DECLINE OF THE OYSTER FISHERY 



99 



The numbers vary from year to year and sometimes one place drops 

 out of the report or another comes in. This depends upon various 

 conditions, such as the number of fishermen, their success or failure at 

 different places upon trial, their knowledge of former years' results at this 

 or that point, their ideas of testing new regions, whether an area was 

 fished out or not fished at all the previous year, calm or stormy weather, 

 high or low prices, the advantages of other fisheries or occupations at the 

 time. 



The statistics of the catch or of the shipments or of the trade from 

 year to year may not be a true statement of the productiveness but 

 they are the only available means of following up the history of the subject. 

 The following condensed table will exhibit the chief events since 1876: 



For each province the fluctuating yearly output rapidly rose to a 

 maximum and then slowly declined. The maximum was reached by 

 Prince Edward Island in 6 years, by New Brunswiclc in 10 years, and by 

 Nova Scotia in 15 years. Roughly speaking New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia may be considered to have risen to 4 times, Prince Edward Island 

 to 8 times, and then each to have fallen to less than twice its figures for 

 1876. The maximum output of Prince Edward Island was reached in 

 1882, the same year as the maximum (64,646 bbls.) of all three provinces, 

 showing that the island province had control of the oyster trade. In 1900 

 New Brunswick first surpassed Prince Edward Island in shipments and 

 then fell behind again until 1907, since which time she has taken the lead. 

 In the 35 years between 1876 and 1910 Prince Edward Island turned out 

 867,226 bbls.; New Brunswick, 554,594; and Nova Scotia, 67,385. In 

 1871 (the first year for which we have figures) the total output was 39,450 

 bbls. From this there was a decrease to the minimum of 11,716 in 1875, 

 and then an increase to the maximum of 64,646 in 1882, from which time 

 until 1907, through many fluctuations, and notwithstanding the addition 

 of the British Columbia catch, there has been a general decline to 27,299 

 in 1907. In 1908 and 1909 there were rises but in 1910 there was a fall. 

 These can not be properly understood at present, but it is probable that 

 the rises were due to strenuous efforts because of high prices, the fall a re- 

 sult of the succeeding scarcity. 



The price per barrel rose during the period from $3 to $8, and in 1906 

 the total value of the Canadian oyster trade reached its maximum, although 



