F ' * ha ad : a a 7 i 2 F ' a lohrt ned terk ee Pate odte ener ical : leah tt 1 hehe : : x ‘ 4 7 a : . ; : 7 < . ' of the University of Coronta by Department of Fisheries Province of Onterio i. Digitized by the Internet in 2009 with funding University of Te ronto ch HF http://www.archive.org/details/canadianfishermat rahi SN ang St al Vol. Il. MONTREAL, JANUARY, 1915 ~ CEC No. 1 | BeMAGAZINES SF CANADA'S” : — COMME RIGIA L. FISH ERIES. oS" 5 CANADIAN FISHERMAN st: Producers and Distributors OE A KROODS Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade Til Lit OV i ai ] igein i be z : 7 Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S, a THROUGHOUT CANSO. NS. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. i : | | | PEER EEEEEE EE EERE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EES ES EES FEEEEEEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE PEE EPE EEE EEE EEE EE J TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES e _.= VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED | OF CANADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE __ FISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR The Industrial & Educational Press, Limited 35-45 St. Alexander St. - CANADA Toronto Office - 44-46 Lombard St. Vancouver Office - 912 Dominion Bdg. Montreal SUBSCRIPTION: Canada, Great Britain and United States. . cistee .,O00 MIGOWGEG « than ever and incidentally kept competitors out « ~ field.’’ yi Advertising is not a case of throwing out a can to catch a whale. No advertising is cheap and cheap advertising is dear at any price and will never bring . results. If you have a good product which you know — is good, advertise it to the limit and keep on advertis- : ing. The results will come. The Motor Engine in F ishing Craft This is a pet subject of ours, and we are eee a : We believe that the future of our Canadian fishing industry lies in employing up-to- hammering at it. date methods in fishing. This is an age of speed and in the fresh fish business sail is out of date, except as an auxiliary to make use of when the wind is fair. In conversation with a Swedish gentleman who had — - a thorough knowledge of fishery conditions in Sweden, he informed us that the Swedish fisheries were revolu- _ tionized when the motor engine came in. Previous to*. the general use of the motor, the Swedish fisherman a fished in sail boats in-shore and off the coast. They had to take whatever fish happened to be in the lo-— 4 they set their gear wherever wind and oar cality ; would take them. It was largely ‘‘pot-luck’? fishing — depending on wind and weather. January, 1915. When the internal combustion motor came into use, the fishermen were the first to realize its advantages. They raised the money in various ways even to put- _ ting their last penny into the purchase of an engine. Every man who owned a boat put an engine into her and the results were beyond expectations. The fishing areas were broadened. The fishermen went further off- shore. They followed the fish and made more trips and incidentally more money in the course of a season. The Swedish fisheries developed immensely and to-day there is hardly a sail boat to be found fishing out of a port in Sweden. What happened in Sweden also holds _ good in Norway and Denmark—the fisheries of both - countries being in a flourishing condition. In England the motor is coming into general use and the various Fishermen’s Associations and Co-oper- ative Societies are assisting their members to install motors in their boats. At a meeting of the Sea Fish- eries Authorities held last June in London, one of the speakers remarked as follows :— “TI should like to point out a few of the advan- _ tages which would occur if we could instal motors in some of the fishing boats on that coast. “I might say there are at Hastings three boats _ that have had motors placed in them during the last two months, and the advantages that have occurred during those two months have gone far beyond any- one’s expectations. __ **T should like to point out that the mackerel season 4 _ there begins about the Ist May and lasts until the end ____ of July; that is about three months.’ I do not think I am wrong in saying that during one-third of that _ time there is not enough wind on the south coast for _ these mackerel boats to proceed with their mackérel fishing. As gentlemen here are aware, it is useless during the summer months, with drift nets, to put the nets out in a calm. They would not get enough to pay ; for one ship passing over them. One of these boats that have had the motor installed has got his trawl gear _ - in with his mackerel nets, and I thing I am right in say- ing that during the first six weeks he has used this _ trawl, and he has only done it at spare time, each man has got a £1 per week share. That is not including what he has got with the drift nets. He really would not have earned that £1 per share per week if it had not been for his motor. He has paid all expenses out of the money he has earned in trawling, for fuel, and ___ 4 percentage on the motor as well. In several cases ' during these last six weeks, the sail boats have been _ becalmed with very few fish; the motor boats have brought the fish to the markets from the other boats, _ and they have been paid for bringing them to market, _ and they are bound to get the best price. As you know, __-with regard to mackerel, they want getting rid of al- __Most as soon as they are caught. If they lie about the boat a few hours they are not worth selling. I e- _might give you another instance as to the usefulness of the motor. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 5 ““Six weeks ago three boats left Brighton to go to Lowestoft to fish. Two of these boats did not have a motor, and one had. The one that had a motor got there and earned £100 before the other two got there.’’ Piscatorial Paragraphs The Fishing Gazette remarks editorially that the lobster canning controversy in the Maritime Provinces will end when the war ends. That’s true enough but what is worrying us is when will the war end? * * * Mr. Lewis Connors of Black’s Harbor, N.B., stated recently: ‘‘Sardine canners in New Brunswick have been getting considerable orders from the English and French Governments this season, and we expect to get more orders from these quarters ‘as the New Bruns- wick pack of sardines is acknowledged to be excel- lent.’’ * * e The Hospital Ship for off-shore fishermen has at last been established by the United States Government. The Revenue cutter Androscoggin has left to cruise among the haddocking fleet off the Cape Shore and will follow the fleets to Quero and Grand Bank as the seasons come on. The Androscoggin is a fine craft and has been specially fitted up with hospital accommo- dation. Her work will be largely beneficial to men suffering from minor injuries and diseases. A really sick man would have to be sent ashore. The work is highly commendable and we heartily endorse it. FREEZING FISH IN BRINE AS SOON AS CAUGHT. Freezing fish in brine has been recently demonstrat- ed by Dr. J. H. Hjort, of Norway. Dr. Hjort used a barrel filled with brine and ice and in this placed fish, quite large ones. These he kept in the brine anywhere from twenty to forty minutes. When removed they were frozen through to the bone. The brine must be fifteen degrees below freezing to cause such quick action on the fish. Under the pre- sent method of freezing fish by air it would take fully three times as long to freeze the same fish and then the fish would not be so delicious when cooked. The feature of the new method, Dr. Hjort pointed out, was that the fish retained its natural color and taste. This is not so when frozen by air. Another very important feature of the new method was that it was much quick- er as, for instance a large cod could be frozen in an hour, herring in fifteen minutes and a haddock in three- quarters of an hour. Under the method now in vogue about three hours would be required to properly freeze a large codfish. The fish were first dipped in fresh water and just as soon placed in the tank of brine, if it was at the proper temperature, would begin to freeze immediate- ly, the action of the brine on the fish caused the skin to harden right away. A word to the unwise is wasted. When in doubt button your lip. Even a tailor cannot always cut out his rivals. 6 CANADIAN FISHERMAN January, 1915. THE DOG-FISH AND HOW IT IS MADE INTO FERTILIZER By L. H. MARTELL,B A, B.C.L. Barrister-at-Law. It is said that of all the inhabitants of the deep, those of the shark kind are the fiercest and most vo- racious. The smallest of this tribe is not less dreaded by greater fish than many that to appearance seem more powerful; nor do any of them seem fearful of at- tacking objects or animals far above their size. Fish of the shark kind have a body which grows less to- wards the tail. They have a rough skin and a mouth placed far beneath the end of the nose, five apertures on the sides of the neck for breathing, and the upper end of the tail longer than the lower. This class comprises, among others, the Great White Shark, the Cat-fish, the Blue-shark and the Dog-fish. These are all of the same nature and differ more in size than in figure or conformation. It is with the Dog-fish that we are concerned in this article. The Dog-fish is an inhabitant of most seas, and usually ranges from two-and-one-half to five feet in length. The body is a very dark greyish brown and sometimes almost black along the back, while the ven- times given as a reason for the fisherman not going in pursuit of his calling; but the chief answer usually received to an inquiry made of a fisherman as to why he is not fishing at certain times of the year, when the weather is good, and bait and marketable fish are plenty, is ‘‘the dog-fish are eating up the grounds.”’ Is there a person who has seen any great extent of dee sea net or line fishing, who has not had the experi- ence of seeing nets when hauled, full of mighty holes and containing many herring and mackerel with large pieces bitten out of them, and here and there a dog-fish rolled up in the twine. Dog-fish could be seen swimming to and fro, and tearing from the nets as it was being hauled, the fish which were gilled, and devouring them, thus compel- ling the fisherman in order to save his nets, not to let it down with the expectation of securing a draught of the desired herring and mackerel, but to take it ashore so as to save it for some future fishing. Moreover, every fisherman has had the exasperating experience of tral portion is a greyish white. The body is a little compressed at each end. The head is small and the snout short; the eyes are oblong; and the pupil is of a sea-green color; the iris of the eye is white’ the mouth is oblong and wide, armed with rows of sharp teeth; the vent is placed before the middle of the body ; the tail is long and narrow. Its chief food is the other fishes of the sea which it may have power to catch and overcome. The Dog-fish has been called ‘‘the pest of the deep sea fisheries,’’ and the appellation is well deserved, for he is the greatest nuisance with which the line and net fishermen have to contend in the pursuit of their calling. Inelement weather is often a cause of loss to both the line and net fisherman; no bait is some- Dogfish Reduction Works, Canso, N. S. having come to some bank or shoal where cod, had- dock, hake or polluck were plenty, but before making a day’s catch been driven from the ground or shoal by the presence of dog-fish. In order to overcome the dog-fish nuisance many and varied methods or schemes have from time to time been suggested. Some have advocated and still ad- voecate that the only effective way in which the diffi- culty can be overcome, is by the government grant- ing a bounty to the fishermen for every dog-fish which he can destroy, thus making the business of destroy- ing dog-fish a profitable one for the toiler of the sea. But this would be a very expensive process, and it is not likely that the government will ever see eye to eye with the advocates of this scheme. However, the ae January, 1915. CANADIAN government has not always been unmindful of the ‘hindrance that dog-fish are to the successful prosecu- tion of the deek sea fisheries, and some years ago it adopted the policy of the establishment of work along _ the shores of the Maritime provinces with a view to the reduction of dog-fish into fertilizer. This policy ‘is not now being vigorously prosecuted and only three plants have so far been established. In 1905 Reduction plants were built at Canso in the Province of Nova Scotia, and at Shippegan in the Province of New Brunswick. These works were oper- ated for the first time during that year. In 1908 the erection of a plant was begun at Clark’s Harbor in the County of Shelburne. These works were first operated in the summer of 1909. The Clarke’s Harbor plant is situated on a ‘small is- - land known as ‘‘Mud Island,’’ which was placed by the Government of Nova Scotia at the disposal. of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, for the purpose of erecting thereon a Dog-fish Reduction Plant. The Clarke’s Harbor works are the most complete of the ‘three, for advantage was taken of the experience gain- ed in the operation of the Canso and Shippegan plants, FISHERMAN 7 hollow shaft within the length of the cylinder is per- forated between the turns of the spiral and provided at each end with a stuffing box and steam connection. As the shaft rotates the steam blows out through these perforations into the material at numerous points, this cooking the material thoroughly and evenly. The hollow shaft is rotated slowly by means of spur gears, sprocket wheels, or other suitable mechanism. From the Cooker the material is delivered to the Continu- ous Screw Press, direct. The Continuous Screw Press. Though the material has been washed to remove for- eign matter or digested with steam to liberate the grease and oil which it contains, much of the liquid remains even after a thorough draining. This liquid is separated from the solid portion for subsequent treatment by the use of the press. A constant feed of the wet material is supplied to the machine at the intake end and is automatically discharged, thorough- ly pressed, at the other end, while the expelled liquid drains off to a suitable tank. The central hollow shaft of the press carries a ta- SIP Dogfish Reduction Works at Clark’s Harbour, N.S. and an improved Press and Cooker were installed in the Clarke’s Harbor establishment when it was con- structed. The machinery installed in all these plants was manufactured by the American Process Company ‘of New York, U.S.A. Method of Manufacturing the Fertilizer. The method is known as ‘‘A Continuous Process.’’ In this process a Cooker or Digester, Continuous Serew Press, and direct Heat Dryer, are employed. The Dog- fish are first washed and then placed in the Cooker. The Cooker. The Cooker consists chiefly of a long, horizontal, _ stationary, steel cylinder provided with intake and discharge openings, man-holes, ete. Through the axis _ of the cylinder and supported in bearings attached to _ the heads of the same, passes a hollow steel shaft, carrying a special conveyor which, by its rotation moves the material continuously through the Cooker. . ‘The major*portion of this conveyor is made up of _ radial arms arranged around the circumference of the ‘shaft in the form of a spiral which serve to thorough- ly toss about and disintegrate the material, beside ad- ‘vancing it slowly through the cylinder. The central pered pressing screw mounted on it, which rotates in- side of a heavy, close-fitting, slatted steel curb or cas- ing. An adjustable cone on the hollow shaft, but ro- tating with it, is located at the discharge end of the curb. The setting of this cone controls the opening through which the pressed material is discharged and this regulates the pressure exerted on the material in the machine, The hollow serew shaft, within the length of the slatted curb, is provided with special conical perfor- ations which, together with suitable stuffing boxes and steam connections at the end of the press, permit the introduction of steam into the material while it is be- ing pressed. The steam not only thoroughly heats the material, but also keeps it soft, thus permitting a more perfect separation of the liquids from the solid por- tions and enabling a larger extraction to be obtained. The main shaft, carrying the pressing screw, is slow- ly rotated within the curb by the heavy worm gear- ing, while the thrusts from both the serew and worm are taken up by the carefully designed bearings and thrust collars. Power for operating the press is applied to the worm shaft through a chain and sprocket drive. 8 CANADIAN From the Press the material is carried by means of a conveyor to the Dryer. The process is thoroughly automatic and very little labor is required save that of superintendance. The Dryer. The Dryer consists of a revolving steel cylinder, in- to which the wet material is fed, having two heavy tires or bearing rings secured to same and supported upon substantial carrying rollers. Inside the drying eylinder and rotating with the same, is located a series of parallel steam tubes arranged in the form of a ring, leaving a central open space. These tubes communi- eate directly with a cylindrical drum at one end of the machine through which the steam for drying is ad- mitted to the tubes, and the condensation water re- moved from same by a suitable steam trap. 3 The inner circumference of the drying cylinder is provided with numerous radial shelves running the entire length of the cylinder, which serve to shower the wet material over the heated steam tubes and also to aid in moving the dried material toward the discharge end, where it leaves the machine through suitable openings in the steel shell. The water vapor, liberat- ed from the wet material during its passage through the dryer, is drawn off by a large vapor flue placed at the feed end of the machine. Fish Offal Used. In addition to Dog-fish the offal of food fishes is also made use of at the Reduction works for the pur- pose of making fertilizer or ‘‘fish scrap’’ as it is com- monly called. Amount of Raw Material Required to Produce a Ton of Scrap. As a general thing, about eight tons of raw material are required to produce one ton of scrap. There is some variation either way, depending on the freshness, ete., of the raw material. One ton of raw material produces on an average, about eight gallons of oil. There is, however, also some variation in the amount of oil produced, which likewise depends on the degree of freshness of the raw material. The fishermen are paid $4.00 per ton for dog-fish, and $2.00 per ton for offal. During the past few years, fish scrap has been com- paratively cheap. The farmers have been given the first offer to buy the scrap, and it has recently been sold to them at $20.00 per ton f.o.b. Reduction Works. When sold on a commercial basis, it is not sold by the ton, but on an analytical basis. The Department has received prices when it has been sold in such a way, bearing from $30.00 to nearly $40.00 per ton. As the serap is rich in nitrogen, it brings a comparatively high price. For instance, in 1913, an analysis of the serap showed it to contain,— Moisture, 3.87 Nitrogen, 10.80 Phosphoric acid, 3.90 The total amount of oil produced at Clarke’s Har- bor and Canso, the only two works that have been op- erating in recent years, last year was 18,752 gallons. The cost to the government of maintaining the works during the fiscal year which ended on the 31st of March Last, was for Canso, $19,449.51, and for Clarke’s Harbor $11,120.78. These amounts include cost of necessary repairs. Many assert that the operation of the Dog-fish re- duction plants has not been a commercial success. To this the reply is made that the Department of Ma- rine and Fisheries when it established the works sim- ply had in view the destruction of the Dog-fish in or- der to help the fishermen, and to demonstrate to the FISHERMAN January, 1915. publie that the reduction of Dog-fish and fish offal into commercial products is commercially feasible and beyond a doubt such has been done. It is therefore to be desired that if the government of the country will not undertake to earry on a policy of expansion in the matter of establishing more plants, that private capital should be induced to come in and take up the business, and thus help make for the fisherman a pro- fitable industry out of what is now a great hindrance to the successful pursuit of his calling. AID TO HERRING FISHERY. Adoption of Norwegian Methods May Prove Beneficial. As the result of a conference which took’ place on December 7 between the Biological Board of Canada and Dr. Hjort, the noted Norwegian fishery expert, the Canadian herring fishery may be revolutionized. At present this branch of the fisheries is in a rather poor way, the catch being of no great consequence, the fish poor and the packing much open to criticism. Much the same state of affairs existed in Norway a few years” ago, until under the direction of Dr. Hjort, the in- shore fisheries were abandoned, the fishing fleets going out a hundred miles, where they caught more and bet- — ter fish. Dr. Hjort came to Canada at the invitation of the — Biological Board, and has been conducting an investi- gation in the Maritime Provinces with a view to deter- mining to what extent the new Norwegain method is applicable to Canada. fisheries. just now from the standpoint of Canadian fishermen, who have lost their market in Germany through the war and their markets in South America and else- where by reason of the financial depression. At the same time, the war has. practically stopped the her- ring fishing in the North Sea, and to some extent in the Baltic, so that there is likely to be a heavy in- crease next year in the demand for Canadian fish. MAN-EATING SHARK. A great many persons are of the belief that sharks, no matter what their size or species may be, do not kill or even attack human beings; some authorities de-— clare the man-eater will only attack the human form when it is motionless; others that it will not touch a human in the nude, only those that are dressed. A friend of mine residing at Pensacola, Fla., resents all — these declarations, and affirms that the shark of twelve feet or more will attack man or woman under all econditions—the body being still or in motion, nude or fully dressed. He writes me: — human beings are killed and eaten annually by sharks. I personally witnesed the killing of one man by a shark, and aided in killing the shark. The body of the man— that of Thomas Ashe, pilot of the schooner Wallace A. — MeDonald, sailing in Florida waters—was cut com- pletely in two and sank in fifty feet of water. ' its career. The shark may not molest human swimming in shallow water or attack surf bathers, but it is certain that the species will attack man in deep water.’’