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142<br />
—<br />
1887. 1888.<br />
Increase.<br />
Saguenay County.<br />
Salmon, sa1ted . . BrIa.<br />
do fresh, in ice. Lbs.<br />
724<br />
165,581<br />
851<br />
195,678<br />
127<br />
30,097<br />
The net fishing season was short, in many piaces not lasting more than two<br />
weeks; the weather being rough the capelin kept off shore, there was, therefore, n<br />
inducement for the salmon to remain in the estuaries, and they at once went up the<br />
river<br />
Ȧngling, as a rule, was good during the earlier part of the season as the water<br />
was high and not too clear; towards the middle and end of July the constant dry<br />
weather brought down the rivers and left the water too bright for successful sport.<br />
COD.<br />
Cod fishing began about the middle of June, and 'was frequently interrupted<br />
during the summer season by galesof wind, particularly on the 20th of June and<br />
5th ofJuly, on each of which occasions the Baie de Chaleur was visited by a tornado,<br />
proceeding from west to east, when a number of the boats fishing on the Miscou bank<br />
were upset, and several lives lost These accidents made the fishermen nervous, ani<br />
as a natural consequence, on the least appearance of wind, those at sea made for<br />
shore, and those on shore would not venture out. It is calculated that in this way<br />
fully one-fourth of the fishing season was lost.<br />
I would here again take the occasion of calling attention to the necessity there<br />
is for affording greater shelter to fishermen, particularly along all that part of the<br />
coast from Gaspe Bay to L'Anse a Gascon. At the most central localities shelter<br />
should be provided, under which the boats could harbor in rough weather. As things<br />
are at present all fishing boats have to be beached and hauled ashore at the first appearance<br />
of a storm. To permit of their being thus beached and handled, they have to be<br />
built so slight and small, that they cannot venture out or remain at sea in rough<br />
weather. If it were possible to use larger, and stronger boats, they couU rernmain<br />
at sea, or even proceed to sea in any weather short of a gale. Such vessel&<br />
could also remain on the fishing grounds for a week or more at a time, or until they<br />
had secured a fare, instead of being obliged to go back and forth daily as is now the<br />
custom. All thoughtful and intelligent fishermen believe that the money now dis.<br />
tributed almostindiscriminately as a fishing bounty, would do infinitely more good<br />
to them if it were spent in providing the shelter they now stand so much in need of.<br />
The fall season has also been one of the roughest known, and the fishery made<br />
in September and October has not aniounte1 to half a catch. Cod wore, however,<br />
plentiful, and in moderate weather the boats did well.<br />
On the Labrador the fishery was better than it has been for some years, and as<br />
Mr. Whitely states in his report for the Bonne Esperance subdivision, "coming after<br />
several poor fishing seasons, it has inspired us with renewed ho pe, and next season<br />
operations will be entered upon cheerfully.<br />
LOBSTERS.<br />
The returns show a very considerable decrease, the total catch for 1887 being<br />
857,098 lbs., as compared with 551.287 lbs. for this season, or a decrease of 305,811.<br />
lbs. for 1888. This falling off cannot all be attributed to actual oarcity of fish, but<br />
rather to the late date at which the season opened, the end of May, and to the shortening<br />
of the open season from the 20th of August to the 15th July. A number of<br />
factories were not opened, and the number of fishermen was very much curtailed, aa<br />
many who had formerly engaged in lobster fishing, did not care to risk fitting out<br />
for it again under the shortened period. As a rule, I find the large canners quite
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