STATISTICAL REVIEW OF THE COAST FISHERIES. 287 
In 1888, there were engaged in the fisheries of the New England States 
37,2(51 persons, of whom 15,612 were vessel fishermen, 11,298 shore and 
boat fishermen, and 10,351 shoresmen, preparators, and factory hands. 
The capital invested was $20,109,220, divided as follows: Vessels and 
outfits, $6,408,038; boats, $683,776; apparatus of capture, $1,630,532; 
shore property and circulating capital, $11,391,874. The value of the 
products at first hand was $11,074,501, of which amount nearly three- 
fourths represented the general food-fish products, 
The series of special tables for this section, which show in more detail 
(by fisheries and fishiug grounds) the importance of the vessel fisheries 
needs some little explanation. By the arrangement giving the extent of 
the fisheries by fishing grounds each vessel is credited to all the fisheries 
in which it was engaged during any portion of the year, together with 
its tonnage, value, and crew. It is therefore duplicated to that extent. 
No duplication of the catch, however, occurs. The following definitions of 
some of the more important fisheries recognized will add to the clearness 
of the tables. The other fisheries will no doubt be readily understood. 
Shore fishery : Vessels engaging in this branch are mostly small craft 
frequenting waters adjacent to the New England shore and catching 
so-called ground fish, which are sold either fresh or salted. 
Market fishery : Vessels credited to this fishery are of medium or large 
size and take fish on the banks lying to the westward (George’s, Brown’s, 
etc.) or off the New England coast. The catch consists mostly of cod, 
haddock, pollock, and halibut, and is landed in a fresh condition. 
Halibut fishery: Vessels incidentally taking small quantities of hali- 
but in the bank, market, and shore fisheries have not been classed under 
the halibut fishery, which designation has been reserved for vessels 
making special trips for that species and landing the fares in a fresh 
condition or fletched and salted. 
That somewhat isolated branch of the fisheries known as the frozen- 
herring trade, which is engaged in by vessels from Maiue and Massa- 
chusetts, can be best introduced in statistical form in this place. The 
table presents the leading features of the industry as prosecuted by 
American vessels in 1888. The vessels that engage in this trade in 
winter are those which at other seasons follow some other branch of 
fishing. The herring are purchased of the resident fishermen at a price 
agreed upon (which often varies) and sold for bait or food in the Amer- 
ican markets, principally Gloucester, Boston, and New York, at rates 
that fluctuate materially, in some seasons. The stock of a vessel is the 
difference between the buying and selling price. The crews are much 
smaller than are carried when fishing, averaging less than half as many 
men. > 
