72 FISHEEIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



Wholesale Fishery Trade of Boston and Chelsea in 1905. 



a The number of firms in Boston engaged in the various branches of the trade was as follows: Fresh 

 fish, 39; salted, smoked, and canned fish, 13; lolisters, 12; oysters, clams, etc., 10; glue, 1; miscellaneous 

 fishery products, 2. In Chelsea 4 firms engaged in the smo'king of fish and 1 in the manufacture of oil. 



Gloucester. — This city is a most important fishery center, its indus- 

 tries consisting principally of the preparation and distribution of 

 salted and smoked fish, and the manufacture of a variety of secondary 

 fishery products, such as oil, glue, isinglass, and fertilizer. 



Thirteen firms either prepared smoked fish or handled the output 

 of other smokers, some having contracts with Boston dealers to fur- 

 nish the latter's suppl}^ The total quantity of fish smoked by these 

 firms in 1905 was 7,468,180 pounds, valued at $517,813. Herring 

 and halibut constituted the greater part of the output, though large 

 quantities of haddock and some pollock and swordfish were included. 



Six firms handled glue, isinglass, or scrap, fish skins, heads, etc., 

 being used in making the glue and scrap and sounds in making the 

 isinglass. The largest glue manufacturing plant in the United States 

 is located here. 



The manufacture of oil from cod livers is an important industry in 

 Gloucester, several thousand barrels being prepared in 1905. One 

 firm is engaged in refining oil. Competition is very brisk among the 

 oil manufacturers to secure the livers brought in by the fishing vessels. 



The fresh fish business of Gloucester has never been very extensive 

 when compared with the salt fish handled, but the enlargement in 

 1906 of one of the important establishments will probably lead to 

 further extension in this line of the trade. 



Two firms in Gloucester are engaged in buying fish eggs, which are 

 salted and exported to France, where they are used as bait in the 

 sardine fishery. 



The total quantity of fish landed at Gloucester in 1905 by American 

 vessels was 103,581,155 pounds, valued at $2,467,529. Of this, 

 68,450,526 pounds, valued at $1,166,632, was landed fresh and the 

 remainder salted. More than three-fifths of the catch of cod, which 

 is the most important fish, is salted on the fishing grounds. This 

 becomes necessary on account of the length of the trips, which some- 

 times extend through several months. The same is true of the New- 

 foundland herring, the fares being landed either salted or frozen. 

 The greater proportion of other species, except mackerel, is salted by 

 the dealers. Pollock leads in the quantity landed fresh, followed 

 hj hake, haddock, cod, cusk, mackerel, halibut, and other species. 



