Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-05
TO join SEARCH.
European Fish Experts
Will Join United States
In Effort Of Latter to Locate
The MaCkeTeI Shoals
Which Nave Reen Lost 10 SIGHT
Which Have Been Lost to Sight
For Period Of Years.

Washington, Jan. 3.-The combined
knowledge and experience of the
worlds greatest fishery experts, repre-
senting Great Britain, Germany. Rus
STA, The Netherlands, France Bel
GUM. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and
Finland. all of northwestern Europe,
and all having important fisheries,
have been enlisted by the bureau of
fisheries, department of commerce and
labor, in the effort Of the United
States fishery authorities to learn how
and where the American fishermen
should seek for the maekerel shoals
which have been lost to sight for
years.
The maokerel was one of the great
staple fish foods of the country as far
back as colonial days. and the fishery
was very actively prosecuted in New
England ana to some extent. i'll the
middle Atlantic states. In 1885, after
several years Of unprecedented album
dance, the mackerel dropped off sud
denly and has never resumed its form
er righteousness.
The fishery Of last year WAS the
poorest in the history of the country.
AS against catch of about $50. 900
barrels of salted fish in 1855, the catch
of 1910 was only 200 barrels.
There are TO-DAY invested in the
mackerel fishery nearly $2.o30,000. but
the fishery is being prosecuted more
in the way of lottery than anything
else. Notwithstanding the long-CDn-
tinued disappearance Of the mackerei.
vessels are fitted Out every year in
| the expectation that the missing fish
will come back in as great numbers
as in 1885.
Sixteen hundred men have been year
after year holding on to this fishery
with the hope that something will turn
UP. If the mackerel were to come
back their vessels would make ire
mendous profits. Sailed mackerel are
worth $40 a barrel. today. whereas III
1850 they sold for 81 to IS a barrel.
The diminution in the catch came so
suddenly that it is difficult to ascribe
| it to active fishing operations. The
| bureau of fisheries experts have been
| inclined to believe that there are some
physical factors operating on the eggs
and the young which prevent the de-
| velopment of the young fish, but they
do not know positively.
II is hoped that the international in
vestigation by the foreign fishery ex-
perts will determine whether the
mackerel has recently undergone de-
crease in abundance or has sought
other grounds and is likely to return
1t is suggested by some of the scien-
lists that the schools of mackerel that
| formerly frequented the American
shores have been diverted and are now
inhabiting the waters of western
Europe, where the same fish also
abounds. In support of this theory ii
is pointed out that the fishery exhibits
some of the features in European wa
tiers that it has in the United States.
Another expert view is based upon
the recent discoveries with regard to
the trawl-caught mackerel in European
waters 1t is, in short. that the lost
American mackcrel will he found in
the deeper parts of American waters
and the obvious fishery apparatus
should be the trawl. with which the
mackerel has been caught in large
quantities abroad.
The condition of the American
mackerel fishery and the problems it
presents have been placed by the
bureau Of fisheries before the perma-
ncnt International council for the ex-
ploration of the sea, which has its
headquarters at Copenhagen and
which is composed OF official delegates
with full powers from the 10 foreign
countries mentioned previously.
As "A consequence the council is GO
ing to take up the study of the mack
vol fIt-l,.
ocean, and its foremost scientists will
endeavor to trace, the present where
abouts of the maekerel that haven't
returned to American shores since 1885,