[9] 



FISHERIES OF FOEEIGN COUNTRIES. 



1191 



increased, notwithstanding the abundance of codfish on the market. 

 The sale produced an excess of $279,523 over the preceding year, 

 although the vessels fitted out were ten less in number. 



The commander of the station of Newfoundland communicated the 

 good results which the English obtained by the use of nets called 

 "traps." 'This apparatus was tried by some of the French fishermen, 

 and the trial proved fully satisfactory. This mode of fishing, independ- 

 ent of drag-nets and lines of all kinds, gave rich returns, with little 

 fatigue to the crews. 



Cod fisheries of Iceland. — This table, as with Newfoundland, shows 

 partial statistics of tlie French cod-fisheries near Iceland. 



Number of men employed . . . 

 Number of vessels employed 



Tonnage of vessels 



Number of pounds caugbt. . . 

 Value 



1880. 



4,556 



209 



24, 729 



37,105,028 



$1, 323, 372 



1881. 



3,436 



202 



19, 652 



21, 378, 381 



$1, 134, 185 



1882. 



26, 488, 792 



The exceptional cold of the winter of 1880-'81, and the presence of 

 icebergs upon the east coast until the end of May, were very prejudicial. 

 Moreover, the continual northeast winds, frequently very violent, ren- 

 dered fishing nearly impossible. To this was added the absence of 

 jelly-fish, the favorite food for the codfish, which were driven farther 

 south on account of the ice. The month of April was especially disas- 

 trous, three schooners being wrecked upon the coast, and two others 

 were lost with their crews. 



Upon the west coast, during the season of 1881, where the icebergs 

 were not frequently met with, the weather was favorable from July 20 

 to August 10. The vessels which remained as usual upon this coast 

 during the twenty days above-mentioned, captured an abundance of fish 

 and made good profits. The fish captured were large and of good quality. 



Algerian coast fisheries.— In the French colony of Algeria the results of 

 the coast fisheries were less favorable in 1882 than in 1881. The follow- 

 ing table gives some comparative statistics: 



Fisbermen 



Boats 



Tonnage .. 

 Value 



1881. 



5,105 



1,173 



3,573 



$834, 881 



1682. 



4,916 



1,044 



3,258 



$784, 149 



Decrease 

 in 1882. 



189 



129 



315 



$50, 732 



This diminished value was chiefly occasioned by the fact that the 

 catch of the choicer kinds of fish was less abundant in 1882 than in 

 1881. This brought about a decreased value of the total catch, although 

 the quantity secured was greater than in the preceding year. 



United States Consulate-General, 



Paris, France, February 21 and December 14, 1883. 



