DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

143
pleased with the action of the Department in curtailing the fishing season; there oan
'be no doubt that much good will result from this action, which will lead to the cbs..
ing of many of the smaller establishments, and it was always among these small
canners that I found the disposition to enco.iriige their fishermen to take saiall
lobsters
I am informed that several canneries will be established on the Labrador during
the coming season, these will be TUk by people who are giving up the industry in the
Maritime Provinces. I have no fear of their exhausting the lobsters to the same
extent on the north shore that they have on the south, as owing to the boldness of
*he north coast, and the greater depth of water, I believe that lobster fishing must
be carried on there under so many disadvantages that it will never be profitable.
All those who have tried it so far have, after a couple of seasons, abandoned the
coast.
SEALS.
Seal hunting on the ice in March and April was again a failure, and from ox-
,actlr the same cause as last season, the prevalence of strong easterly winds, packing
the ice so that vessels could not penetrate to the seals until the young were old
enough to take to the water. Skins continue to advance in price, and there has
been lately quite a sharp advance in oil.
HERRING.
Spring herring were abundant all over the Gulf, but were only taken for bait
and manure. The following French vessels called at the Magdalen Islands early in
May, and took cargoes of spring herring to St. Pierre-Micpielon fbr bait:
Brig "80," Captain Dauphine ..• .. 600 bris.
"Madeline," Captain Rue! 500
Schooner ".Albert," Captain Ammonium 300 "
Those vessels bought their herring from the people at from 3C eta. to 40 eta.
per barrel. Sixteen schooners ftom Newfoundland ado called and loaded with
herring, which they seined for themselves. Their cargoes were also taken to St.
Pierre and sold to the French. Several schooners belonging to the Magdalen
Islands also took over to St. Pierre about one thousand barrels, which they sold to
the French fishermen at from $1.75 to $2.00 per barrel. A number of United
States and Nova Scotia schooners also called and procured bait; it is believed that
though these last cleared for the banks' fishing, yet some sold the herring they had
taken to the French. The French vessels had a considerable quantity of liquor on
board and it is reported that a good deal was sold to the inhabitants of the Magdalem
Islands. The masters of the French vessels reported that next season about twenty
or thirty of their vessels from St. Pierre would call at the Magdalen Islands for bait.
It becomes a question, in view of the fact that the French aovernment puts a pro-
1iibitie duty on our fish, whether we should allow their vessels to purchase bait in
our ports free from any export duty. The Newfoundland "Bait Bill" will also be
of very little service if vessels from Newfoundland can evade it by taking bait freely
from our ports to the French fishermen at St. Pierre.
Summer and fall herring were scarce. 1 do not attribute this to any decrease
in the quantity of herring; it was most likely due to the constant occurrence of galea
which kept the schools off shore.
The Esquimaux Point fleet did well in the Straits, and Labrador and
fall herring being scarce, their cargoes sold well in Quebec, the price averaging
about $5.50 per barrel.
Many of 'the vessels from Esquimaux Point were ordered off the west coast of
Newfoundland by the French cruisers, and prevented from fishing along that shore.
It seems rather an anomalous state of affairs, that fishing vessels from Canada,
flying British colors, should be driven out of the inshore waters of a neighboring
l3ritish Province by foreign men.of-war.