﻿THE 
  HERRING 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  THE 
  PASSAMAQUODDY 
  REGION. 
  445 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  tide 
  varies 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  22 
  feet. 
  The 
  entrance 
  for 
  large 
  vessels 
  is 
  

   at 
  the 
  east 
  side, 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  ship-channel 
  lies 
  between 
  Deer 
  and 
  

   Campobello 
  islands. 
  Small 
  vessels 
  frequently 
  enter 
  at 
  West 
  Quoddy 
  

   Head, 
  and, 
  coming 
  through 
  West 
  Quoddy 
  Bay, 
  pass 
  through 
  the 
  Nar- 
  

   rows 
  at 
  Lubec, 
  but 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  not 
  of 
  sufficient 
  depth 
  for 
  large 
  vessels, 
  

   except 
  at 
  high 
  tide. 
  

  

  This 
  bay 
  is 
  su])plied 
  with 
  many 
  varieties 
  of 
  fish 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  New 
  

   England 
  coast, 
  wliile 
  in 
  the 
  rivers 
  tributary 
  to 
  it 
  there 
  are 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  quantities 
  of 
  alewives, 
  salmon, 
  and 
  smelt. 
  It 
  seems, 
  however, 
  to 
  

   be 
  especially 
  adapted 
  for 
  herring, 
  which 
  occur 
  in 
  its 
  waters 
  in 
  greater 
  

   abundance 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  sj)ecies. 
  Its 
  location 
  being 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

   the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy, 
  a 
  habitat 
  of 
  the 
  herring; 
  its 
  natural 
  character- 
  

   istics 
  of 
  bottom, 
  abounding 
  in 
  sea-plants 
  and 
  Crustacea, 
  and 
  its 
  strong 
  

   currents 
  running 
  in 
  various 
  directions 
  among 
  the 
  numerous 
  islands 
  and 
  

   along 
  the 
  irregular 
  shores, 
  make 
  it 
  a 
  favorite 
  feeding-ground 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  most 
  productive 
  lishing-grouuds 
  for 
  this 
  species 
  on 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast. 
  

  

  Growth 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  Jishery. 
  — 
  Brush 
  weirs 
  for 
  the 
  capture 
  

   of 
  herring 
  and 
  other 
  species 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  into 
  

   Passamaquoddy 
  Bay 
  about 
  1820. 
  They 
  gradually 
  increased 
  in 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  with 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  their 
  efficiency 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  for 
  which 
  they 
  

   were 
  adopted 
  and 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  their 
  product. 
  They 
  

   were 
  first 
  set 
  at 
  the 
  west 
  end 
  of 
  Campobello 
  Island 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  

   of 
  North 
  Lubec, 
  but 
  are 
  now 
  distributed 
  all 
  around 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  

   in 
  the 
  tributary 
  bays 
  and 
  rivers, 
  and 
  about 
  the 
  islands 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  

   suitable 
  locality. 
  At 
  first 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  very 
  successful, 
  which 
  was 
  

   probably 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  knowledge 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   as 
  to 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  favorable 
  places 
  for 
  setting 
  them, 
  but 
  in 
  1828 
  

   they 
  were 
  successfully 
  operated 
  and 
  have 
  since 
  practically 
  superseded 
  

   the 
  use 
  of 
  all 
  other 
  aijparatus 
  in 
  the 
  herring 
  fisheries 
  in 
  these 
  waters. 
  

   In 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  rivers 
  they 
  are 
  set 
  for 
  smelt 
  and 
  salmon, 
  but 
  are 
  

   used 
  in 
  other 
  localities 
  almost 
  exclusively 
  for 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  herring. 
  

   A 
  few 
  herring 
  for 
  smoking 
  purposes 
  are 
  still 
  taken 
  with 
  dip 
  nets 
  by 
  

   the 
  light 
  of 
  torches, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  method 
  known 
  as 
  "torching," 
  and 
  at 
  

   times 
  seines 
  have 
  been 
  used 
  to 
  some 
  extent, 
  but 
  the 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  

   herring 
  utilized 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  sardines 
  are 
  now 
  taken 
  in 
  weirs. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  record 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  weirs 
  fished 
  in 
  the 
  bay 
  i)rior 
  to 
  

   1849. 
  The 
  number 
  estimated 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  operated 
  in 
  tliat 
  year, 
  

   exclusive 
  of 
  those 
  at 
  Grand 
  Manan, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  introduced 
  in 
  

   1835, 
  was 
  approximately 
  93. 
  Of 
  these, 
  G5 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  American 
  shore 
  

   and 
  28 
  on 
  the 
  Canadian 
  islands. 
  In 
  1879 
  the 
  number 
  had 
  increased 
  

   to 
  130, 
  of 
  which 
  02 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  American 
  side, 
  and 
  74, 
  including 
  11 
  

   weirs 
  in 
  the 
  Lepreau, 
  Beaver 
  Harbor, 
  and 
  Letite 
  districts, 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  

   Canadian 
  side. 
  In 
  1880 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  territory 
  there 
  were 
  330 
  weirs, 
  88 
  on 
  

   the 
  American 
  and 
  242 
  on 
  the 
  Canadian 
  side. 
  This 
  increase 
  in 
  number 
  

   was 
  chiefly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  enlarged 
  demand 
  for 
  herring 
  for 
  sardines. 
  

  

  The 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  sardine 
  industry 
  caused 
  a 
  marked 
  increase 
  

   in 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  fisheries. 
  The 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  

  

  