32 GENERAL EEMARKS. 



In the Labrador fishery, 2,000 small schooners, carrying from 7 to 

 9 men each, as well as Avomen and girls for packing. (There are a 

 few United States schooners engaged in this branch.) 



Thus there are about 98,000 seafaring people in Newfoundland 

 engaged in the cod fishery ; and there must also be about 100,000 men 

 and women employed in drying, curing, packing, etc., which makes 

 a total of some 198,000 people, whose living depends upon the cod, 

 out of a population of about 220,000. 



The principal countries to which cod are exported are the United 

 Kingdom, Portugal, the United States, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, 

 British West Indies, and Holland. 



In 1907 the value of the export of dried codfish from NcAvfoundland 

 amounted to $7,873,172, and that of cod oil to $358,713. 



Bait fishes. — Although the cod fishery is the mainstay of New- 

 foundland, the bait fishes — the spring herring, the caplin, the squid, 

 and even the whelk — without which it could not be carried on, are of 

 primary importance. 



The spring herring appear on the west coast, near and in bay 

 St. George, about the time of the full moon nearest the 10th of May. 

 The autumn herring appear in October in the bay of Islands, and ap- 

 parently remain in that neighborhood until the following June. 

 They reach Fortune bay, on the south coast, in December. Caplin 

 arrive toward the middle, of June and stay only a month. Some 

 authorities say that they arrive when the moon is at its full. Squid 

 arrive late in July or early in August and take the place of caplin as 

 bait. The whelk (periwinkle) is the last of the bait fishes. 



Cod are caught also without bait by means of cod traps, and by 

 jigging. Cod traps, which were introduced some twenty-five years 

 ago, are set along the coasts under certain regulations and are con- 

 sidered to be a successful method of taking fish, but jigging is resorted 

 to only when there is no bait. 



In 1906 a French steam trawler obtained the first great success that 

 has rewarded efforts in this method of fishing off the coast of New- 

 foundland by catching 3,000 quintals (cwt.) of fish on the banks. 

 Since then several steam trawlers have entered the industry. 



Seal fishery. — The seal fishery, which is next in importance and 

 value to the cod fishery, commences on March 12, This is the day 

 named by law for leaving St. Johns, but the law is made to apply only 

 to the steamers, the sailing fleet being allowed to leave on March 1. 

 This fishery is prosecuted in March and April, the sealing fleet seek- 

 ing the seal-bearing ice immediately upon leaving port, and the 

 young seals, born on the ice between the 15th and 20th of February, 

 are, on account of their rapid growth, in the best condition about the 

 16th of March, Avhen they have groAvn to a marketable size, viz, 40 ta 



