The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-02
FERTILITY OF THE OCEAN.
WHERE MILLIONS or FISH hRE
CAUGHT AND MILLIONS WASTED.
Interesting Data about Codf.h aud Mackerei
steady Increase Of the Bu-iuess- II abits
Of the Fish--A Reckless Policy.

-StendY increase oil thc husnesa-hubhH
Of the fish-A Reckless Policy.
irou ne BaVas cmsen
Everybody knows. OF course. that The
fishing business y one of the most I'm portant In
dustrtes OF the Dominion, but we question
whether beyond this there u any u, finite idea
OF what a bountiful mother the sea Is TO us, OF
how grateful we have reason to he for the susie
nance that we draw from her swelling oos)m.
is7s ~ our own asherrnon was eli, 7pi.s76, and
tots does not include the ash taken In the wateis
of British Columbia, Manitooa, or the North
west. IL we add 10 this SIX or eight millions OF
dollars more, the estimated value OF the catch
made bv American fishermen during the season,
we have a total Yield for the year Of something
over eighteen millions of dollars. 1t must be
remembered that this u the Yield for 1873, the
latest period given by the figures IN our posses-
sion. IL the business has continued to grow
since that date at the rate at which II had In
creased during the several preoeding years, II
must now be worth a million OF dollars or SO
more, at the most IN Moderate computation. The
money carried on by the Americana cannot be
considered az altogether lost Ia us, because their
vessels are lsrselv manned 10y men from the
provinces who receive good share of the
spoils.
In the figures given above, the Yields from all
the branches OF the fisheries are included, but
taking the several branches In detail we mud
that Tor vslue precedence must DC e. swarded TO
the lists against the GOD IL the m ckerel, winch
contributes for Nova Scotia tlill,61630, against
f233l 1850 10, which must be placed to the credit
Of the cod. The ood Is az far ahead OF the
Dacksrel as that Ssh is Of all others The God
II
found IN some abundance on the Cape Of Good
Hope, where he mobiles freely at the halted
hooks dropped over the side for bin by the
sailors becamed on their way home from the
East indies. He probably exists In Australian
waters; but his onief homes are the Banks, the
Cape Breton shore, and some portions Of the
Bay Of Fundy. lie Ia not particular about the
bottom. His chief oare Is TO allay the cravings
oommodate itself to anything that turns up
without much Discrimination. He lies close to
the bottom. usually awaiting bis prey, his dark
- aftaar all.
the surrounding rocks, and darts with the rapid
lily OF fash upon any OF the smaller fry tina,
herring and similar food are scarce. he searches
among the gravel for crabs, clains, and other
shell hsh which, we should think especially n
swallowed SHELLS and all, must DO very satisfy
ing" II an inquiry 10 Instituted, we would not
be SURPRISED to learn that our modern luxury OF
oysters on the half shell was anticipated by
some sasacious old cod nsb hundred years ago.
The writer gives some facts from his own ex-
ana showing the small amour, OF regard which
he has for hrs digestion. Last summer he
hooked a cod onIGeorge's Banks VI about ninety
pounds weight, In whose poke were twenty
seven full-srown behring's. To hnd from eight
to twelve herriDgs In this receptacle Is quite an
He then refers to the reckless destruction OF
nsh by vessels from the United states aud from
fertility Of the sea Is amazing; we speak OF our
fisheries with some reason as nexhaustible, but
the insane aud reckless policy which Is now pur-
sued at certain seasons OF the year should make
us pause and consider the conseuuen les. The
spawning season for the cod varies with the
locality. as with other fishes. II ranges between
January aud May. On the Georges BanSs the
fish appear for the purpose OF spawning In Feb
ruary aud MARCH. Another school spawns
on the Cape Breton shore Ia April. Other
spawning grounds receive an immense deposit
10 March. IL surely requires no argument to
exempt from all moiestation. and that con-
trary course must inevitably ruin the fisheries
The golden egg. The nsa are ' being destroyed.
while they are given no chance to replsnish the
supply.
Gloucester feet, consisting Of something like
hundred schooners,are re ady to sail Tor Georges.
They run out for tre Banks With the first fair
wind and await the advent OF the devoted hsh.
These sure TO appear sooner or later literally
tSem ON, and n the work of slaughter commencos.
They are hungry, as they are sure TO be In win
ter. and take the bait ravenously. They are poor
and meagre and comparatively unnt for food, as
all nsh are at such times, but where greedy
spirit OF gain instigates the fishermen. bind
ness to results makes them re klsss OF the con-
sequences, this Is small consideration. Eight
million pounds Of Goldfish were taken In Glou-
oester alone last year, and the three winter trips
during the spawning period involved ne des-
truction OF 300 tons OF spawn. The eject Of
such n course as this, when repeated a few
times, will be the inevitable destruction of the
fisheries, and IL will surely recol upon the heads
OF the people who are guilty OF H.; some OF the
effects are said to be visible already.
When the winter trips were not prosecuted
and the hsh had leave To spawn undisturbed
the summer tshine on Georges Banks was al
attained their matt rity, and supplied the places
OF the older ones, and this might nave gone on
for ages without any danger OF deterioration.
With the commencement OF the winter trips
there was marked falling on, and OF late years
nsh have been growing scarcer aud scarcer.
The cause of the popularity Of winter fishing 10
the fact that at that season OF the year tue hsh
are to be found In particular places and the
sells can be much more quickly nled up. The
wanton destruction which IL now carried at
Georges Banks will probably be carried into
other fishing grounds soon aa tue supply
there Is exhausted. In these fishing grounds
there Ia untold wealth. The millions of dollars
which they have yielded within the last few
years are the best evidence Of their value. With
prudence and ordinary care they may DO banded
down to future generations, a. rich and produc-
tive, or more so than they are now: but 1t 10
manifest that, rich "a they are. they cannot
stand the ruinous exhaustion now being carried
on. We will not follow the writer into the dis
cussion OF other branches OF his subject, In all
Of which he Il at home. but we cannot refrain
from expressing the hope that his suggestions
may be taken up In the proper quarters, ard
dealt with IN such a manner as to preserve the
valuable fishery now being ruined by greedy
and short-sgnted policy. The fisheries OF the
Dominion are far too valuable an interest to be
trfed with. and when IL Is made III anifest that
they are threatened with a danger which will
seriously affect their future prosperity, vigorous
and effective preventive measures arc necessary,
and should DO supplied.