©ILFIN ON THE HALIBUT. 25 



that the bultow or set lines are destroying the fisheries. Bultovr 

 fishing only means that more fish are talien in a given time than 

 by hand fishing. That in the inshore fishing, individuals do less 

 than formerly, and also find more difiiculty in obtaining bait, I 

 believe to be true, simply because more men and boats and nets 

 are employed, and thus the fisheries are divided. A narrow 

 coast line becomes overfished, and bait become scarce in a limited 

 range ; but this ceases to be true on the limitless range of ocean 

 banks. The returns of imported fish show a steady increase 

 annually. Yet every individual shore fisherman will tell you, 

 and doubtless sincerely, that it is decreasing, thinking only of 

 his own small catch. 



That fifty sail of American fishermen are at one time in some 

 of our oat-harbours purchasing bait ; that many of them carry 

 ice boxes, for preserving bait, to sea with them, are both signi- 

 ficant facts of the scarcity of bait, and of what our coast fisheries 

 must soon come to. With the exports of fresh fish, the fresh 

 fish consumed at Halifax and in the Province, and the fish oils, 

 we may put the annual value at about $4,000,000. This is 

 large for a Province not eiuimerating 400,000 people. We may 

 also state, that, as regards cod fishing, more than three-fourths 

 of its value arises from coast fishing. That is, each individual 

 hardy yeoman of the sea keeps his own rock hung cot, his boats, 

 his net, and makes his own pile of fish, bringing it himself to 

 market. The produce of this fishing is called shore caught, and 

 commands a higher price than the Labrador catch, on account 

 of the fish being brought to shore and cured immediately. The 

 Labrador catch being pickled on board, and cured on the return 

 of the voyage. It is manifest that it is in the interest of this 

 class of fishermen, that legislation, if at all, should be obtained, 

 that ice houses to preserve bait should be encouraged, perhaps 

 by small grants, and perhaps some prohibitory laws, against 

 exporting fish bait, though it must be confessed that all pro- 

 hibitory legislation is of doubtful benefit, and when not founded 

 on exact knowledge of facts often acts injuriously. That there 

 is a growing deficiency of bait, and hence of fish following that 

 bait to the shore, I think, must be admitted, though much 

 exaggerated by the fishermen themselves. If this can be 



