DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

122
fathoms, respectively; 4,384 men have been engaged in the fisheries afloat and
ashore. Last year the number was 4,059.
An estimate of the capital employed in the Prince Edward Island fisheries may
be' thus made: In sea fishing, $216,750; lobster fishery, $152,629; oyster fishery,
$10,000; total, $3T9,379.
The Prince Edward Island fisheries for the year 1888, may be briefly summarised
thus: Mackerel, one-half less; herring, one-sixth less; cod and hake, onethird
more; haddock, one-fifth more; lobsters, one-fourth less; eels, double; other
fish, one-fourth more; fish products about the same as compared with last year.
Details are given under the respective headings.
BERRINO.
This fishery is entirely subsidiary to the mackerel, cod and lobster fisheries,
almost th'3 whole catch being used for bait, but a small proportion being put on the
food market. In addition to those caught at home quantities for bait are imported,
chiefly from the Magdalen Islands.
56,000 fathoms of nets—not a large stretch for our long coast line—were set.
Salt is an expensive article not to be wasted on herring, but kept in reserve for'
mackerel. Consequently the actual herring food-fishery is limited to a few barrels
for home supply and the payment of store bills, the remainder being sold to lobster
and other fishermen for bait. This year of the 32,883 barrels taken only about 7,000
barrels were put up as food.
None are smoked, and there is no material for preparation as sardines.
Shoals of herring appear as soon as the ice breaks up, say from 20th April to
iit May, or when the temperature of the water is about 4S° Fahrenheit (at a few
degrees higher lobsters likewise approach the coast). Striking the shore irregularly
herring remain on the whole seaboard for six weeks, or until the middle of June,
when mackerel come in when the temperature is 60°. Large quantities of herring
are frequently found mixed with mackerel schools in summer. In fall, herring shoals
of a much superior quality again strike our coast.
In previous reports I have drawn attention to the prospects of a profitable fall
herring fishery that exist around three sides of this island, were fishermen enteryrieing
enough to take the matter up. Good. fat herring were seen along the coast
ihis year in July. To do any good with a fall fishery it ought to commence as early
as August or beginning' of September, but at that time mackerel fishing is in full
force, and fishermen hesitate to leave a known business for an unknown one. It
requires only an outfit of fixed nets of 2k-inch mesh instead of the spring size of 2
inches. These nets would fish by themselves when set, and herring catching need
zot interfere with the mackerel fishery, unless drift nets were used, which would
require more time to attend to. In every fall of the past ten years the fishery
wardens have reported good herring on the coast. This is an industry su re to be
leveloped in the future, especially in poor mackerel years. For these reasons, in
reply to recent enquiry by the Fishery Commissioners for Scotland as to the chance
of purchase of Scotch pickled herrings in Prince Edward Island, I felt justified in
answering to the effect that this Province has the raw material for a herri!ig fishery
of her own, even to the extent of considerable export.
Were an export herring fishery established it would be wholly a Canadian in-
3ustry, with no fear of competition from the United States.
Later.—3ince the above was written, considerable quantities of good fall herring
have been taken, until the middle of December, on the coast of King's County, and
aome have been sent fresh to Boston.
MACKEAEL.
Although so few were taken there was no lack of fish on the coast. Er- -
qting in he early part of the season they do not seem to have schooled freely,.
and later they were exceeding wild and unwilling to bite. Including the few canned
arid others that were transported along shore, the catch may be set down as sligntly-