REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [316] 



making more than threes when culled. After that the catch was moder- 

 ate, and I do not think that more than 30,000 barrels of mackerel were 

 taken by the whole fleet. It has been a bad year for mackerel, the mar- 

 ket prices, as a rule, being one-half below the average prices, and great 

 numbers of American vessels were laid up by their owners, for the rea- 

 son that the outlay required for fitting the vessel out for fishing being 

 more than the proceeds of the summer work. — (G. V. Story, commander 

 marine police schooner fl Water Lily," Pictou, November 27, 1871.) 



The mackerel fishery. — The Gloucester Telegraph says that the 

 latest news from the Bay of Saint Lawrence reports a large number of 

 American vessels on the fishing-grounds between Saint Margaret's and 

 East Point, with mackerel scarce at the time. At Rustico mackerel 

 catching was slack, and had been for a fortnight, though the few caught 

 were larger than the earlier school. Mackerel were reported plenty at 

 Port Daniel and East Point. All the fish were east of Rustico, and the 

 Cascumpec boats reported neither codfish nor mackerel west. Sixty sail 

 of vessels were reported at Magdalen Island on the 3d instant, with 

 mackerel scarce, and reports from Bradley's, three days later, represent 

 fish "few and far between." — (Boston Journal, August 26, 1871.) 



1871. — Reappearance of mackerel on the Labrador coast 

 after forty years' absence. 



"Mackerel, which for the last 40 years had disappeared from the waters 

 of the coast of Labrador, returned this season and in as great abundance 

 as formerly. I have seen as many as 400 or 500 barrels caught in one 

 haul of the seine at Bonne Esperance and Meccatina. Several schoon- 

 ers loaded at Seven Islands. Mackerel remained two mouths in the bay 

 during the winter. A much larger quantity than was needed for their 

 own use was caught at several ports along the coast, but prices were 

 very low. There is no doubt that if codfish and mackerel continue to 

 visit the waters of this division in as large numbers as they did this 

 year, the coast of Labrador will assume an importance which may be- 

 come superior to that of the Gaspe division." — (Report of the cruise of 

 the government schooner "La Canadienue," in the River and Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence for the season of 1871, under command of N. Lavoie, 

 esq., fishery officer. Annual report of the department of marine and 

 fisheries for the year ending 30th June, 1871, Appendix O, page 20.) 



1871. — Abundance of mackerel at small polnt, me. 



The Bath (Me.) Times says that on Thursday, Small Point Harbor was 

 thronged with mackerel, the like of which was never known, and count- 

 less thousands of them were caught in seines, nets, and with hook and 

 line. One fishing vessel secured a thousand barrels. Other vessels got 

 several hundred barrels, and the citizens in that vicinity made free 

 with that "school" without consulting the teacher. — (Germantown 

 Telegraph, August 10, 1871.) 