—Chas. Bradford, in Outdoor Life. His investigation may lead to the adoption in Canada of the system which has pro- duced a tenfold inerease in the value of the Norwegian The proposal is of exceptional importance ‘Hundreds of — eye . . . After biting its victim the shark was about to devour the parts of the body when a well-directed harpoon ended — alia Ph et aad S == a January, 1915. CANADIAN By CAPT. (This article, by a famous Gloucester skipper, will be of special interest to Canadians—illustrating as it does _ Gulf fisheries in the early days.) In 1848 there were several vessels fitting for North Bay ‘‘hooking’’ trip and one, a new craft named the *‘Juanita,’? had been chartered by Joshua Pool, the captain. I had been ‘‘shore fishing,’’ but was look- ing for a chance to go to the ‘‘Bay,’’ and so applied - to the captain for a berth. _ Their complement was full, however, except a cook, and he offered me that place if I cared to go, with an extra ten dollars as an inducement, the boys, of which there were three, should do most of the work. The _ boys received eight dollars a month, being hired for the trip. All of the crew, mostly young men, came _ from Rockport, and after a lapse of sixty-seven years, _ their names and faces come back to me as clearly as _ though it were but yesterday. _ . The members of that crew were Joshua Pool, captain; Lemuel Clark, who had commanded many craft, sail- __ ing from Cape Ann, Moses Hoyt, George Pool, John - Derbin, Warren Knights, N. Roberts, George J. Tarr and myself. The boys were Lane, Keen and Gee. cS ‘We sailed for Boston, where we loaded barrels, salt, __ ete., for the trip, also obtaining stores which were of the cheapest kind possible to get; rusty pork, the poor- est quality of ship bread (no butter), though vessels _ earried it usually at that time, whole bean coffee, which _ had to be roasted and ground; plenty of beans, which had to be cooked a long time to make them eatable, and a quantity of worm eaten dried apples, made up the larger portion of our stores. We also had a quan- __. tity of cheap beef. No Variety of Food. None of the vessels of that day had any great variety _ of food as is found on the craft of these times, but _ the food on this trip was exceptionally poor in quality, ___ being the cheapest that the market afforded. _ Finishing the loading of barrels, salt, stores, etc., we sailed for Rockport, where we took on the last few things necessary for the trip. _ We took no bait, though menhaden were plentiful, and what we needed could have been caught in a few hours by the crew, as was done by other craft. Our passage down was uneventful, we stopped at ‘‘Steep _ Creek,’’ where the Rockport vessels went for their wood and water before going into the ‘‘Bay,’’ the old- _ fashioned fireplace consuming much fuel. _ While lying at McGuire’s one of the crew went aboard the schooner Constitution, which was at anchor _ there, and coming back, reported that ‘‘they had but- ____ ter on the table.’’ (I mention this to show how changed are those times from the present.) _ _. Going into the ‘‘Bay,’’ we sailed along the Cape Breton shore to East Point. The North Bay is prac- ___ tically an inland lake, being almost entirely surround- ; ed by land, with Nova Scotia and Cape Breton on the south, New Brunswick on the west, separated by the _ Straits of Northumberland, which are some 10 miles _- aeross, from Prince Edward Island, which is some 100 sah FISHERMAN MY FIRST MACKERAL HOOKING TRIP TO NORTH “ey | BAY IN 1848 SYLVANUS SMITH (‘‘Gloucester Times.’’) » miles long. The island is quite low, but good farm- ing country for such crops as can be grown in that latitude. On the north is the coast of Labrador, with the is- land of Anticosti, some 80 miles long by 40 miles wide, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river. Then the Magdalens, a group of several islands, about which are to be found banks and shoals, some of the finest fishing grounds in the world. We tried for fish at East Point, baiting hooks with pork and catching some fish, which were ground up for toll bait for mackerel. After procuring all we desired, we went to the Mag- dalen Islands, where later I made many fine catches and caught some mackerel, but they were so thin and poor we used them for toll bait. From here we sailed to ‘‘Bank Bradley,’’ and found some mackeral, but small and of poor quality. At Bon Adventure we saw a great deal of shipping: when navigation opens in the spring, great fleets of timber- ships might be seen going up into the St. Lawrence River. The island is a landmark for miles around, and sighting the island, these craft shape their course for the mouth of the river. In looking for mackeral, we visited grounds which were new to most of us, going up into Gaspe bay and Gaspe Basin. There is a fine harbor here, capable of sheltering a great number of vessels. It was from here or rather at this place, that assembled or ren- dervoused, the fleet of transports which under the con- voy of men-o’-war, later sailed Canadian troops for the present war. A friend who was on a business trip there this summer, told me that it was a grand sight as these transports passed down the bay, just pre- vious to sailing. _ We anchored in the deep harbor at Gaspe Basin, tak- ing on a supply of water. There are few places in the North Bay where water can be procured easily. While here the crew gathered blueberries, and these were quite a treat for us. From Gaspe we went to Point Misco where we found very good fishing. Point Misco makes the South side of Bay Chaleur. The land on the south side is in the Province of New Brunswick and is good farming land, while that on the north side is in the Province of Quebec, high and mountainous. It came on bad weather and we went to Pasebiae for aa this was the headquarters of the Jersey Fishing ) Bay Chaleur is a great Bay, 60 miles deep with the town of Bathurst at its head. A great deal of lum- ber was shipped from here in those days and in the spring of the year was quite a busy place, the harbor presenting a pretty sight with its many timber craft. Fishing off Misco, we harbored in an easterly, at Shipegan, on the south side of the bay. Considerable farming was done here, also lumbering and we saw a ship loading with deal, or lumber, for England. At this place, some of the erew being ashore, found where potatoes could be purchased cheaply, but the skipper would not buy any, thinking to spite the men. 10 CANADIAN Just Cleared the Breakers. It was the custom, when on the fishing grounds, to take in the mainsail and jib at night and ‘‘jog.’’ The first watch went aft and received his orders from the captain ‘‘to jog’’ and when to place the vessel on tne other ‘‘tack,’’ but the skipper said so much, as was his custom, that no one could understand him, and when the next watch came on there was no word ‘“passed,”’ so we ‘‘jogged’’ all night on the same tack, coming very near running ashore, discovering the breakers just in time. I recall one occasion, we were fishing in the bend of ‘‘the island,’’ (P. E. I.), and mackeral were biting quite freely; the skipper began finding fault with the watch for being so far off shore. ‘‘Skipper’’ Clark as we called him, who was on ‘‘watch,’’ told the cap- tain that he could not see as it made much difference, as long as we were on plenty of fish whether we were near the shore or not. With that the captain or- dered the jib hoisted and stood to the land. There was plenty of fish in closer also, but it began to blow heay- ily, and we had great difficulty in getting off shore. As it was, we lost our jibboom and mackeral with jome of the ‘‘gear.’’ Even then we should have been piled up on the shore if the wind hadn’t canted. An Incident Off East Point. After this we fished around East Point. I recall an incident that occurred while we were lying at an- chor at this place. A boat came alongside with po- tatoes for sale, but we could not get the captain to buy any. The captain’s brother was in a craft named the ‘*Tam-o-Shanter’’ and while the skipper was visiting his brother, we exchanged tea, which was rather poor stuff, and a barrel of salt codfish, for two barrels of potatoes. I recall that these were small, red affairs, and were ealled by the natives ‘‘Scotch Apples.’’ Some of the crew were so eager to have a change of diet that they peeled some of these, and ate them raw. The skipper was much surprised at dinner, when he saw the potatoes on the table, but I noticed that he ate a good sized dish of them. The voyage was coming to an end, however, and soon after we hoisted the jib and kept off for Canso and then home. The trip had been an unpleasant one. With a new vessel and a fine crew it should have been otherwise. We were all glad to get home again. Great Change From Then to Now. There is a great change in the manner of. living and in the conveniences of those days, and in the present time. In the old style craft the entrance to the cabin was from near the ‘‘after’’ hatch, the chimney and fireplace being by the stairs, on the starboard, or right hand side. The cooking utensils were few and: sim- ple, consisting of a large iron pot, Dutch oven, frying pan, coffee boiler and several tin basins for table ware, tin soup plates, together with knives, forks and spoons and yellow mugs. There was no sugar, butter, raisins, ete., which would have given us a little variety on this trip in the ‘‘Jun- iata,’’ but even with a lack of these and many other things which are considered necessities now, we could have been satisfied with a different ‘‘skipper.’’ On our arrival home from the Bay we found the wharves filled with mackeral, a great ‘‘school’’ of large ‘nackerel had ‘‘struck’’ along the shore on August 5 of that year, splendid fat fish, and of a much better quality than ours, which were sold at a very low price. FPISHERMAWN January, 1915. We got very little out of our trip, and this was a great disappointment to me as I had planned to get a few weeks at a private school and perfect myself in the three R’s. As it was, I took to a dory instead. Memory of Mates is Clear. Sixty-six years have passed since that trip but the memory of it and the crew are so familiar to me as though it were yesterday. The ‘‘skipper’’ Josh Pool, was one of those old fish- erman school masters, going fishing summers and teaching the three R’s during the winter months. Af- ter giving up fishing he went to Vineland, New Jersey, where he died. During the last few years of his life he led a hermit’s existence. Clark, one of the members of that crew, died at home I am told. Hoyt went to California during —— craze in 1849, working his passage out in a ship went around the Horn. Several of the erew of this ship were from Rockport and several had been masters” of ships. On the passage out, some of the officers _ to ‘*haze’’ the crew (as was the custom in many of these deep water craft) and it is said that Hoyt, who was a big powerful fellow, went aft and told the ca that they shipped to work the vessel and their duty at all times, but they were not going to is polish brass and swab decks. It is related that he also told the captain that if the officers laid their hands on any one of the crew that it — was as if they had struck the whole. Hoyt never came back to Rockport. During the Civil war he enlisted in a California regiment, and it is supposed that he fell in.a battle, at least nothing was afterward heard of him. ie George Pool also went to California, going around the Horn in 1850, but his stay was short there. He en- listed during the Civil war, and was drowned at Roan- oke Island. sf Derbin was drowned; falling off the Chelsea bridge. Knights died at Pigeon Cove years ago, while . another member of that crew, died at his home in — Lanesville. Saree ect: The three boys have long since passed away, the late George J. Tarr being the last except myself of that gg the ‘‘Juinata,’’ making that trip to the ‘‘Bay”’ in 1848. Recalling the events of that trip and neste ; were members of that crew, the scenes and faeces come — to me over the sea of time and it seemed well to review them before the curtain rings down and the voyage of life is ended. : CATCH WAS WORTH $1,000 PER WEEK. One thousand dollars a week for twenty-two conse- cutive weeks was the earnings of the @ bares ney, N.S., for bunker and supplies previous to her vinia was not high-liner of the quintet of English traw- lers operating this Fall on our coast, for the - to carry her across the big pond, greatly exce Calvina’s catch—Sydney Herald. which also called here last week for coal and ‘supplies a the Before giving advice prepare to stand from under. The money of a miser never acquires the talk habit, — ay Sa ee Se a ene ~ ae * hy ; tray ler a ‘ Calvinia, Captain Kay, which called ‘at North — ee journey to her home port in England. And the Gal- = January, 1915. Who’s Who in the Fishing World ‘The fish business is very interesting it is even fas- cinating; it is a world by itself, a world that appeals to all the crafts of mankind. There is speculation in it for the gambler, color and lines for the artist, ro- mance for the imagination, and wealth for the indus- trious business man.’’ Thus spoke Mr. J. A. Paulhus, of the D. Hatton Company, Montreal, to a question put by a Canadian Fisherman representative, and this pre- face is characteristic of the man. Oman A’ D'T AN It discloses a poetic mind tried to a business atti- tude. We are told that Pierpont Morgan was fond of writing poetry in his youth. Many clever financiers and economists have at some period of their lives shown a foible for romance, literature or art. Our ““Who’s Who’’ of to-day can be ranged in that cate- gory. He is a literary man of some merit. He has literary taste, and has even the temperament of a man of letters. The many articles of fiction, essays, and impressions, which he has written, show a deep know- ledge of the art, besides the use of an extensive vocabu- lary of choice expressions, quite uncommon in a busi- ness man. He writes in the French and English lan- guages, with almost the same ease and effectiveness. During the last decade he has certainly done as much as any living man to draw the attention of the general community to the possibilities of the fish busi- ness and fish industry. His periodical visits to fish centres in the most remote places and his continued studies on fish life, added to his own observations from nature have enabled him to speak and write with au- thority on the matter. We believe that the radical change which is now taking place for the better in our oyster industry is due, in a great measure, to his de- votion to this cause. His vigorous appeals to common- sense and reason have at last killed the evil of pro- erastination and routine. Having traveled extensively on this continent and abroad, his keen observing mind, helped by a good memory has given him a faculty to appreciate men and events with a certain wisdom and originality. He has decided ideas of his own on what he has seen and heard. Though easy and even humorous in general conversation with intimates, he shows shyness and reticence among strangers and ner- vousness. when speaking in public. He is an optimist by nature, enthusiastic and of very progressive ideas. The firm of which he is the managing partner was founded by his late associate, Mr. Daniel Hatton, in the year 1874. It was then known as D. Hatton and Com- pany. Mr. Paulhus entered the firm in 1889, as junior clerk, and became partner 15 years later, and for some years before the late partner’s death he was actually in charge of the business. Besides being one of the pioneer houses in the country the D. Hatton Company is also one of the leading ones on the continent, and their house on Bonsecours Street, Montreal, is better known than. the. street itself—as well known as the Bonsecours Church and the Bonsecours Market nearby. It is a landmark, and a very busy place all the year round. They are neither curers nor producers of fish, but general receivers and distributors—really a fish exchange, where the products of the seas converge periodically and are from thence distributed. Our ‘‘Who’s Who’’ is also greatly interested in real estate, and other industries. His property, known as the Barclay Islands, in the Jesus River, will certainly FISHERMAN 11 become one of the most sought for spots for summer residences, owing to its peculiar position and favorable distance from the city. Mr. Paulhus is a life member of the Club Canadien, Montreal Reform Club, Canadian Club, Chambre de Commerce, and St. John the Baptist Society. Though he has never been to the front or seen any active ser- vice, he is a soldier of the Liberal Party in polities. Mr. Paulhus was born at Ste. Victoire, Richelieu Co., Quebee, in 1868. After attending the village school for some time, he was sent to Sorel College and afterwards to Varennes Commercial College, where he gained his diploma for proficiency in business matters and won the Governor-General’s medal for highest merit in the Colleges of the Province of Quebec. He was married in 1909 to Teresa, third daughter of the late Charles Blundell Rimmer, formerly of Lydiate Hall, Laneashire, England. Simple in taste and manner, he spends his leisure time at home, with his books, or an occasional even- ing at his club with some of his old friends. He is a genial host and most entertaining. He enjoys the beauties of nature and revels in the delights of country life at his summer residence in St. Rose. He is particularly fond of teasing fish with the rod and line and boasts of having caught almost every known specimen from a minnow to a whale. He ae- tually viewed from the deck of a whaler the capture of a large cetacean off the coast of Newfoundland. Mr. Paulhus has been 25 years in the fish business, and we hope. to see him as many more, for the bene- fit of his firm and of the general fish community. 12 CANADIAN Newfoundland’s Fish Industry and the War By J. W. MeGRATH. The great step that the British Empire took in the war seemingly spelt ruin to the people of her oldest Colony, Newfoundland. Fully four-fifths of New- foundland’s population depend entirely on her fishing industries for support, whilst to the remainder of the people a great or small fishery, higher or low prices prevailing in foreign markets for fish, have a very real meaning. At the commencement of the war some hun- dreds of thousands of quintals of cod fish were waiting to be marketed, thousands of cases of lobsters were similarly waiting to be sold, whilst smaller amounts of salmon and herring had not yet been shipped to their consignees. From her insular position all exports are conveyed in steamers or vessels. The proximity of hostile warships at the beginning of the war placed ev- ery cargo of exported produce in extreme jeopardy, and exporters were naturally timid in shipping, and ultimately they were prevented from shipping through the great jumps in insurance rates attached to all for- eign consigned cargoes. The greatest consumer of Newfoundland cod fish, Italy, was apparently a nom- inal enemy; the dubiety of her attitude was sufficient to prevent any cod being shipped to Italian customers. Fishermen who had held back their fish before the war, expecting higher prices, now rushed in panic to sell—in vain. Down, down went the price, and fish, which could not be had previous to the war for $7.00 a quintal, was now eagerly offered for $3.00 a quintal. The prospect was anything but encouraging. Fisher- men saw hard times before them. Fish exporters felt shadows of collapse. Business rallied. Italy was not likely to participate in the war. The trade routes across the Atlantic were safe. Norway, our rival com- petitor in marketing cod fish, found her fishing grounds in the North Sea subjected to severe limitations, owing to their proximity to the theatre of naval warfare. Norway’s necessity was Newfoundland’s opportunity. The accumulation of fish in Newfoundland began to be disposed of, and more than this, a demand, due no doubt largely to Norway’s inactivity, was created. Just as the price had declined, so it rose from $3 till it reached $7 again, and whilst market quotations to-day give this figure, yet not a few shipments have been made at a higher price. The causes that sent our eod fish declining in value operated more disastrously with the lobster; but the causes that restored normal prices to our cod have not done likewise to our lobsters. Before the war, agents for foreign firms offered $25 per case (a case holds forty-eight one pound tins), but packers were slow to sell, being confident of an advance in price. When the war came, nearly all lobsters were in the hands of the packers. | The price of $25 fell to $8 in a few days, but even this figure for a time found few purchasers. That the price did not ultimately right itself as in the case of the cod is due to one great rea- son. All Newfoundland lobsters have for years found a ready market in Germany, and the work of replac- ing these markets by others elsewhere, cannot be very quietly accomplished. About the middle of November the Board of Trade of St. John’s were notified by the French Government FISHERMAN January, 1915. that it was prepared to purchase our lobsters. Since