Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-06-14
LoBsTERs AND COD.
Fishery Commission Propagating the
Fish on Main Coast.

1 ssSb oh .OdSts
The U. s. fisheries schooner Grampus,
| Capt. F. g. o. Hanson, has recently re-
| turned to this coast from Massachusetts,
waters to resume the collection of egg
bearing Holsters, and to work in conjunc-
| tion with the U. S. fisheries station es-
tablished at Boothbay Harbor, in 1901.
The Grampus and crew have been
actively engaged in transferring 5000 egg
bearing Holsters from the government
pound at Pemaquid to the hatchery,
where they were deprived Of their eggs
| (60,OO0,000 IN number) and the stripped
or parent Holsters liberated at various
points along the Maine coast. Later on
the fry resulting from the eggs of the
above stock will be deposited in carefully
selected localities, the distribution of
| them being equalized sc may seem ex-
pedient.
The government hatchery at Boothbay,
constructed and equipped at a cost of
approximately $4,000, is admirably To-
| Gated for this particular business, SPLEEN
didly and thoroughly equipped with the
most modern machinery and hatchery APP
paratus. 1t is conceded to be the best
i plant of the kind in the world, and N the
| interest of the lobster and cod industries
of the State, the hearty cooperation of
the dealers and fishermen is earnestly So
licited, in order that the efforts of the
| Grampus to improve conditions of the
fishery may not be handicapped, but make
easy to conduct to advantage this most
needed work and the station operated to
its fullest capacity whioh means much to
the fisheries of the State
In preceding years it was necessary to
transport the seed Holsters to the Glouces-
ter, Mass, hatchery, where the eggs were
Matched, but owing to the great distance
this work could not satisfactorily be per-
formed, and as result complaints were
made that certain localities did not receive
their quota of fry while others were
favored Now that Maine has station
centrally located it is entirely feasible,
with the assistance of the Grampus and
chartered steam smacks, to Systematically
patrol the entire coast in quest OF seed
Holsters and return the mothers and their
progeny to the waters from which they
were taken with almost mathematical reg
ularity.
At present there are 100000 lobster
eggs in the hatchery at Boothbay in va
rious stages of incubation, and besides
these &c, 0Oo, 900 cod eggs have been handled
at the station this spring, and 10000, 900
| little fish turned loose in the sea. 1t is ex-
pected that more than 10o,0oO,O0O of cod
and 100000 lobster eggs will be re-
ceived before the season closes.
All of these cod eggs would be lost if
the fisheries did not collect, fertilize and
hatch them, as they are secured from mar
| ket fish and otherwise would be sold with
the fish The steamer Carita of Boothbay
Harbor, Is chartered and ten spawn-takers
employed to prosecute the cod work.
Capt. Greenlief of the Carita, makes daily
trips to the fishing grounds, places his
men on the different fishing vessels, where
they secure and fertilize the eggs as the
fish are taken from the water, after which
the Eggs are cleaned, brought to the
station and placed in the hatchery jars.
Up to date more than 70 per cent. of the
cod eggs collected have produced healthy
fry. Last year there was less than two
/ per teHl. loss III lnS lOuSUtT eggs TAKEN
from the impounded stock of Holsters.
The balance produced healthy fry and it
is reasonable to expect that the same graf
flying results will be realized this year at
Boothbay Harbor.
1t is the intention of the fisheries bu-
reau to collect seed HOLSTERS the entire
year and to operate large pound in con-
nection with the station, for the confine-
ment of egglobsters. Supt E. E. Hahn
of the fisheries station accompanied the
Grampus on her last trip and has visited
the outlying islands in the interest of the
work. He cordially invites any and all
interested parties to visit and familiar
ize themselves with the methods en-
ployed at the station in propagating the
lobster and cod. Millions of cod and
lobster eggs are to be seen in the hatch
ing jars and boxes in the various stages of
development, also cod fry. A. R. Nicker-
son, commissioner of sea and shore fish
cries, is deeply interested in this work and
the station is indebted to him for valuable
assistance rendered by Capt. Nickerson in
the State boat Sea Gull, in connection
| with the egg-lobster collecting work.