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53<br />
quality. Halibut was a complete failure, so far as this district is concerned, there<br />
being more barrels taken in former years than pounds in recent years. Mr. MoDon<br />
aid claims that trawl fishing is the cause of the scarcity of halibut. It is the opinion<br />
of fishermen in this district that the shore mackerel fishery will be ruinel if purse<br />
seining is continued in Canadian waters. There is a noticeable decrease in the<br />
catch of salmon, which is not to be attributed to scarcity of fish frequenting the<br />
waters of this district, but to the fact that there were only a few fishermen engaged<br />
in this fishery. The number of salmon seen ascending the Mira River to the spawning<br />
grounds this fall was much greater than in previous years, and fishermen are of<br />
the opinion that these fish will yearly increase in number. The lobster fishery shows<br />
no sign of depletion. Although the season was a poor one for packers, it was not<br />
owing to any scarcity of this shell-fish, but to blustering and stormy weather, which<br />
prevented fishermen from visiting theirtraps, which in many cases were broken and<br />
strewn on the shores. Another drawback to this fishery was found in the presence<br />
of drift ice on the coast until t be last of May, the packers being unable to commence<br />
tperations before the first week in June. The severe gale which prevailed on the<br />
last of June caused packers in this district to lose nearly all their traps, and before<br />
they could get them repaired and replace them, the season was almost ended. One<br />
packer estimates his loss at $,400, and others met with similar misfortune. Some<br />
packers say that another summer gale would cause them to close their factories.<br />
Alewives were more plentiful this year than in previous years, particularly in<br />
Mira River. Sea trout did not go up the rivers as numerously as in former years;<br />
cause unknown. Smelts were plentiful, but taken only for local use.<br />
Overseer James P. Burke, of Main a Dieu, reports a falling off in the catch of codfish,<br />
a large decrease in the catch of mackerel, and an increase in the catch of herring.<br />
The decrease in the catch of codfish occurred principally in the districts of<br />
Mira Bay and Scattarie. The falling off in the catch of this fish, is attributed to the<br />
following causes: First-- Capelin did not visit the shores this season, or indeed<br />
during the past four seasons, and fishermen attribute the scarcity of codfish to this<br />
cause. The absence of capelin caused bait to be scarce, particularly at Mira Bay<br />
and Main Dieu. Squid. which is largely used in codfishing, was also scarce towards<br />
•the close of the season, particularly at Scattarie. Another cause of failure in the<br />
codfishery was the unusmilly blustering weather which prevailed, making the season<br />
one of the most unfavorable known to the fishermen for years. The price of codfish,,<br />
however, was good, and fishermen will not feel the failure of the fishery so severely.<br />
Last year there were 550 barrels of mackerel caught in his district, but this year<br />
only 316 barrels were taken, a decrease of 234 barrels which will be severely felt,by<br />
fishermen, the more so as none of those fish were caught in the fall when prices were<br />
good; therby entailing a loss of about $1,000 compared with last season. There is a<br />
strong feeling amongst local fishermen against purse seining, and they attribute the<br />
yearly falling off in the mackerel fishery to this destructive mode of fishing, used<br />
not only by American fishermen but by Nova Scotians as well. Purse seines<br />
frighten and break up the schools, thus diverting the fish from the shore to outside<br />
waters. Cape Breton fishermen are in favor of legislation which will prohibit purse<br />
seining, and limit the fishing to hook and line as formerly. The herring fisheryshows<br />
a slight improvement over last year. In Mira Bay there were 950 barrels<br />
taken against 50 last year. In Main a Dieu there were 1,000 barrels caught and 1,20J<br />
cases sealed in one-pound cans at the factory, against 1,125 last year. At Scattari<br />
the catch of herring was about the same as last year. Halibut in this district also<br />
shows a slight increase over last year, being 22,350 lbs. against 22,078 lbs. in 1887.<br />
About 30 cases of halibut were packed at the lobster factory. There is a decrease in<br />
the catch of lobsters, owing to stormy weather which proved destructive to traps.<br />
At the Main a Dien lobster factory in July and August over 1,200 cases of herring<br />
were packed. The canning of herring is comparatively a new industry in Cape<br />
Breton, and it is found that these canned goods take well in the markets abroad,<br />
realizing $1.50 per dozen cans or $6 per case. This business promises to become a<br />
profitable one. TrawE fishing is extensively carried on at the south side of Scattarie<br />
Island, and is considered by local fishermen to be injurious to the codflshery.