New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06

nave oDtalDed at the wretchedly low price OF iroh
so cents to 81 per barrel. The new development In
packing is likely 10 raise the price. to the great
| advantage of our fishermen.
| further effort in the same direction deserves
notice. In last years report Mr. Nielsen recon-
mendcd search for the summer resorts of the
| herring, with the view of initiating drift-net
summer fishery, in the open sea, similar to those
| of Scotland and Norway. When herring appear
! in our bays in winter they comparatively lean
! and the flesh dry No one knows where they are
| in summer at which season they are fat and in
the best condition, and if cured and shipped would
realize much higher prices than those now OBJ
tanned Besides increased employment would be
given to our fishermen. II we could discover the
home of the herring in summer, the result would
| be valuable addition to resources
The Government were petitioned on the sub
ect, and agreed to meet the expenses of the
search recommended. Accordingly, on August g
Mr. Nielsen took his departure in small vessel
| OF forty tons, fitted up with drift-nets and all
| other suitable appliances. He came back on
| October 10, having circumnavigated the Island
and searched the surrounding waters to a distance
| of from twenty to forty miles off the cost Not
| only had he in view to ascertain whether deep
sea fishing for herring after the European method
| could be carried proftably of the cost of
| Newfoundland, but also TO determine whether
|
rounding waters. Some seventy eighty years
| ago mackerel were almost plentiful as goldfish
in our waters, and were then little esteemed
that they were used largely as bait for cod.
| Suddenly this capricious fish for some unknown
| reason, disappeared. OF late years some have
thought, from various indications, That they were
| returning to their old haunts; and hence Mr..
Nielsen was asked to look into the matter.
Mr.. Nielsen's course at first was north from
| ST. Johns, looking into the bays as he passed
A careful
eastern and northeastern shores, at distance of
from ten to forty miles off, failed to discover any
trace of herring or mackerel or any food in the
water on which either could subsst, with the
exception of some brachyura, which were
sparngly scattered about some distance of shore.
still more remarkable circumstance was noticed.
The organic slime which plays such an important
part in all the sea fisheries of the world, and
regions and is believed TO be borne south by
the Arctic current in abundance, was
very sparingly present, as the tow-net proved.
side the coast plainly showed that herring
could resort there for any length of time, and
therefore that no drift-net herring fishery could
be established there. The whole force of the
Arctic current with it's water having a tenn
perature below thirty-twO degrees, felt few
miles off the coast, and to depth below the
surface of from twenty to twenty-five fathOms.
III then the herring come into these waters at
all, it can only be for short sojourn; and in
order to find food they must soon return TO the
great bays. In these bays food is abundant: 30
that ii would seem if on their indraught, the
anmalculae drawn into these deep, sheltered
fords, or in some way are attracted there when
fish of all kinds follow their food into the bays
where it is plentiful and there they remain for
feeding and reproductive purposes; Mr. Nielsens
conclusion is that the herring along this coast
are confined to the bays, 50 that deep.Sea
fishery could not I've proftaby pursued The
abundance of food in the waters OF the great
bays accounts for the presence there OF such |
vast shoals of cod in earlier times, before the
fishermen began to apply their destructive modes
of fishing by which they killed more , immature t
necessity now of restocking these exhausted bays
by artificial propagation The best summer lat
herring were found in White Bay, but these were |
not plentiful, and were much mixed up win |
herring of an inferior quality.
To all who engaged in the study OF me |
physics of the sea, these researches OF MI N;cl-
sen will be full Of interest. The great pays |
running mp from 80 to 90 miles into the lana
are really the nurseries OF all our hsh l 1t
they live in distinct colonies, moving from deep
TO shallow water according to temperature ana |
food supplies. Each bay has its own hnny m |
habitants which are distingushaDle from ,t nsn
of other localities and resort only to It's waters
They do not wander away III their mlgratlohs |
thousands of miles into the broad atlantic, 10 |
mingle with other wandering shoals The COD are |
home -loving-have defined habitat are local III
their habits, and each iord has its own varieties;
Hence the enormous Importance OF the aruhciai |
propagation of Goldfish. The young thus brought |
TO fife do not disappear into the great ocean, Dut
grow up within the limits OF their own pay
and Obeying the great law OF all fish ne, return
had birth and passed their early days. we may |
safely predict that it lis Just as possible 10 re-
stock bay when exhausted or nsing Iahh \,
with marine fishes as TO restock pond Iake or
river with fresh-water fish. On this prnclple |
il is that we are carrying on our experiments Ill
cod and lobster Matching
Mr. Nielsen took his course through the Straits |
of Belle Isle, and passed down the west coast Of
the Island. Here he fond remarkable clinge
in the physical conditions of the sea, winch proved
to abound in food suited to the herring, Inc INC |
temperature of the waters being also high Inc |
season was pretty far advanced and the weather
had become stormy SO that he was unable 10 IN |
VeStgate the waters as carefully as ne wished
lie satisfied himself however that large guam
tity of herring of excellent quality. resort there
ali through the summer, on bank outside the
coast, stretching from Cape st. George to LOW |
Head, or Sandy Bay-a distance OF 10 miles
Here profitable dTift-net summer fishing for her |
ring could be established and prosecuted for three
or four months beginning in June: The herring |
which resort to this bank are different entiEpe rely
from those found in st. Georges Bay, the Bay |
of Islands and Bonnie Bay; but they |
are of superior quality and such as would suit |
European and American markets 80
This is very important discovery and will |
possibly lead TO the initiation OF new and |
valuable industry off our western coast IL re-
mains for our enterprising capitalists to follow
In returning by the southern shores of the
Island, Mr.. Nielsen made trials, with his .dnft,
nets at Burgeo, St Pierre and the mouth of
Placentia Bay. Very few herring were taken at
any of these points. a further Confederation IS |
thus supplied Of b mr. VAST soa OF berrar O %c
appear in Fortune and Placentia hays In winter |
are simply bay herring, which are confined 10 those
localities, and move from deep to shallow water
according to the season. No summer drift-net |
fishery could be established in the waters on these
BAYS.
This year for the first time number of war
dens were appointed TO guard some Of our salmon |
rivers to enforce the law and TO prevent ohstruc-
tions being placed in the way Of the salmon when |
ascending to their spawning grounds Most Of |
our fine salmon streams have been amsst ruined |
through neglect Barring these rivers with |
nets by ignorant, avaricious has driven the
fish away and years will be required for their
restoration
Another important service rendered by the Fish