The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-08-16

FISH AND FISHING. The result of the re-
cent investigation by the subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs into the
causes of the decline of the mcnhaden and
mackerel catch is that June 10Th is the earliest
time the fishing should begin. As the catch is
outside of State jurisdiction there appears to
be nothing left but for Congress to protect the
fisheries by legislation. Menhaden have not
been seen along the coast of Maine since 1879
until this year, when they have appeared in
small schools. The fishermen attribute their
absence to the general use of purse senes. \
difficulty, it is thought by the subcommittee
will present itself in the manner of enforcing
protective legislation. 1t is suggested fishing
vessels in clearing should not be cleared by col
lector> with purse seincs on board until the
date fixed for lawfully using lhem... The Port
land Press says: The several mackereI canning
establishments Of the city are doing an incrcas-
ed business, the fish. though small, arriving in
large quantities. Roswell Libby 4 Co. are pack
ing an average Of - barrels Il day, employing
nearly 100 hands; Geo. +. Deering \ co. aver
age daily So barrels or more; and Chas. A. DYER
~ Co. 20 barrels or thereabOuts.. The Labr;l-
dor cod fishery i reported partial failure. the
catch being half million quintals short of the
average.....Mr. Geo Shepherd Page, of New
York, who is summering at the Waukeag House
Sullivan, pridrs himself ON having caught at
the mouth Of the Rangeley Lake ii few Years
ago a 12-pound brook trout. the largest in the
world so far as recorded. lie also brought the
first black bass into Maine.....The Boothbay
correspondent Of the Wadoboro News saws :
The Mollie Porter of the firm of = Nickerson
4 Sons arrived in July from the Grand Banks
with over eighteen hundred quintal> of large
cod fish. She caught her trip and made both
passages inside of fifteen weeks. Nickcr>on's
new vessel, the Bertha d. Nickerson, was re-
ported with over two thousand quintals nearly
month ago, but as she fitted for about four
thousand ii will be some time before She ar
rives, even if She has good luck. The catch of
cod fish this season will probably be very large
and as the market is good, those who engaged
III the Bank fishery this year will make Il good
summers work, while on the other hand the
majority of those engaged in mackereling will
hardly pay their bills....The Commercial says
Commissioner Stilwe sent can of black bass
that We're put into the little pond known as the
Pilsbury Pond, in Pamyra......The American
says two fishing vessels belonging to Herrck 4
Byard, of Sedgwick. have arrived from the
blanks" with full fares. Others are reported rs
doing wei....The Rockand Opinion addressed
letters to several of the largest dealers in fish in
eastern Maine as to the business done this year
as compared with last year. The replies midi
cate that this is the worst year for fishermen
ever known. We publish the following extracts
from the letters received
FREMONT, August :. Ny opinion is that
there will not be more than half the quantity
of fish taken on this coast was taken last
season. IIake ana haddock are especially
scarce. From the information | have, Judge
there will not be half the amount of mackere
taken this year as last
NORTH HAVEN. August 6. The catch of
mackerel will not average more than one
fourth that of previous years. This seasons
business thus far, though not failure. is far
from being Il success. However. should the
vessels get good trips, the remainder of the
season, there will be ample time to make Il
good years work. The practice of fishing
South for mackerel III the Spring, is condemn
ed by fishermen here, and should be discontin-
ued. 1t is a great damage TO business, as it de-
stroys the spaWns and puts large quantity of
poor mackerel on the market, which hurts the
sale of good fish caught later.
PORT CLYDE, ST. GEORGE, August 6. From
best information can obtain. and from perso-
nal observation, should say that the catch of
fish, AS compared with that of last year, is one
half. The catch of mackerel in this vicinity is
almost Il failure. The mackerel caught are gem
orally very small and wholly unfit for sailing
purposes.
NINALHAVEN, August 1. The fleet of vessels
engaged in the shore fishery have not landed
one-haf the amount of the fish this year as last,
up to the present time as compared with Il COR
brought only one-third as many. Prices of fish
eral stock only about one-third as much us last
year. There have not been 50 many fish landed
ut this port by 10000 pounds as had been at
this date last year, and not over one-third the
amount of money paid out. Both the catch and
prices have fallen of. The mackerel fleet have
done nothing. More than two-thirds Of the fleet
report that they have not got so much during
this whole season as they sometimes got at one
haul last year. And those that have been caught
are very small.
MATINICUS, August 3. The catch of fish this
year is about two-thirds that Of last year. The
mackcre catch is IL complete failure Sharks
have been very troublesome for the past two
weeks. They destroy the travis. biting off both
ends.
DEER ISLE, August ). Some of the vessels
have got good fares of mackerel. but most of
them have done poorly this season. Dogtish
are very numerous and troublesome. They bite
big holes in the seines, allowing the fish to es-
cape. The mackerel taken are generally small,
but those taken during the past week average