Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-03

In value of catch both in 90 and '04
the lobster fishery takes the lead of all
the fisheries Of the State. the aggregate
being o5.1sS,.Gs pounds. valued at 81,
.S6S2S. This is a reduction as COM
tpared with the two years '01 and '02
of more ti.an 3.0Oo.0o0 pounds in
quantity and Sl6.ISS in value. Tho
| largest catches were made in Lincoln
county il loci. and Knox county in
1902.
1t is hoped. says the commissioner
| that the operation of the L. :. lobster
! hatchery at DrOthbay HarbOr. coupled
with the collection and liberation Of
Holsters with eggs attached will make
the lobster more plentiful in the State
waters and that increased catches in
the future nay be the result.
Herring leads the list i'll quantity
III" catch tu,al;ni: at go. leo pounds
fur the two years. Washington makes
tie largest return with Lincoln second
The Sardinc pack Is unusual in vol
um", with ii production of 2,s2',n2'
cases and value Of sS.Gl0.S0o. for %
and o. The total number cases Sar-
dimes packed in 1903 was 1.1S1.:10 and
in 1904. 1,ei5 6,.. The investment in the
herring and sardinc business in plants.
beats. stca1lerS. traps and fishing APP
paratus vas SJ.11S39J, in 1904.
The ground fishery yielded Il grand
total Of Si.26l .3G6 pounds. valued at
s1.1r".01 Knox county makes lars-
est returns. While. the bank fishing
has been very poor the "shack" fishery
has Dcn,: very successful. and brought
in large fares Of iced fish. Many new
vessels arr. 10 be added to the latter
class of fishermen. These vessels are
,allei .'.harkcrs." and their fares are
mixed ground fish varitics.
The clam fishery is one of the most
important in the State. For the period
of the report, with IN average invest
mcnt in the business of $26.0133. the
production was 12,915.05i pounds, of Il
| value. OF SGJ0.03f. For every dollar
invested the return was more than lsOV
per cent. per year; for each dollar used
$50 mounds of clam meats were pro-
,iute,,. while the above is Il good
showing says Mr.. Nickerson, "thcr"
is no good reason why this nSherE
| should not be greatly increased oy
systematic cultivation on large scale.
This can be done by state control and
the cultivation Of clam producing
grounds by the State on large and
commemorative scale and plan. The
c,:i,;cncns are unmistakablc Of the final
extinction Of the clam in portions OF
the areas, ut least. which arc now being
oyer-!ishcd in our effort to supply Il
constantly Increasing demand.
The smclt fishery for 1905 and 'Oi
shows :, yield of 2.o11.oto pounds.
worth slao. iSe. The average price
was. therefore. for that period S9.?l
rpr hundred pounds. The Shad fish
.-y produced 2.4o300O pounds. worth
| sS6 o3? This is Il considerable gam
over 1901 and 90, and a still larger pro-
duction can b. made in the future. nc
thinks Tie alcwife catch aggregates
t.7G1, $50 rounds and is worth N3.s
| which the commissioner says is UNI
| satisfactory.
The rcnhaden fishery Melted So
600 600 POUNDS and was valued at
s.7n. 500 There is an investment OF
$500. 900 in the business. OF this fish
crv the commissioner says: The
outlook for the fishery has been most
disconragir. for several years. but
the return OF quite large bodies Of fish
to our wat"ls has given a new impetus
T., the business The fact that the
mco,aden taken in Maine waters are
50 much richer IN yield Of oil than fish
| taken c!scN here is the reason that IN"
1,rra factories IN Lincoln county have
been kept MP ut great expense. 1t IS
honcd that the fish may return again
to this section in the numerous schools
of former years.
| Commissioner Eic,<crSon dcvotcs
oui,e a portion Of hi, report to the lob
st"r fishery
This fishery has shown \ decrease in
tu-, wears Of more than :.hy0. 900 pounds.
Er \ickerson says: The immediate
cause ce this falling off has been. per-
hans the loss OF gear cecasioned by
, the heavy gales and storms that swept
orr coast during the winter. destroying
large numbers of traps and making tho
fisher more than ordinarily hazardous
T.. those in the business"
Discussing the lobster. the commits
sioner continues:
..Tne working of the picked on: meat
bi)r has been most satisfactory in all
: sections OF the state the pcddiing of
) the di<sected and disguised short lob
i s,;.r has been stopped and the man and
: woman who has heretofore got his or
her surreptitious iobs,er at run-and-