Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-15

Extent of this 81. adily Growing Industry.
Qlugh NJ, Smith of U. S. Fish Commission.)
The fishery for scalops on the coast of
Maine is an industry of such comparative
ly recent inception that the general fishery
interests, except those directly concerned,
are, as a rule, misinformed of its extent
and character, or wholly ignorant of its eX
istcnce. Although the industry gives en-
ployment to several hundred persons; has
considerable capital devoted to it; yields
large quantities of u highly esteemed and
valuable food product and is capable of
great Improvement and development. it
appears to have received little attention
and the first investigation of it's nature
and extent was undertaken by the L. s.
Fish Commission in 1889.
The large pecten, of which this paper
treats, Is known among fishermen and
others by several names. In localities in
which 1t is the only representative of the
genus it is called simply scallop. In other
sections, where the small scallop. Pecten
lrradians, Is also found, the designations
giant scallop and great scallop are given
with reference to its size, and smooth
scallop to distinguish it from the conspc-
uously crenated shell of the common
species; the latter name also sutiices to
ditierentiate it from the strongly ribbed
valves Of Pecten lslandicus, a compare.
lively large deepwater form occurring in
abundance of the same coasts adjacent to
which the smooth species is found. The
name giant scallop is herein adopted as
being expressive and appropriate.
Locally it has been found in the waters
of Labrador Nova Scotia Bay of Fundy.
Passamaquoddy Bay, Frenchmans Bay,
Penobscot Bay, Bagaduce River, Sheep
scot River, Casco Bay. Massachusetts Bay
Georges Bank, Block Island, Connecticut
New York, New Jersey, Virginia and North
Carolina The mollusk il thought to be
most abundant in the Gulf of Name off
the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts,
where several thousand specimens have
been brought up from deep water at a
single haul Of the beam-trawl on the L. s
Fish Commission exploring steamers Alba
tross and Fish Hawk.
Viewed from a standpoint Of size alone,
the giant scallop is probably the largest
edible mollusk on the Atlantic coast Of the
United States. The average diameter of
the specimens taken for market on the
coast of Maine is about > | > inches al
though much larger Individuals are not uu-
common, and those the size of a nickel
coin are sometimes brought up. The iarg-
est examples recorded from Mt Desert.
Castine and Little Deer Isle have been
nine inches in diameter. The edible mus
cular portion of a sCallop of this size is
about 3 inches III diameter and weighs or
10 ounces. The average size of the meat,
however, is little more than one inch in
diameter.
The existence of large beds of
the giant scallop on the coast of
Maine accompanied by an appreciation of
their commercial value, became known to
fishermen at number of Isolated places
about the same time. From numerous in
quiries among the fishermen along differ
ent portions of the coast, ii would appear
that in no locality is the fishery more than
live or six years Old, while in most of the
ccnters it has been carried on less than
three years, as will appear IRON the fol
lowing history of its origin in the various
sections.
Beginning at the east, the towns in the
waters adjacent to which the scallop fish
cry is or has been prosecuted are Ire
mont, Mount Desert, Deer Isle, Sedgwick,
Brooksyillc Castine, Wi-casset, Edge
comb, Newcast tie, Westport Boothbay and
Georgetown. On the western side OF
Mount Desert Island, in the town of the
same name, the fishery for scallops origin
ated in lss4 1t was inaugurated by yes
sells coming from the westward and, at
first, using an yster dredge and later the
more effective form of apparatus which
has since been generally adopted by the
fishermen of this and other localities The
first trials were made in the deep water in
the vicinity of Bartletts Island, Pretty
Marsh and Mount Desert. 1t would ap-
pear that prior to the advent of these YES
-el> the fishermen of Mount Desert were
unaware Of the existence of scallop
beds in their vicinity, or at least of >callops
in sufficient numbers to warrant their ship
ment to distant markets although, accord
Ing to Mr., W. W. A. Heath, the efficient
and accommodating customs officer at So.
West Harbor, the line fishermen i'll the vi
cinity of Mount Desert Island had for
years frequently brought up scalIops that
had by chance become attached to their
hooks.
In the winter of l.s5-s6 the native fish
men became interested and as many as
twenty men from Bartlett's Island and
Pretty Marsh were regularly engaged in
taking sCallops for the New York market.
From that date the fishery declined some
what, owing, il is said, to the exhaustion
of some of the beds incident to overfsh-
ing. In lSs. but four men gave attention
10 it, and in l>Ss and lo59 only seven. In
fremont the fishery sprung into existence
about the same time as in Mt. Desert,
probably as a result of the same Impetus.
II i now followed from Center West
fremont or Goose Cove and Bass HarbOr
the fishermen frequenting grounds near
Bartlett's Island ard other localities south
of that place. The number Of men eugag-
ed in the fishery in the town has decreased
during the past few years, there being
thrty-one in 1887, twenty-three in 1883,
and eighteen in 1889
The winter Of 1856 81 witnessed the be-
ginning Of a scallop fishery at Little Deer
Isle which was destined TO become the
most important fishery Of the kind in the
state. In lse6 vessel from Portland Wis
tied the grounds on the southern shore OF
the island and during that year took con
siderable quantities of scallops. The ma
tive fishermen quickly appreciated the com
mercial value of their beds and in 1887 no
less than twenty-six persons were regularly
engaged in the fishery More than 5000
bushels were the result of the first years
operations. Since then the industry has
more than doubled in Importance and in
1889 the yield was more than one fourth
that of other localities combined, although
the output of the numerous towns on the
Sheepscot River, considered collectively,
was considerably larger than that of Little
Deer Isle.
The existence of giant scallops in the
vicinity of Castine has long been known.
Men are still alive who remember to have
taken scallops as many as forty or sixty
years ago. The town has had more or
less regular local supply for about forty
years. Twenty-six years ago, as the writ
er is informed by MIR. Vogell, man at
tempted to make business of peddling
scallops among the people living in places
remote from the fishery; but the fine edi-
ole qualities of the mollusk were not ap-
preciated by them and the venture was
abandoned. About 1876 the Castine Pack
ing Company undertook to put scalops on
the market in a canned condition, as is now
so commonly done with clans in many
localities on the coast of Maine 1t is said
that the company was unable to properly
preserve the thick, solid meats and the
effort was abortive. Six years ago, how
ever, the attempt was renewed and was in
a measure successful. 1t was found that
by previously frying the meats they could
be canned without difficulty, but the
method was considered too costly and was
not put to much practical use; and the
fishery, which would othel wise have been
maintained by home demand, was diverted
to supply distant markets.
Tho hnsjnass of takinu scallopo for shin