DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

124
the vessels have taken have brought extremely high prices such as $25.50 for some
of the last North Bay trips, sold out of the vessel. Such a price per barrel is almost
unheard of previously in the history of the trade. If a vessel has only a few barrela
the money obtained would be considerable, and hence the courage of the fishermen
has been sustained."
The usual complaints are rife, chiefly against lobster traps and seines. Annoyance
from lobster traps can only be experienced in the earliest part of the season,
and should be over about 20th July. As to the outcry against seining, which has
this year been par.icularly loud, there may be something in it. The effect of 250
fast-sailing vessels chasing the fish all day long can well be imagined. Without
going into the doctrine of heredity that continual persecution developes a new instinct
in antinals, even in fish, it would almost seem as if the mackerel of the Gulf are
growing more wary and shy. Little else can be expected where the fish schools,
wherever found, are instantly broken up and the alarmed fish that escape the meshes
make off in wild alarm for miles before they become quiet again. Among these
?fugitives the hook-and-line fishermen have a poor chance. But the evil is not
remediable.
A few years since I strongly urged on our Island fishermen that the time had
come to provide themselves with seines for mackerel, for the reason that it was
impossible to compete with Americans fishing in our waters, unless provided with
'the improved appliances the Americans use. It is equally true, now, as then, that
to compete, with inferior materials, against fishermen so skilful as the Americans,
is to court failure. Our Island fishermen have rapidly provided themselves with
seiries to the extent of 17,885 fathoms, but, judging from this year's result, it has
become a question whether too much dependence has been placed on seining, and
too little reliance on the primitive gear of hook and line. From all parts of the
Province returns show that the hook-and-liners have this year done better, coniparatively,
than the seiners.
COD HAKE AND HADDOCK.
The quantity of dried fish this year is 51,522 cwt. against 34,655 cwt. last
year, an increase of 16,867 cwt.; the figures being cod, 39,06 cwt., and hake 12,400
cwt.; haddock 92,600 pounds, a further increase of 14,300 pounds. The average
quality is reported good.
The fishery shows no features differing from former years, excepting in the
larger quantity taken, and in the circumstance that the codflshers are annually seeking
their supplies farther and farther off shore, which in a manner accounts for the
better size and quality, fish of the deep sea being both larger and better than those
taken in shallower water. The well-equipped and sea worthy boats of Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick, fishing of North Oape district, as also the better class of Island
boats, went off to 20 or 27 fathoms to ply tbe hook and line, which, on our shallow
coast, is a long way off land. Fair success rewarded their enterprise. I would set
down the catch of the boats from the mainland at 15,000 cwt.,—which do not appear
in the Prince Edward Island returns. The number of mainland boats fishing on this
coast is variously estimated at from 160 to 200.
Notwithstanding the large take of cod and hake, (which, after all, are the most
steadily reliable of our fisheries,) a number of cod fishermen were seduced into the
pursuit of' mackerel, judging that as the mackerel were scarce prices would ne ex
ceptionally high. Such has been the case, yet it is doubtful if these mackerel adven—
'turers have dOne as well as if they had stuck to codfishing, although it is true that
one barrel of mackerel has been nominally worth a quarter of a ton of cod.
In average years the codfishing season lasts about 160 working days, not more,
wind and weather permitting. This year fish have been taken, more or fewer, in 18
days, or far into December.
140,000 fathoms of trawis (fixed lines) were set in shallower water around the
coast, baiting 280,000 hooks. Reckoning at the usual rate of 2 pounds of wet fisk