THE 



\JHIVERSIT? 



EIT-I. 

 THE HALIBUT FISHERIES. 



1. THE FRESH-HALIBUT FISHERY. 



BY G. BEOWN GOODE AND J. W. COLLINS. 

 1. GENERAL EEVIEW. 



In tbe year 1879 tbere were forty vessels, of 3,108 tons, from Gloucester, Mass., employed 

 exclusively in the fresh -halibut fishery. Vessels hailing from New London and the eastern end of 

 Long Island were also employed, except during the winter months, in the capture of halibut, 

 which they carried to New York; these vessels, however, take a considerable quantity of codfish. 

 In addition to the Gloucester vessels already mentioned, which fish for halibut throughout the year, 

 there were eight vessels, of 647 tons, which fished for halibut in the winter season and engaged 

 in other fisheries, generally the cod fishery, from May to November.* 



The vessels of the George's fleet, though their chief object is the capture of cod, catch consid- 

 erable quantities of halibut, which are brought to Gloucester fresh; a few also are sometimes 

 taken by the Western Bank cod fleet, and a still smaller quantity by the Boston Market fleet. In 

 1879, and probably in 1880, there were a few small vessels on the coast of Maine which engaged 

 in the fresh-halibut fishery for three or four months in the summer, carrying their fish chiefly to 

 Portland. The total catch of halibut on the New England coast for 1879 was estimated at 14,037,000 

 pounds, distributed as follows : 



Pounds. 



. Gloucester halibut fleet 8,300,000 



Gloucester vessels fishing in winter only : 1,000,000 



New York halibut catchers '. 3,000,000 



Gloucester, George's fleet (incidental) 2,000,000 



Western Bank cod vessels (incidental) 37,000 



Small vessels on the coast of Maine and Massachusetts 300, 000 



Total 14,037,000 



In this chapter it is proposed to discuss in detail only the operations of the schooners engaged 

 exclusively in the capture of halibut. 



* Since 1879, at which time the fresh-halibut fishery was at its greatest activity, there has been a very marked 

 decline in the quantity of fish taken if not in the number of vessels employed. The product of this fishery has sel- 

 ilom been larger than it was in the above-named year, but since that time halibut have gradually become scarcer 

 on all of the old and well known grounds, until now a " big trip '' of 70,000 or 80,000 pounds of fish is seldom made, 

 and 40,000 to 45,000 pounds of hal ibut constitute a " good fare." In I'i'io, at the time this paper is being printed, the 

 fresh-liaiibut fleet dors not probably include more than 40 vessels, and tho total catch is estimated not to exceed 

 5,000,000 pounds ; for tho first three months of tho year the Bank fleet lauded only 612,000 pounds. 



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