PROBLEMS IN THE FISH BUSINESS 21 



from the express companies, and, if we ship a package which has to 

 be returned, such as you mention, the express companies would make 

 us pay full express rates for taking back the packages. So the cost 

 of doing it that way would be rather against increasing the demand 

 for the sale of fish. We are all interested in increasing the sale, since 

 we have an ample supply and only a limited demand. 



Hon. O. T. Daniels : Like Prof. Prince, I have been very much 

 interested in the paper and, I may further add, that in the province of 

 Nova Scotia, and I suppose also in the province of New Brunswick, 

 we have been very much interested in this legislation in respect to 

 trawlers. I was, therefore, glad to have mention made of their use 

 with reference to curing fish, and I can very readily see that Mr. 

 Byrne's view has been along the line that probably we should get bet- 

 ter fish from the trawler for the purposes of the market than from the 

 method heretofore in use. 



Mr. ByrnB: I would not wish it to be understood from the re- 

 marks I made in connection with trawlers that I was putting forth the 

 view that the fish from trawlers was better fish than what was pro- 

 duced by any other method. I really think the very best fish is what 

 we call the shore fish — that caught by the shore fishermen. They go 

 out early in the morning and come back the same day. These fish 

 are caught on lines; they are put in the boats and, if they are handled 

 carefully, are the best possible fish. The fish caught on trawlers are 

 always more or less bumped about. The trawl is dragged on the bot- 

 tom and very often the fish reach the market with hardly any scales 

 on, showing the rough handling to which they have been subjected. 

 The trawl is hauled up and all the fish dropped out on the deck. All 

 this tends to soften the fish and take away from its good qualities. I 

 would not wish to be quoted as claiming that the trawl fish are better 

 than the boat fish. I do not think they are. What I did claim for the 

 trawlers was a more regular supply, that fishing can be carried on at 

 all times when it would not be possible to carry it on in smaller craft, 

 and that, therefore, the market can depend on a regular supply of fish 

 on certain days or at certain times, and that the trawlers can operate 

 regularly throughout all seasons of the year even when the dog-fish 

 are running, when there is a scarcity of bait and when the weather 

 is stormy. 



Dr. Jones: In connection with the experiment of shipping fish to 

 the Old Country, is that altogether fresh fish? 



Mr. Byrne : The request of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 was for fresh fish, but after making an exhaustive study of the matter. 



