﻿THE 
  HERRING 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  NORTHEAST 
  COAST. 
  407 
  

  

  At 
  Grand 
  Marian 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  close 
  seasou 
  for 
  Lerrino- 
  from 
  June 
  15 
  to 
  

   September 
  15, 
  tbe 
  only 
  instance 
  in 
  North 
  America 
  where 
  this 
  species 
  

   is 
  protected 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  Tbe 
  protected 
  area 
  includes 
  

   all 
  waters 
  within 
  3 
  miles 
  of 
  shore 
  and 
  between 
  an 
  iraaginarj^ 
  line 
  from 
  

   Red 
  Head 
  to 
  Gannet 
  Rock, 
  and 
  another 
  passing 
  due 
  Avest 
  from 
  the 
  

   Southern 
  Cross, 
  a 
  well-known 
  pinnacle 
  rock 
  about 
  one-half 
  mile 
  from 
  

   Southern 
  Head 
  Light. 
  This 
  area 
  covers 
  about 
  30 
  square 
  miles, 
  but 
  

   the 
  spawning-ground 
  overlaps 
  the 
  boundaries 
  on 
  all 
  sides, 
  both 
  along- 
  

   shore 
  and 
  seaward. 
  The 
  bottom 
  consists 
  of 
  rocks, 
  gravel, 
  sand, 
  and 
  

   shells, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  literally 
  covered 
  

   with 
  spawn 
  from 
  close 
  ashore 
  to 
  far 
  out 
  beyond 
  the 
  3-milc 
  limit. 
  

   The 
  schools 
  arrive 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  June 
  and 
  si)awn 
  from 
  that 
  time 
  

   until 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  although 
  the 
  heaviest 
  run 
  is 
  during 
  July, 
  August, 
  

   and 
  early 
  in 
  September. 
  Mr. 
  McLaughlin, 
  the 
  fisheries 
  overseer 
  at 
  

   Grand 
  Mauan, 
  says 
  that 
  until 
  September 
  very 
  few 
  fish 
  are 
  found 
  which 
  

   are 
  neither 
  ripe 
  nor 
  nearly 
  so, 
  but 
  after 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  September 
  

   unripe 
  fish 
  are 
  more 
  common, 
  these 
  perhaps 
  being 
  those 
  which 
  have 
  

   already 
  spawned. 
  

  

  Westward 
  from 
  Grand 
  Manan 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  continuous 
  

   spawning- 
  ground 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  to 
  Wood 
  Island, 
  and 
  beyond 
  that 
  

   place 
  spawning 
  grounds, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  limited 
  in 
  extent, 
  are 
  found 
  at 
  

   intervals 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Block 
  Island. 
  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Machias 
  Bay 
  the 
  

   herring 
  usually 
  appear 
  after 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  remain 
  until 
  late 
  

   in 
  September. 
  In 
  1893 
  they 
  came 
  early 
  in 
  August, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  

   week 
  in 
  September 
  were 
  still 
  spawning 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  around 
  all 
  the 
  

   islands 
  near 
  Cutler 
  and 
  Machias 
  Bay. 
  At 
  Moosabec 
  Reach 
  ( 
  Jonesport) 
  

   in 
  1893 
  the 
  dates 
  were 
  about 
  as 
  at 
  Machias, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  information 
  

   attainable 
  this 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  rule. 
  At 
  Boisbubert, 
  according 
  to 
  

   Capt. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Collins, 
  they 
  spawn 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  

   beginning 
  of 
  August. 
  If 
  the 
  season 
  ends 
  during 
  August 
  at 
  this 
  place 
  

   it 
  is 
  exceptional, 
  as 
  at 
  localities 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  the 
  most 
  active 
  spawning 
  

   occurs 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  September. 
  At 
  Frenchman 
  Bay 
  the 
  net 
  

   herring 
  arrive 
  during 
  June 
  and 
  remain 
  until 
  late 
  in 
  October, 
  but 
  the 
  

   period 
  of 
  active 
  spawning 
  is 
  from 
  August 
  15 
  to 
  October 
  1, 
  although 
  a 
  

   few 
  ripe 
  fish 
  are 
  obtainable 
  at 
  any 
  time 
  during 
  their 
  stay. 
  At 
  Swan 
  

   Island 
  the 
  spawn 
  is 
  cast 
  from 
  August 
  25 
  to 
  October 
  1, 
  and 
  at 
  Isle 
  au 
  

   Haut 
  the 
  season 
  is 
  about 
  the 
  same, 
  although 
  the 
  schools 
  arrive 
  as 
  

   unripe 
  fish 
  about 
  July 
  25. 
  

  

  Until 
  about 
  1880 
  spawning 
  herring 
  were 
  unknown 
  at 
  Matinicus 
  

   Island, 
  but 
  they 
  now 
  come 
  regularly 
  about 
  September 
  1 
  and 
  remain 
  

   for 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  weeks. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  from 
  tliat 
  place 
  formerly 
  

   resorted 
  to 
  Wood 
  Island, 
  but 
  they 
  now 
  have 
  a 
  supply 
  at 
  their 
  doors, 
  

   although 
  some 
  of 
  them, 
  after 
  the 
  heiring 
  leave 
  Matinicus, 
  still 
  go 
  to 
  

   Wood 
  Island 
  to 
  take 
  advantage 
  of 
  tlie 
  later 
  season. 
  No 
  herring 
  are 
  

   known 
  to 
  spawn 
  at 
  Monhegan 
  Island, 
  but 
  upon 
  the 
  opposite 
  shore, 
  

   m 
  Penobscot 
  Bay 
  and 
  in 
  Casco 
  Bay, 
  they 
  ariive 
  in 
  Septend)er 
  and 
  

   remain 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  October, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  i>robable 
  that 
  few 
  are 
  

  

  