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Part III — Tenth Annual Report 
Legislature will sanction the recommendations of the Fisheries Commis- 
sion this session, which go in the direction of having a close season 
from the 5th of August to the 1st of April, and regulating the traps so that 
all immature lobsters which get into the traps can get a chance to escape 
again from their prison. 
The value of lobsters exported from Newfoundland in the years 
1888-90 has been as follows : — ■ 
1888, . . 3,360,672 lbs., . . $385,077 
1889, . . 3,658,368 „ . . 472,524 
1890, . . 3,328,512 „ . . 520,078 
Fourth in importance comes the herring fishery. This fishery, which 
is yet but little developed, is prosecuted all around the coast of Newfound- 
land and Labrador with nets and seines, but never outside the coast with 
drift-nets, as in Scotland. The quality of the herring is good, and they 
are very plentiful in the bays, so there is no reason why this fishery 
should not equal the Scotch or the Norwegian herring fishery in value, 
if properly developed. A large quantity of herring is used for bait 
purposes by the Newfoundlanders, Americans, Canadians, and French ; 
in fact, Newfoundland is the headquarter for bait-fishes ; without access 
to bait in Newfoundland waters the above-mentioned nations cannot carry 
on their fishery on the great banks of Newfoundland successfully. 
About 70,000 barrels of herrings are salted annually, and about 35,000 
barrels are exported in a frozen condition to Canada and the United States 
every winter. 
Export and value of herring shipped from Newfoundland in the years 
1888-90:— 
Barrels. Value. 
1888, .... 89,225 $253,658 
1889, .... 117,669 244,591 
1890, .... 94,421 241,218 
To the foregoing must be added the export of herring direct from 
Labrador, wdiich in the three years 1888-90 averaged per annum 15,676 
barrels, average value 54,416 dollars. 
Fifth in importance comes the salmon fishery. This fishery has been 
ruined by the people being allowed, until lately, to bar the rivers, thus 
preventing these noble fish getting up to their spawning grounds. There 
are many excellent salmon rivers in Newfoundland, but they are at present 
nearly all ruined. Rivers, which some 30 or 40 years ago yielded from 
500 to 1000 tierces of salmon annually, do not at present give more than 
from 5 to 10 tierces. Trout is abundant in all the lakes and rivers in 
Newfoundland, and good sport . can be had here in trout fishing. There 
is no trouble in getting from 12 to 15 dozen of trout in two or three 
hours' time. 
Export and value of salmon from Newfoundland and Labrador in the 
years 1888-90 have been as follows : — 
1888, . . 4678 tierces salted. 275 cases tinned. 
1889, . . 4089 „ 314 
1890, . . 5561 „ 781 
Export value : — 
1888, $94,530 
1889, 83,356 
1890, 113,620 
