New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06
NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY.
MARKED SUCCESS IN PRoPAGATING COD.
AND LOBSTER.


OPEN SEA wARDEN9 APPOINTED TO
GUARD THE RIVERS WHICH SALMON
FREoUENr-To DISSEMINATE
BMr INTELLIGENCE.
ST. Johns n F., Nov. 2o.-In former letters
gave an account of Fisheries Commission IN
connection with the important operations they arc
carrying out in the artificial propagation OF marine
fishes, especially cod and Holsters at Dido hatch
cry. 1 propose in the present letter 10 furnish
the readers Of The Tribune with some further IN
formation regarding the progress of the com
mission during the season which has lately closed
The experiments they are conducting are of special
importance TO this country, where the main IN
dustry is fishing; but they are also possessed OF
deep interest for the people of every country
where fish are taken or consumed
The results Of this seasons operations at Dido,
in the Matching of Cod ova, have been of highly
satisfactory character Nearly 4O,OO0,000 OF
young Goldfish were Matched and planted in the
waters of Trinity Bay In 800 the output of the
hatchery was 1900, 900 of young cod. The
capacity of this wellappointed hatchery is such
that from 200. 600 to 300, 900, 900 of could
be Matched each season. But the difficulty lies in
procuring sufficient number of spawning-cod to
yield the requisite number of ova. Trinity Pay
is of very large dimensions-some ninety miles
in length and about forty miles wide at the mouth
IT has been. however. so largely depleted of
cod that it was with the greatest
difficulty with Mr.. Nielsen procured 900 fish
this year. OF these third perished from the
effects of injuries received when taken on hooks
or by disease. The total number of ova shipped"
from the remainder was 7s,95o,000. Over 80 1-2
per cent of these were Matched, which is fair
Nam fab how
been obtained, and larger output from the hatch
cry reached, but for the prevalence of la grippe
in severe form during the cap6D school, when
Goldfish are most plentiful. For over three weeks
hardly fisherman able to work oar; and
the employees of the hatchery were all Frustrated
by the epidemic.
An important improvement is about being in
trodueed at the Dido hatchery. Mr.. Nielsen is
now constructing a saltwater pond in which the
cod will be allowed to spawn in the natural way,
instead of taking them out of the water and
stripping the and milt from ahem. From
20 to 90 per cent of the ova can be Matched under
the improved system, instead of 80 per cent as at
present Mr.. Nielsen has now in the wells 5sS
Goldfish, in splendid condition. lie hopes to keep
these alive during winter and if successful he will
start early next year with good stock of spawnerS
and with his saltwater pond and the addition of
"A
bring them to the hatchery, he hopes to plant
next season, 10000, 900 young cod.
HOLSTERS were very scarce in Trinity Bay last
summer; but Mr.. Nielsen was successful in procur-
ing Is, sos, 500 lobster ova, of which he Matched
lO274,3OO, or about so per cent These were
phnted in Trinity Bay
II was, however, in the use of the floating
incubators, of his own invention that Mr. Nielsen
achieved the most remarkable success in the propa-
CATION of Holsters. These incubators are worked
by men who have been specially instructed, and at
a very small cost The ova are stripped from
the Holsters which are brought to the factories,
before they are thrown into the boilers, and are
thus saved from destruction. The incubators are
placed near the lobster factories in pure sea water
where there is a certain amount of motion. When
hatched they are liberated and fresh
supply of ova is obtained. This year
432 Of these floating incubators were
used at eighteen different stations in our
northern, eastern and southern bays. The sue
cess has been marvellous. The astounding num-
Der of sos, $3.50, 400 ova were Matched, and the
Young Holsters were planted in thoroughly
healthy condition. This shows increase of
1l7745900 over the number Matched in 1890
The total number of Holsters stripped was 26,49s
In Canada Mr.. Niesen's incubators have been
ployed this year, but we have not yet learned
with what degree Of success.
Everywhere we hear of the danger of the
lobster being eXterminated. In almost every
locality where lobster fishery has been carried
on on large scale the experience has been the
same. First the Holsters are found after short
time to diminish in sze until at length they
become so small to be Improbable Hun
dreds of places in which Holsters were once
abundant are now cleaned out" All rules and
regulations, as we'll as close seasons have failed
to save the lobster fisheries from deterioration
and ultimate destruction. By the use of hoat-
ing incubatos, it seems to me that the HOLSTERS
NAV be preserved from destruction and the fish
cries maintained in productive condition One
Of the main causes of deterioration has been the
destruction of myriads of ova in the process of
manufacture The new method collects these
ova, brings them to life and plants the young
in the waters
IT, with this appliance, close season nc Oh
served the result will be the preservation OF
lobster fisheries in full efficiency, and they can
also be planted in waters where they did not
previously exist In addition, however, MI
Nielsen proposes alteration in the lobster traps
which will have the effect of permitting the small
immature HOLSTERS to escape out Of the traps while
only mature Holsters are retained. After long
course of careful experiments, he has succeeded
in constructing such trap. The traps at present
in use can be altered into the shape he recon-
mends at a small cost II these eXpedients be
carefully employed, the future of the lobster
fishery is assured and its expansion may be safely
predicted
This year Mr. Nielsen turned his attention 10
the improvement of our herring fishery. Hther-
10 our herring have borne very bad character
in foreign markets. and fetched low prices. In
many cases. shippers suffered heavy losses. the
article exported proving unstable This state
OF matters WAS caused by bad curing, and packing
in unsuitable barrels. Our fishermen did not
know how to cure and pack the herring
to take the market, and in consequence millions