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the vessels have taken have brought extremely high prices such as $25.50 for some<br />
of the last North Bay trips, sold out of the vessel. Such a price per barrel is almost<br />
unheard of previously in the history of the trade. If a vessel has only a few barrela<br />
the money obtained would be considerable, and hence the courage of the fishermen<br />
has been sustained."<br />
The usual complaints are rife, chiefly against lobster traps and seines. Annoyance<br />
from lobster traps can only be experienced in the earliest part of the season,<br />
and should be over about 20th July. As to the outcry against seining, which has<br />
this year been par.icularly loud, there may be something in it. The effect of 250<br />
fast-sailing vessels chasing the fish all day long can well be imagined. Without<br />
going into the doctrine of heredity that continual persecution developes a new instinct<br />
in antinals, even in fish, it would almost seem as if the mackerel of the Gulf are<br />
growing more wary and shy. Little else can be expected where the fish schools,<br />
wherever found, are instantly broken up and the alarmed fish that escape the meshes<br />
make off in wild alarm for miles before they become quiet again. Among these<br />
?fugitives the hook-and-line fishermen have a poor chance. But the evil is not<br />
remediable.<br />
A few years since I strongly urged on our Island fishermen that the time had<br />
come to provide themselves with seines for mackerel, for the reason that it was<br />
impossible to compete with Americans fishing in our waters, unless provided with<br />
'the improved appliances the Americans use. It is equally true, now, as then, that<br />
to compete, with inferior materials, against fishermen so skilful as the Americans,<br />
is to court failure. Our Island fishermen have rapidly provided themselves with<br />
seiries to the extent of 17,885 fathoms, but, judging from this year's result, it has<br />
become a question whether too much dependence has been placed on seining, and<br />
too little reliance on the primitive gear of hook and line. From all parts of the<br />
Province returns show that the hook-and-liners have this year done better, coniparatively,<br />
than the seiners.<br />
COD HAKE AND HADDOCK.<br />
The quantity of dried fish this year is 51,522 cwt. against 34,655 cwt. last<br />
year, an increase of 16,867 cwt.; the figures being cod, 39,06 cwt., and hake 12,400<br />
cwt.; haddock 92,600 pounds, a further increase of 14,300 pounds. The average<br />
quality is reported good.<br />
The fishery shows no features differing from former years, excepting in the<br />
larger quantity taken, and in the circumstance that the codflshers are annually seeking<br />
their supplies farther and farther off shore, which in a manner accounts for the<br />
better size and quality, fish of the deep sea being both larger and better than those<br />
taken in shallower water. The well-equipped and sea worthy boats of Nova Scotia<br />
and New Brunswick, fishing of North Oape district, as also the better class of Island<br />
boats, went off to 20 or 27 fathoms to ply tbe hook and line, which, on our shallow<br />
coast, is a long way off land. Fair success rewarded their enterprise. I would set<br />
down the catch of the boats from the mainland at 15,000 cwt.,—which do not appear<br />
in the Prince Edward Island returns. The number of mainland boats fishing on this<br />
coast is variously estimated at from 160 to 200.<br />
Notwithstanding the large take of cod and hake, (which, after all, are the most<br />
steadily reliable of our fisheries,) a number of cod fishermen were seduced into the<br />
pursuit of' mackerel, judging that as the mackerel were scarce prices would ne ex<br />
ceptionally high. Such has been the case, yet it is doubtful if these mackerel adven—<br />
'turers have dOne as well as if they had stuck to codfishing, although it is true that<br />
one barrel of mackerel has been nominally worth a quarter of a ton of cod.<br />
In average years the codfishing season lasts about 160 working days, not more,<br />
wind and weather permitting. This year fish have been taken, more or fewer, in 18<br />
days, or far into December.<br />
140,000 fathoms of trawis (fixed lines) were set in shallower water around the<br />
coast, baiting 280,000 hooks. Reckoning at the usual rate of 2 pounds of wet fisk