The sun., 1919-03-02
TONS OF FRESH FISH
ON WAY TO N. Y.
Steam Trawler Albatross,
First of New Service, Due
Here Tomorrow.


officers of the East Coast Fisheries
Company, Down East concern with an
office at 100 Broadway, received here
yesterday a wireless message from Capt
Peter Tobin OF Newfoundland, skipper
Of the steam trawler Albatross. reading:
Good catch headed In"
The message, sent by the trawler's
own wireless man from the Grand
| Banks was Capt. Peters way Of saying
70 his bosses that the hold of the Al
batross was chock block with fresh
cod. haltbut and paddock, and that he
was steering the straightest possible
| course from the celebrated fishing
grounds to deliver his cargo at the
Beekman street pier in the East River.
| II all goes we'll the skipper will arrive
tomorrow morning. thus marking the es-
adjustment of steam trawler fresh fish
service to this port, q proposed inno-
walton that already has caused deep.
almost sea deep, interest among the
Wholesale fish dealers at Fulton Market.
II is the purpose of The East Coast
Fisheries Company 10 land a steam
trawler, with something like $4,000
| pounds OF cod, hallbut and haddock In
New York city once week. As the
company is known as an Independent"
In opposition to certain consolidated
fisheries companies whose headquarters
are In Boston, the home Of the sacred
cod" II is certain a great deal of In
terest will be manifested in the ven-
ture by eaters OF Ash. who prefer the
freshly caught rather than the frozen
kind.
The plan has the approval of DR.. Hugh
| NJ. Smith. United States Commissioner
of Fisheries. who has long commended
| that fresh fish vessels should land at
least parts of their cargoes in this city
before dlscharging their entire catches
| at Boston. Although fully 80 per cent
OF all cod. halibut and haddock is die
tributed through New York. practically
| all of the fish now are unloaded at Bos-
ton. Gloucester, Portland and other New
England ports and shipped overland to
this city.
Lower Cost to Consumers.
One Of the inevitable results that must
follow weekly deliveries OF large cargoes
OF fresh fish In this market, II is said,
| will be a reduction in the cost to the
consumer. II ie not likely that the re-
duction will be great at first, but all fish
dealers believe II is certain that prices
will have to come down II the supply OF
fresh fish straight from the Great Banks
Is kept UP. Furthermore, they declare
Of eating fresh Ash. they will demand
fresh fish and will get what they want
| 1t was largely due to the Food Ad-
minietration's efforts to encourage the
eating OF fresh Ash and the Govern
ment's programme OF backing the fish
cries companies in developing the ire
mendoue food resources OF the ocean
that the steam trawler service to this
city was decided upon.
| "a az CT voha ~
now has three steam trawlers and Is
building seven more. Each trawler has
crew OF twenty-five men and does the
work Of six old fashioned fishing steam
ships and $50 men In exactly one-third
OF the time. A .trawler takes about a
day and a half for trip to the Grand
) Banks the nearest part of which is
about ESQ miles east of Boston or Ports
mouth 1t steams over the shoals, drag
ging Us balloon shaped 160xl32 foot net
and makes a haul once an hour, bringing
to the surface anywhere from three to
ten tons OF cod, paddock and ha,lbut al
clip. All the hauling Is done by ma
chinery. The fish are iced and stored In
the hold. A day and a half are spent as
rule In fshing-trawlers work In
storms as we'll as fair weather-and the
run back to Boston, Gloucester or Port
land takes another day and a half
Thus round trip requires about four
and half days
Trawlers are equipped with plants fol
the conversion OF cod liver into oil. A
worlds record was made by the East
Coast Fisheries Company's steam
| trawler Klngisher when she landed
, l.o570o0 pounds Of fish In thirty days
Long n Big British Industry.
Steam trawlers have been used ir
: European waters twenty-five years. but
fishermen here did not take to them unit
about FIVE years ago There are now
fifteen steam trawlers in American
. waters. Prior to the war there were a.
least 10000 Of these craft on the other
. side.
} AS Ash eaters Americans do not com
. pare, for Instance, with the English
whose annual per capita consumption o
FISH Is said to be 120 pounds. as agains
twenty pounds IN this country. Tn,
total value OF fish produced In the United
States, including by-products, was placed
at 800, 900, 900. against 500, 900 900 OF
the other side.
OF all the large FISH catching grounds
available to American fishermen tn,
Grand Banks, covering an area OF SO O0(
= square miles. are acknowledge to be tn,
3 greatest and richest fishing waters in tn,
world for cod. haddock and halibut
Trawlers work on the shoals of tn
. banks where the water is from 90 t
100 feet deep. II one could slip of tn
shoals he would drop possibly a mile
As a mother cod Is given credit for 3 90,
offspring that reach maturity fisher
!. men never express surprise that the coo
family doesn't run out.