Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-25
The Fisheries.
How MAINE CREWS HAVE JARED THE PAs1
SEASON.
Portland Press

CORTLAND Press
This is about the time of year when fish
ermen begin to get ready tor winter fishing,
and reckon up how they have come out dur
ing the season of cod, mackerel and halibut
fishing. From the statements made by a
number of fish dealers and owners of fishing
vessels to a reporter, yesterday, the past
season is learned to have been marked for irs
abundance of cod and scarcity of mackerel.
The cod fishermen have returned from the
Banks deep laden, and gone back again to find
the fish still abundant Ordinarily two trips
a season to the Banks for cod is considered
as many NAV be expected. This year,
however, the fishermen have in = number IF
cases made three and even four trips, return
ing with full fares, One schooner owned by
Mr. Trgfethen, the fish dealer on House Is
land. after returning from three trips with
900 quintals of fish each time went fourth
time and got 600 quintals. The amount
m ght have sen brought up to that OF the
previous fares had the schooner been fitted
tor tull each. The abundance of cod has
had \ tendency to ke' prices down ana profits
have been small. both TO owners and crews, in
C nsequeuce,
member # prominent fishing firm in
this CRY sat. d yesterday that the season just
closing has been the hardest for mackerl ii ali
ermen siuce 1910 Maine has about SOC
fishing vessels. and OF this number 100 81
over are mackercl fishermen. The crews of
these schooners average about 10 men, IN.
C uiinQ the captain and cook, the latter besides
Receiving a certain share in the catch being
generally paid S25 or $50 month by the
crew. The number of men in the State who
ei z g" on the vessels in the mackerel fishery
is then about 1900. and this year few of that
number @ill have mu.h money as their share
OF tn seasons fishing when their vessels are
hauled up or put at some other work
In Portland aud the immediate vicinity
there are about 100 men who 20 on the mack
erPl sch0oners, the greater part of the crews
OF the 80 vessels il the business owned here
coming from Bnothbay. Deer Isle and other
points III the eastern part Of the State. Manv
crews during the season have not paid ex-
penses and one Portland schooner returned
with only enc barrel of thinkers, as the small err
mackerrl are termed, As the result of one of
her trips.
The Margaret s. Smith, owned by A. NJ.
Saith, Is the schooner which is the high-liner
for the year among the mackerel caicbers.
The higA-.iner is the vessel which catches the
most fish during the season, and the Margaret
Smith has carried off the honors for Main
this year, with . catch of 700 barrels of salt
mackerel and 200 barrels of fresh. The
schooner is OF ITO tons, and carries a crew of
| men, under the command of Captain Lin
coin w. Jewett
Up to October 2lst, the total amount OF
mackerel landed in American ports by the
fishermen was $4,000 barrels against 3l0, 900
for the same time last year. and 404 900 for
1884. The Portland catch will be about 10, :
600 or II 900 barrels, to from sc. 900 to &C. :.
900 last year and l55, 900 the year previous.
Prices for mackerel were low at the first of
the season, owing to large amount held over
from last year. As this was used up, how
ever, prices rose and the small amounts
caught during the latter part of the season
have commanded good prices Next year the
season will open with an empty market and
the owners and crews expect better and
prosperous season.
The scarcity of mackerel is accounted TO,
by several theories. Many of the fish pack.
ers attribute the lack of fish, to the practice
of early south fishing. Mackerel fishing of
the Maine coast begins about the middle OF
June, but by the first of March the fish are
encountered off the coast of the Southern anC
Middle States, and are sought after there by
msckerel fishers. This is the spaw ming time
of the fish and it is claimed that the schools
are liable to be broken up by the fishermen
bill making a close time for mackerel dur
ing the spaw ming season was prepared las
year and it is expected that it will pass Con.
gress this winter, so that next spring there
will be no early south fishing with its ten
dency to hurt the prospects of the fishermen
later in the season.
Another reason given for the absence o.
the mackerel is that the small berry or seed
on which they feed had not been found dur.
ing the year and neither has the small FIST
called flank" been seen in great number
The mackerel when they have this small fsl
to feed upon are gener Ally fat and abundan
aud also abound when they csa find the seed
which is small, red substance, floating il
the water in the regions where the msckerel
school.
Portland vessels engaged in the halibu
fishery have met with the best success of any
of the fishermen, having had a good catcl
and securing good prices. The fresh fisher.
men have also met with good luck.
In speaking of the statements which have
recently been made that the New England
fishing vessels are largely manned by Novs
Scotians, Portland vessel owner said thai
as far as Maine is concerned, only very
small portion of her 5000 fishermen, are citi
zens OF Nova Scotia. Many of them, it i.
true, are natives of the provinces but they
have moved into this country and taken VI
their residence here.