34:8 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



THE FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 



J 



There are eight counties on the coast of this State, all of which are 

 interested in the fishing industry. These are Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, 

 Plymouth, Barnstable, Nantucket, Dukes, and Bristol. The fisheries 

 of Essex Count}^ are the most extensive. The number of persons 

 employed in this county was 7,025. There were 4,853 in the vessel 

 fisheries, 740 in the shore or boat fisheries, and 1,432 in the wholesale 

 ti^ade in fishery products and other shore industries connected with the 

 fisheries. The number of vessels fishing was 352, valued at $1,220,420, 

 and their outfits at $655,893; the number of boats was 451, valued at 

 $18,051; the fishing apparatus was valued at $262,403, the shore and 

 accessor}^ property at $1,758,311, and the cash capital at $2,346,000, 

 the total investment being $6,261,078. The products amounted to 

 134,744,667 pounds, having a value of $2,578,806. The extent of the 

 fisheries of this count}^ will be better appreciated when it is stated that 

 they represent practically one-half the fishery interests of the State and 

 are nearh' equal in value to the fisheries of Maine, while they exceed 

 those of either of the other New England States. 



The county next in importance is Suffolk. Its fisheries center at 

 Boston and gave employment to 3,027 persons, of whom 963 were ves- 

 sel fishermen, 129 shore or boat fishermen, and 1,935 shoresmen. The 

 number of vessels fishing was 60, v^alued at $313,300, their outfits 

 having a value of $188,275. There were 99 boats used in the shore 

 fisheries, worth $5,590. The fishing apparatus was valued at $62,372, 

 the shore and accessory propert}" at $3,160,910, and the cash capital at 

 $2,251,750, a total investment of $5,982,197. The quantity of pro- 

 ducts obtained was 27,780,143 pounds, valued at $529,835. 



In addition to considerable quantities of other species, the fisheries 

 of these two counties produced 87 per cent of the quantity and 85 per 

 cent of the value of the fresh and salted cod, cusk, haddock, hake, and 

 pollock; 94 per cent of the quantit}^ and 91 per cent of the value of the 

 halibut; 60 per cent of the quantity and 72 per cent of the value of the 

 mackerel, and 85 per cent ot the quantity and 91 per cent of the value 

 of the herring taken in the fisheries of the entire St'^te. The products 

 in both of these counties are derived mainly from the vessel fisheries. 

 The investment is also exceptionallv large, especiallv in the items of 

 shore property and cash capital, which is due chiefly to the extensive 

 wholesale trade in fishery products at Gloucester and Boston. 



Barnstable Countv had 2,307 persons engaged in the fisheries. Of 

 these 905 were on vessels fishing and transporting, 1,126 in the shore fish- 

 eries, and 276 were shoresmen. The number of vessels employed was 

 157, valued at $186,755; and of boats in the shore fisheries, 929, valued 

 at $61,242. The fishing apparatus was valued at $177,318. Of this 

 amount $132,683 is the value of the apparatus in the shore fisheries, 



