DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

221
Their plant consisted of the following:
Value.
2 steam tugs, 15 men . $9,000
1 barge 2 do . 2,000
8 boats 40 do 1,350
230 gill nets, 17,500 fathoms ... 2,450
10 ice houses and freezers . 12,000
Total value of plant $26,800
Wright and Roberts report their catch as follows :
Lbs.
Salt whitefish, 312k barrels. 62,500
Fresh trout 10,000
Total 72,500
Their plant and men are given
2 boats, 4 men $600
20 gill nets, 1,166 fathoms 200
Total value of plant $800
There is a large number of other traders, but they operate on a smaller scale
than the above finns. Upwards of one thousand persons, directly or indirectly,
have found employment in connection with the fisheries.
EXPORT OP P1811.
Through the courtesy of Lieut. Col. T. Scott, collector of customs at the port of
Winnipeg, I am enabled to submit the following statement of exports of fish for the
year ending s1st December, 1888.
1887. 1888.
Whitefish, (fresh) Lbs. 841,480 1,249,109
do (salt) . do 314,500 223,600
Pike or jackfish do 261,089 430,204
Pickerel or doré do 149,582 142,325
Tullibee... .... . do 18,736 10,454
Perch .... do 1,487 4,545
Catfish do none 525
Gold eye do 3,621 none.
Sturgeon do none 2,316
Suckers do 164 none.
Salmon Trout do 4,798 29
1,595,457 2,063,107
This statement shows an increase in the export of fish to the United States of
467,650 lbs., over that of last year. While there has been an increase in the sale of
whitefish, an interesting feature to note is, the large increase this year in the export
of pike, the natural enemy of the whitefish.
The export for 1887, was entered at the Custom House at a value of 3f5,441,
that for 1888, at $86,944. The exporters of fish during the past year were, 0. W.
Gauthier & Co., Wm. Robinson & Co., James Flannigan, A U. Jackson, Hugh Arm.
atrong, Blackwood Bros., Dominion Express Co., J. H. Davis, Smalley & Chantler,
Reid & Co., and a number of other smaller dealers.