The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-09-25
Mackerel and Coddsh.

The Boston Journal says: The movements of
the New England mackerel feet are watched
with deep interest by fish dealers, as the sea-
son is fast drawing to close, and the catch
for this month SO far has been considerable
under that of last year for the same time. The
stock of mackerel is comparatively small, and
we are told that the quantity held in outports
is not near SO large as has been reported At
any rate the visible supply is considered much
smaller than at this time last year. and if there
is not some large catches within week or two
the market will certainly run bare of stock be
fore many months. The feet did very little
the past week. The weather was stormy and
unfavorable, and most of the vessels were fore
ed to seek harbors. Friday dense fog hung
over the coast, and large fleet of vessels were
in Gloucester and Portland waiting for the
weather to clear up. The fish are still reported
plentiful along the coast, but do not show up
long at a time and appear quite wild. Some
parties think that good catch will yet be Sc
cured, while others are afraid that the vessels
will not do much more this season. The total
quantity of mackerel landed by the New Eng
land Feet for the week ending September %,
as reported to the Fish Bureau, was 1909 bar
rels, against 860S barrels the week previous
and IL ,23S barrels the corresponding week last
year. Another advance Of 90 cents barrel
has been established, both on cargo and job
bling lots, but the market is unsettled, as a few
large catches would cause a reaction. Dealers
however, incline to the belief that prices will
be maintained and are anxious to secure all
the cargoes they can at current rates. Sales
during the past two days were at $3.50 for 3s,
81 for Is and $12 to $3.50 for Is. Fares from
pickle sold at $1,000 per 200 pounds, with bar
rel. In iobbing way dealers are getting So
for No. 3, $11 to $11.50 for No. and $14 to SIS
per barrel for No. 1. About fifteen hundred
barrels of mackerel were received from the
Provinces and were quickly sold at an advance
on last weeks prices. Advices from Prince
Edward Island state that the weather was
stormy there and that few mackerel were be-
| ing caught. The. Pro yincial catch is small in
ali directions, and the indications are that the
| supplies from that quarter will be unusually
| small, unless the fishermen have extraordina-
| nv good luck for the remainder of this month.
Goldfish have been arriving more freely at
| outports but with unfavorable weather for
| curing the supply coming on the market
| continues small and not enough to fully meet
| the wants of the trade. Choice dry packing
fish are still very scarce, and exporters cannot
| get enough to fill orders. The high prices OF
| course check business, and it is feared that
| there will be an unfavorable reaction when the
market is more literally stocked. But it is
| satisfaction TO know that the fishermen, who
| in former seasons were very poorly paid for
| their voyages, are getting the benefit OF the
| present high prices, and that when the decline
does come if it comes at all, the loss will fall
| upon those who are able to bear it.