226 P FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
Martin, five dories were thus employed from Salisbury, each 
having three nets. 
The gill-net fishery has not been exempt from loss of gear; 
though, perhaps, this loss is much less than it would be if trawls 
only were used. Ina gale that occurred January 4th, 1884, con- 
siderable property was destroyed or injured. Captain Martin 
reports that thirty-five nets were lost and many others badly 
damaged. “No fish,” he says, “were caught for four days after 
the storm.” Curiously enough, the fishermen say that they never 
get many fish just previous to a heavy storm, and the netters 
have learned by experience that a sudden falling off in the 
catch is generally an indication of the near approach of bad 
weather. Another feature of the net fishing is that, in addition 
to various species of the Gadide which have been taken, por- 
poises (locally called ‘‘ puffers”’), monk-fish or fishing frogs, and 
dogfish (Sgualus) have been caught, though, fortunately, the lat- 
ter, which are considered especially obnoxious by net fishermen, 
are not on the coast during the coldest weather. 
In addition to the instances already given of catches made 
last winter, the following have been recorded, For the week 
ending December goth, 1883 there were landcd at Gloucester 
590,000 pounds of netted fish, while 84,000 pounds were market- 
ed at the two ports of Rockport and Portsmouth, the week’s 
catch amounting to the total of 674,000 pounds. The following 
week Gloucester received 430,000 pounds, Rockport and Ports- 
mouth a total of 81,000, and Swampscott 48,000, making a total 
of 559,000 pounds. This large amount was taken, too, when the 
weather was so unfavorable that nothing could be done for three 
nights and days of the week. For the week ending March 23rd; 
1884, 530,000 pounds of cod that had been caught in gill-nets 
were landed. For the week ending March 3oth, 1884, 18 vessels 
landed 483,000 pounds. The following statement of the total 
amount of fish captured by the use of gill-nets during the past 
winter, has been compiled for me by Mr. C. W. Smiley from the 
notes of Captain Martin, who has made it a special object to col- 
lect all possible statistics and information, relative to this im- 
portant branch of the fisheries. 