that time lobsters have risen in price, and the tendency is for a still greater advance very soon. Altogether the prices for all our fish continue firm. The demand seems to be constantly maintained, and prospects for the future are, to say the least, favor- able. RESULTS OF SEA FISHERIES OF CANADA FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. The complete results of the fisheries for the current | year will not be known for some time yet, because the official year does not end till the 31st of March next. From the monthly records kept, however, the follow- ing indicates what success has been attained through- out the months, April-November, in which fishing op- erations are largely carried on:— The weather on the Atlantic coast during the months of April, May and June was rough and most unfavor-— able for fishing. Ice remained late in the harbors and bays, so that lobster fishing was a month later than usual in opening at many places to the eastward of Halifax. Fish were abundant on the fishing grounds, - and with good fishing weather in July and August good catches were secured, until the inevitable dog-fish and the scarcity of bait put a stop to successful opera- tions. Notwithstanding these adverse conditions the am- ount of fish landed on the Atlantic Coast, during the period from April to November, and the value of the catch in first hands are greater than for the same period in the preceding year. The catches of cod, had- dock, pollock and sardines all show considerable in-— creases over last year. Those of herring and mackerel, — however, are rather less than in the year before. From the opening of the lobster season in November, © 1913, till its close in August, 1914, there were 154,441 cases canned, and 78,781 ewts. shipped fresh. During the preceding season there were 153,815 cases canned, and 93,536 ewts. shipped in shell. Since the opening of the oyster season in October last till the end of November there were 20,917 bris. taken, compared with 20,292 brls. for the same period last year. , The salmon fishing on the Pacific began under fav- orable weather conditions in the month of June, and continued to be prosecuted with success, notwithstand-— ing wet, unfavorable weather later on. As the present ' year constitutes what is known as an off-year on the Fraser River, the quantity of salmon taken and the value of the catch are much less than in the preceding year, which was the big quadrennial year. Owing to this fact the total value in first hands of © the fisheries of Canada, as far as can at present be judged, will be about one and three-quarter million dollars less than the value of the production in 1913. SCOTCH HERRING BEING SOLD IN GERMANY. ‘Tis a commercial age—war or no war. A Stettin (Germany) house reports the receipt of a large con- ~ signment of Scotch herring, via Norway. Of course an English house was the consignor, and it knew that Germany was the eventful consignee. Business is. business, and even belligerents should be permitted to eat,—Fish Gazette. a ~ January, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 13 THE CONSERVATION OF THE LOBSTER By A. J. CAMPBELL. Seotia, where the Biological Board of the Department The accompanying pictures show the natural pond and enclosure at Long Beach, Digby County, Nova of the Naval Service are conducting research and ex- : 3 Berried Lobsters.—Lobster to the right shows eggs a hatchino: T.ohbster to the left lavine acoc 14 CANADIAN perimental work in the lobster industry. They have acquired this pond for the purpose of caring for ber- ried lobsters purchased from the fishermen during the fishing season and retained until the beginning of the close season. This scheme serves a double purpose. The seed lobsters are preserved from dangers and an excellent opportunity is provided for scientific research in the habits and development of lobsters and for ex- periments in hatching them. FISHERMAN January, 1915. The enclosure, which has been built in the natural pond, is 114 feet wide at one end and 220 feet wide at the other, and is 245 feet in length. The station has now been in operation for two seasons. During this time upwards of 1,000 female logsters, each over ten inches in length, have been purchased from the fisher- men, kept safely and fed for several weeks in these comfortable quarters and afterwards. given their liberty. A distant view of the Long Beach Lobster station THE WAR AND THE PORTUGUESE FISH TRADE WITH CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. A eurious effect of the war is its bearings on the future of the fish trade of Newfoundland and mari- time Canada. The war has revived the ancient alli- ance between Great Britain and Portugal, and a re- sult has been that a discrimination made by Portugal, for many years against fish from Newfoundland and the Canadian maritime provinces has been removed. The products of this region are now admitted to Por- tuguese markets on an equality with those of all other countries. Until hostilities began the chief beneficiary of the conditions existing was Norway, which, because of general trade with Portugal, enjoyed an advantage in the matter of duty charged on dry fish entering Por- tuguese harbors, equivalent to from 25 to 35 cents per quintal of 112 pounds, according to the fluctuations in the rate of exchange. This gave the Norwegians suffi- cient advantage to permit them to undersell the New- foundiand and Canadian product. Representations had been made several times by the government of Newfoundland and Canada in an effort to secure the removal of this handicap, but withaut avail until after the war began, when the desired alterations were made. One reason for the discrimination was the objection of Portugal to the custom on this side of the Atlantic of applying to certain wines not produced in Portu- yal the name of port wine. The Portuguese govern- ment claimed that the word port could be applied pro- perly only to wine from that country. Reciprocal concessions have been made, Canada and Newfound- land agreeing to Portugal’s terms in this respect. The imports of wine to Newfoundland last year am- ounted to only about 3,000 gallons, valued at $5,000, whereas the exports of dry codfish from Newfound- land to Portugal amounted to 200,000 quintals, valued at $1,250,000. Next to Brazil, Portugal is the largest purchaser of the Newfoundland commodity. It is expeeted that similar coneessions will be secur- ed from the Spanish, Italian and Greek governments in the near future and that the foreign trade in codfish will be greatly increased next year, CANADIAN > - Wholesale Fish Prices, Montreal Markets Nes - (Quoted by D. Hatton Company.) Fish trade has been very active the present month, yut a lull of a few days is expected during holiday Stocks held in provision of winter trade are not too large. It is feared the early cold spell we are hav- ~ ing might interefere seriously and perhaps close en- tirely the fishing on the east coast for the season. This - would eut short the supplies of frozen haddock, codfish, - haddies, fillets, ete. : To sum up.—The year that is ending now has been is increasing in popularity. With the return of eace, which we hope will not be too long to come, fish trade can look in future with optimism and con- ce. Smoked Fish. dies, 15 Ib. boxes new .. .. .. ..per lb. $ .07% dies, 30 lb. boxes .. Se per: lb. 207 dies, Fillets... eye per. 1b. \ddies, boneless, 15 and 30 Ib. boxes.. .. _.08% ‘ar. Bloaters, 60 in box, Selected .. .. .. 