DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

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under 13,000 barrels, This is a falling off of fully one-half from last year. The
fishery was a good deal interrupted by gusty weather.
Mackerel are so erratic in their habits, and their movements may be influenced:
by so many unknown causes that no reliance is to be placed on any estimate of where
they may be found at any given time. As far as can be roughly traced, the schools
this year seem to have struck mainly about East Cape, thence running across in midasa
towards North Cape, the other horn of the island; do not seem to have stayed'
much in the bight of the bay. Hence Queen's County, which lies between the twG
points, has only one-half the usual average, King's County about one-half or a little
Under, while Prince County has made three-fourths of an average fisbi ng; the average
of the whole Province being a little more than one-half the catch of last year.
A diary of the fishing season by Islanders shows frequent times of disappointmont
with occasional spurts of good luck. I have no returns of any caught in June,
excepting a few taken towards the end of the month in nets to the eastward of the
island, but none by seining. To 9th July very scarce, owing to prevalent easterly
winds; none seined yet, From about 17th to end of' July, good times; schooling
plentifully and large catches made at Cascumpeque and Malpeque; observed school—
lug 'around Summerside and Charlottetown wharves; at Cavendish, 27th, so far a
total failure; 29th, schooner "Emerald" arnved at Georgetown from Lauching'
Bay with first fare seined, and reported hooks doing nothing. Some of the fish very
fine; '10 culled filled a barrel, at more than one place. Reported that the American
catch for July not half of last year. 7th August, no fish anywhere for past week and
fishermen much discouraged, 8th, a fair catch seined off Charlottetown, 15th
Americans to date very poor—fish still very scarce. in the latter part of
August began to show up better, and, considering the unsettled state of the weather,
prospects were more encouraging. About the middle of the month many observed
off Souris; also, 11th and later, plentiful between Cascumpeque and North Cape;:
20th, for a week past hooks did fairly well, especially around East Cape; no seining.
In the early part of September some'good catches off Tracadie, and fair hooking
generally throughout the month, but weather frequently cold and blustering. By
the end of the month Americans had withdrawn from the upper bay; middle of'
September some 5 sail of Americans arrived at Souris from Gloucester, reported no
mackerel on United States' coast. 26th, some very fair catches made at Nail Pond
and on the west of the Island. In October fish scarce, but with occasional dips in
first half of the month; Americans one after another going home. Towards the ond
of August, United States: cruiser "Osipee" was at Souris and reported two others,
"Boston" and "Yantic," on the way to Canadian waters. A foolish riot among'
some rowdy American fishermen happened at Souris, in which one life was lost.
About 18,000 mackerel taken near North Cape were sent green to Tignish to be
there preserved, and probably do not appear in the returns. At North Cape all were
taken on hand lines, although it is generally a good seining locality. Only one
seine was tried off shore there, but failed to catch and was discontinued early, the
aeiners forming themselves into crews and continuing to fish with hand lines. None
were seined by New London fishermen, all being taken by hook and net, chiefly
kook. There appeared to be fish off shore in about 18 fathoms, but the weather was
so bad that shore boats could venture out on only a few days. From "tinkers"
(small fish) being plenty this fall it is expected there will be good fishing next season.
From several points advices are of the same tenor.
There are no means of ascertaining on shore what quantity of mackerel Amencans
have taken at sea. Scraps of information along coast would indicate that 20
to 250 sail were in the Gulf, and that they took about 30 barrels this year, where Ift.
previous years they took 100. The report of the Boston fishmarket of 1th Novemher,
winds up its account of the year's transactions in mackerel by saying: "The
mackerel fleet of 1888 is now all in but three North Bay vessels belonging tG
Gloucester. Generally the results of the season have been void of profits to the
vessel owners, as well as the fishermen, for the reason that mackerel have been most
?Omarkably scarce. But this has been offset in part by the fact that the few mackei ok