The Mackei^el Fishery. 



69 



The American Mackerel Fishery. — The spring mackerel 

 {Scomber vemales^ Mitch.) is the ordinary mackerel of com- 

 merce. The fall mackerel is considered by some naturalists 

 a distinct species, and has been named Scomber grex. The 

 mackerel is not a migratory fish, but draws off into deep 

 water at the approach of winter, and returns to the shallow 

 water near the shores at the beginning of summer, for the 

 purpose of depositing its spawn. The mackerel fishery of 

 Nova Scotia composes one of its largest exports. Besides 

 the catch by the colonial fishermen, about 50,000 barrels 

 more are taken in British waters annually by the Americans, 

 making about 200,000 barrels in all. 



On the North American coast a very extensive trade is 

 carried on in pickled mackerel. Every little creek and 

 day from Cape Sable to Halifax in Nova Scotia occasion- 

 ally overflows with this fish, and they are taken in nets, 

 from 100 to 600 barrels being secured at a single draught. 

 Men, women, and children are then employed night and 

 day in curing them. 1 50,000 barrels of mackerel are often 

 exported from the port of Halifax alone, principally to 

 the United States, valued at ^^300,000. In 1874, 32,000,000 

 pounds weight of mackerel were taken on the Canadian 

 coasts. 



There are about 60,000 tons register of American boats 

 engaged in the mackerel fishery, chiefly from the States 

 of Massachusetts and Maine, and employing 10,000 men. 

 The quantity of mackerel taken by these boats sometimes 

 amounts to 350,000 barrels, valued at ^^500,000. 



When an American vessel reaches a place where the 

 fish are supposed to be plentiful, the master furls all his 

 sails except the mainsail, brings his vessel's bow to the 

 wind, ranges his crew at intervals along one of her sides, 

 and, without a mackerel in sight, attempts to raise a school 



