20 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Cape has reason to deplore a large loss of life and property especially 

 as the result of winter-fishing on the George's Bank not inaptly termed 

 the "Gloucester grave-yard." 



Proctor's "Fisherman's Memorial and Record Book " gives the names 

 of 1,252 men and 280 vessels lost in the fisheries from the port of Glou- 

 cester between the years 1830 and 1873, or during a period of nearly 

 half a century. It is estimated that ten women and twenty children 

 are annually deprived of husband and father by this service, the actual 

 losses averaging twenty-eight lives and six vessels annually. The 

 total amount of property lost in the period mentioned was $1,145,500. 



For the better illustration of the present article it would be desirable 

 to present a statement of the product and values of the fisheries of 

 the several maritime nations, so as to show the aggregate ; and if relia- 

 ble data w r ere available for this purpose the result would be an amaz- 

 ing one. Unfortunately, the statistics of most nations are so inaccu- 

 rate or incomplete as to render such a comparison entirely impossi- 

 ble. We have, however, in an important report from Mr. Richard D. 

 Cutts, " The Fisheries and Fishermen of the North Pacific, and the 

 Commerce in the Products of the Sea, Washington, 1872," a table of the 

 products of certain portions of the fisheries of fifteen countries in the 

 year 18G5. They are as follows : 



Codfish $20,730,249 



Herring 17,685,408 



Whale oil 0,057,967 



Mackerel 4,689,687 



Sardines 2,600,000 



Cod-liver oil 3,419,896 



Seal oil 757,838 



Pilchards 375,000 



Total 59,606,218 



This, however, is merely a suggestion, and is probably far below the 

 aggregate of that year, aud much less than that at the present time. 



The general facts in regard to these subjects may perhaps be best 

 appreciated by some particular statistics in regard to certain countries, 

 especially Norway, for which I give the figures for 1806. 



Total product of Norwegian fisheries. 



The following statistics of the average product of the Norwegian fish- 

 eries is given by Baars in I860 (Les Peches de la Norwege, p. 58) : 



Winter herring, 600,000 barrels, at 18 francs $2,400,000 



Summer herring, 220,000 barrels, at 20 francs 800, 000 



Salted fish, 22,000,000 kilograms, at 40 francs per 100 kilograms 1, 760, 000 



Dried fish, 12,000,000 kilograms, at 35 francs per 100 kilograms 850, 000 



Pickled fisb , 60,000 barrels, at 20 francs 250, 000 



Cod-liver oil, 60,000 barrels, at 90 francs 1, 080, 000 



Cod roes, 35,000 barrels, at 50 francs 350,000 



Lobsters, 2,000,000, at 6 cents each 120,000 



Fish guano, 350,000 kilograms, at 30 francs 5, 100, 000 



Total - 12,710,000 



