6 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



The fishing grounds of the section include those of 

 the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the Gulf of Maine, southern 

 New England, and the offshore banks that extend from 

 George's Bank on the southwest to Flemish Cap on the 

 east, forming "an almost continuous series of broad, sub- 

 marine elevations, stretching a distance of 1,100 miles, 

 and with a varying width of 50 to 250 miles. * ' Within this 

 area are found cod, hake, haddock, pollock, halibut, cusk, 

 bluefish, salmon, mackerel, herring, lobsters, clams and 

 oysters. The bold fishermen of France, Portugal and Eng- 

 land first came to the rich fishing grounds of this region; 

 here American fisheries began, and still persist after four 

 centuries of fishing from the waters of this part of the 

 North Atlantic. It is a region of historical interest, as 

 well as of economic importance. No part of the banks 

 is without its tragedy, there is no point of land that has not 

 broken strong hulls and compassed the death of fathers 

 and sons. On the other hand, the fishermen of New Eng- 

 land mark every headland by some noteworthy catch of 

 fish and cover their charts with dots and lines that tell 

 of the rich harvest gathered from the sea. 



THE GULF OF SAINT LAWRENCE. 



The Gulf of Saint Lawrence is of great importance 

 and value to the fisheries. It lies between the parallels of 

 45 and 50, is irregular in shape, shallow throughout most 

 of its area and contains only a few good harbors. The 

 bottom is generally rocky and diversified with areas of 

 greater or less extent of sand, gravel and mud. The west- 

 ern coast of Newfoundland and the region between Cape 

 Breton Island, Prince Edward Island and Cape Gaspe 

 are of the most importance. A cod-fishing ground, known 

 as the Cape North Ground, lies off the northern end of 

 Cape Breton. The shore here is high and steep and the 



