THE SOUTHERN SPRING MACKERE.L FISHERY OF THE UNITED STATES. 
By HUGH M. SMITH. 
Tlie southern spring mackerel fishery of the United States is important from sev- 
eral standpoints, and of late has been especially interesting, for well-known reasons 
to be hereafter referred to. While always much less extensive than the regular fishery 
for mackerel carried on during the summer and fall months, it has nevertheless, in 
past years, engaged a large fleet of vessels from various New England portsj has at 
times proved a remunerative industry to large numbers of fishermen and vessel-owners, 
and has yielded an important addition to the food supply of some of the principal coast 
cities of the East and iiuiirectly to an extended area of the country. In 1886-87 this 
fishery was brought prominently into public notice by the agitation of the question of 
its suspension and by the passage by Congress, in February, 1887, of an act prohibit- 
ing the prosecution of the fishery for a period of five years, beginning March 1, 1888. 
The action taken by Congress in this matter must ever remain notable in the annals 
of our national legislative history, in that it was one of the extremely rare instances in 
which the Federal Government has essayed to regulate the fisheries. 
The expiration in 1892, by limitation, of the law enacted by Congress again 
brought this fishery into prominence during the year 1893, and its renewal constituted 
one of the most noteworthy features of the fishery industry during the latter year, and 
reopened a very important subject, having interest for the legislator, the economist, 
the fish-dealer, the fish-protector, the fish-culturist, the commercial fisherman, and the 
general ijublic. 
Still farther interest has recently attached to tlie fishery because of its long- 
continued unsatisfactory condition and the discussion of further restrictive measures 
on the part of the United States and Canada. 
It is the purpose of this jiaper to give a short account of the history and 
importance of this fishery, to show the reasons for its prohibition by Congress, to 
present a summary of its results in the first year of its renewal and in subsequent 
years to 1898, and to consider some of the questions suggested by its suspension 
and renewal. Quotations are freely made from Congressional and other official 
records in order to contribute to a fuller knowledge of the various i^hases of this 
subject. 
EARLY HISTORY OF THE FISHERY. 
Precise information showing the circumstances attending the origin of the spring 
seine fishery for mackerel in southern waters is lacking. Vessels fishing with hook- 
and-line had been accustomed to go south in the spring from a very early period. As 
early as 1817 it is recorded that a Eockport, Mass., vessel of 35 tons burden went as 
far south as Cape May and lauded 00 barrels of fish caught by drailing. 
F. C. B., 1898-13 
193 
