  nets 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  along 
  the 
  shore. 
  In 
  speaking 
  thus 
  

   I 
  have 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  effect 
  upon 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  herring 
  at 
  

   large 
  as 
  distinguished 
  from 
  a 
  x)urely 
  local 
  effect 
  upon 
  the 
  fishery. 
  The 
  

   latter 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  quickly 
  noticed 
  and 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  more 
  immediate, 
  

   because 
  localized, 
  loss. 
  

  

  The 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  are 
  important 
  factors 
  in 
  governing 
  its 
  

   local 
  distribution. 
  Except 
  when 
  under 
  the 
  overpowering 
  influence 
  

   of 
  the 
  reproductive 
  instinct 
  the 
  herring 
  will 
  always 
  give 
  way 
  before 
  

   its 
  foes 
  if 
  present 
  in 
  large 
  numbers. 
  Individually 
  its 
  only 
  safety 
  lies 
  

   in 
  flight, 
  but 
  its 
  powers 
  in 
  that 
  direction 
  are 
  so 
  inferior 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  some 
  

   of 
  its 
  speedy 
  pursuers 
  that 
  were 
  it 
  not 
  for 
  other 
  factors 
  the 
  species 
  

   would 
  soon 
  perish 
  from 
  the 
  waters. 
  Its 
  ancient 
  lineage, 
  however, 
  

   shows 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  able 
  to 
  maintain 
  itself 
  despite 
  all 
  perils. 
  

  

  SPAWNING, 
  GROWTH, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  spawning 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  upon 
  the 
  west 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  

   two 
  distinct 
  periods 
  may 
  be 
  recognized, 
  one 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  

   summer 
  and 
  fall. 
  The 
  two 
  seasons 
  are 
  separated 
  by 
  intervals 
  during 
  

   which 
  comparatively 
  few 
  ripe 
  fish 
  are 
  found, 
  although 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  

   some 
  herring 
  with 
  mature 
  ova 
  may 
  be 
  caught 
  during 
  almost, 
  if 
  not 
  quite, 
  

   every 
  month 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  No 
  records 
  are 
  at 
  hand 
  which 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  herring 
  spawns 
  upon 
  tlie 
  

   coast 
  of 
  ISTorth 
  America 
  north 
  of 
  ISTewfoundland, 
  but 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  vscarcely 
  

   any 
  doubt 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  so. 
  At 
  Placentia 
  Bay 
  and 
  other 
  localities 
  on 
  the 
  

   coast 
  of 
  iSTewfoundland 
  spawning 
  begins 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  lasts 
  until 
  July. 
  

   In 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  St. 
  Lawrence 
  there 
  are 
  important 
  spawning-grounds 
  

   at 
  various 
  place*, 
  and 
  here 
  also 
  reproduction 
  takes 
  i)lace 
  in 
  si)ring 
  

   only, 
  although 
  the 
  period 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  shorter 
  duration 
  tli;in 
  at 
  

   Newfoundland. 
  

  

  From 
  an 
  early 
  date 
  the 
  herring 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  frequent 
  the 
  

   shores 
  of 
  the 
  Magdalene 
  Islands 
  and 
  Anticosti 
  in 
  immense 
  numbers, 
  

   and 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  the 
  trade 
  in 
  these 
  lish 
  constituted 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  business 
  of 
  Eastport, 
  Me. 
  During 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  April 
  

   and 
  early 
  in 
  May 
  dense 
  schools 
  ajiproach 
  the 
  islands 
  and 
  dei)Osit 
  their 
  

   spawn 
  upon 
  the 
  sands 
  near 
  the 
  shore. 
  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  lasts 
  about 
  

   two 
  or 
  three 
  weeks, 
  according 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  were 
  formerly 
  engaged 
  iu 
  

  

  