1.20 . John’s Bloaters, ae race sce rs -Kippered Herrings—Selected .. .. .. .. -. 1. Kippered Herrings—Other brands ..s.. .. .. 1.20 ‘Smoked Herrings—large size, per box 15 1oked Herrings—medium, per box.. .. .. _ .20 Smoked Boneless Herrings, 10 lb. box .. .. 1.10 Siseoe Herrings, a basket 15 lbs... .. .. .- +30 Fresh Fish. aperiam. 2.46 16 slong. per Abs: +13 .14 OP AD.) woe .12 Pu et a per IW: hss -10 aber aper Ips: 05 .051% ee .. .-per lb. .04% .05 ei bb per Ib.= 0644: 07 ies) Saper 1D, ye Salle sey a4 POP LD. 16 Meet a4 te aOR LD 12 Gea oer pee 1D 11 Geechee se POL AD; .12 eet Ae ID .08 pale .. .-per lb .10 itetesios On SED -10 EU ea es sDOR ID 10 re Bans c-':...petib. .06 .06% eer ata srietig sited: a oper: Ib. «04 0414 “gia for the fish business. It is evident Fish as | ood Malpeque shell oysters, ordinary, per bri. . . Malpeque shell oysters, caraquets, per bri... leita Wer PATTOL ey rie ei oe ae Ss 3% DEUsselN: DOr DALTOR Fie iis a ek a FISHERMAN 15 Tommy: 0608 2.2662 oes. per bri. 2.00 Smelts, extras 10, 20, 25 ..... per lb .15 Smelts, medium to large per lb <1 Smelts, small .. .. .. per lb .06 Canadian Soles .. per lb .07 Blvie- Reus vee ee ase per lb. .16 Be Striped Sea Bass, large .. ..per lb. .15 16 MOA= Proul sing oc taees per lb. .10 10% White fish, large .. .. ... per lb. .10 10% White fish, small Tulibee per lb. .06% .07 Lake Trout, large and medium per lb. .10% _ .11 Dore, dressed or round.. .. ..per lb. .08%_ .09 Pike, dressed and headless... ..per lb. .06% .07 Pike, ‘round. .=.5:. . ..per lb, .054% _ .06 OG eure ube: ote es DONE IAD. .10 NnAG.'S IDE BACK. lG susie lak rae > Cleon .08 BON WO LOB. CINE lias guste a aotaiie. ia ee .20 Pickled Fish. Salmon, Labrador, Tierces 300 lb... .. 20.00 Salmon, Labrador, Bris. 20 Olb. .. 14.00 Raimion: 35.65 DEIBs Sie bc we ace, ca 13.00 Mee ARPOUt EIB ec na teers son a $ 12.00 Sea Trout, half bris., halves.. .. . 6.50 Mackerel, N.S., Bris. 200 Ib... .. .. 12.00 Mackerel, N.S., Hf. Bris. 100 lb. .. . 6.75 Mackerel, N.S., Pails, 20 lb. .. 1.50 Herrings, Labrador, Brls. .. 5.50 Herrings, Nova Scotia, Bris. .. .. 5.25 Herrings, Nova Scotia, Half Brls. . 2.90 Lake Trout, Half Bris. . : 6-00 Quebee Sardines, Bris... .. .. 6.00 AIS WGb, MPU oi so Se hse, Pee ve ale se ea 14.00 Salt Dried & Prepared Fish. No. 1 Green Cod, large, per barrel .. .. .. 10.00 No. 1 Green Cod, medium, Brl.. 9.00 Nos t--G@reen 00d, SMA Bil cc eee oa ces 800 No. 1 Green Cod, Haddock, medium, Brl... 8.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Pollock, Medium, Brl. .. 7.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Hake, medium, Brl... .. 6.50 Quebee Eels. large, per Ib. .. .. .. .. .. 07% Dried Codfish, med. & small 100 lb. bundle .. 7. Dried Hake, medium & large 10 Olb. bundles 5.50 | Dried Pollock, medium & large 100 Ib. bund. 6.00 Dressed or skinless codfish, 10 Olb. case .. 7.25 Boneless Codfish, 2 lb. blocks, 20 lb. boxes .08 Boneless Codfish, strips 30 lb. boxes .. .. .. ra! Shredded Codfish, 12 lb. boxes, 24 cartons, 4 TO ROMMIION, MOK Sees oe ce hones ca $6 a ND Bulk Oysters, Clams, Etc. Best Standards, imp. gallon... ........... 1.40 Solid meats, imp. gallon . 1.70 Selects, best, imp. gallon . ; 1.80 Selects, solid meats, imp. gallon .... . 2.00 Best clams, imp. gallon .. .. .. 1.50 Best Scollops, imp. gallon . 2.00 Best prawns, imp. gallon . 2.00 Best Shrimps, imp. gallon .. .. .. .. .. .. = 2.25 Oysters pails, 44 gal. per 100... .. .. .. .. 1.10 Oysters pails, 4% gal. per 100... .. .. .90 Oysters pails, 1-16 gal. per 100 .. .. .. .. .70 Sealed best standards, quart cans, each .. .. .35 Sealed best selects, quart cans, each .. .. .. 45 Oysters, Clams, Mussels ae Shell Fish, Crustaceans, te. Cape Cod shell oysters, per barrel... ...... 8.50 Malpeque shell oysters, selected ©.C.I., brl.. 11.00 Malpeque shell oysters, selected J.A.P., bri. 9. Crabbe Ssss 16 CANADIAN 0-0-4-6-4%% Cxy’> O > 7 ROOD OY S OHS SOS haba > ——,, FISHERMAN _ January, 1915. $e, OO yee TEETESE - y = SS recroreprenrertoninc THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES CANSO, N.S. (Special Correspondence. ) Since my last month’s report, blowy weather has continued to greatly handicap the shore fishermen, though not to so great an extent, as last reported. On the favorable days, fish are being found in increas- ing quantities and indications are good that the big haddock schools will not forget to visit us as usual at this season. A record fleet, many from outside points such as Dover, Queensport, Eastern Harbor (or Cheti- camp) and P. E. Island, has temporary headquarters here, in trim for the following up of Canso’s winter fishing, the fame of which is becoming known far and wide. The steam-trawler Rayondor, Capt. Olsen, last week brought in a trip of about 130,000 Ibs., 100,000 of which were haddock. She fishes for the Maritime Fish Cor- poration branch here. : On December 4th; J. D. Cowie, of Marine and Fish- eries Department, arrived here in company with John Dillon, local Fishery Officer, and at a public meet- ing in Oddfellows Hall, carefully explained the objects and main features of the new Pickled Fish Inspec- tion Act. A small but fairly representative collection of fishermen and others was present, and listened with great interest to Mr. Cowie’s simply-worded explana- tions. The speaker first pointed out the object of the act, and the advantages which must accrue to those making use of it, and gradually to the entire industry. The required standard for barrels with the various classes and grades of fish and the work and duties of inspectors were also explained, and those present went away with a clear conception of the scope, meaning and advantages of the new legislation. Mr. Cowie dwelt on the fact that the Department intends to widely ad- vertise this ‘‘Crown’’ brand both at home and abroad, and that therefore to derive any permanent results, the inspection must be rigid, and nothing of a farcical nature permitted. In this connection, the writer read with hearty approval the comments in the December issue of the Pacific Coast correspondent of the CANA- DIAN FISHERMAN. The Government should _ be careful to appoint as Inspectors men who understand their business and will do their duty and not mere peanut politicians; otherwise, the Act will be likely to become another useless statute, and wise legisla- tion brought into contempt. In reviewing the fishing industry of Canso for 1914, it is the very pleasing task of the writer to record an advance over past years—a high water mark in the total export shipments of fish products, The, following figures, obtained from reliable sources, may be yet increased somewhat by the end of the year. Tons. Exports via Mulgrave ...... . 6,100 Other Exports by Water :— Fish: Oso 2 eee eee 200 Bish Glue) eos ese einai es 7 Fertilizer: 52.239 Ge ao eee 300 Pish? 3.25503. (Se ee 1,200 Total .. 7,875 Comparing the above figures with those for 1913, a substantial increase is noted as follows for 1913:— Tons. Exports via Mulgrave .. 5,314 Other Exports :— Fish Oil ..(cstasee ae tec eer 250 Fish’ @lue=....32. 32 pete es eee 75 Wertiliget 35k hineaee ts 350 Bish. pao on eee 1,100 Total: Ss. 1ayieiecwets se eee 7,089 This increase is most satisfactory in view of the fact that 1914 has been characterized by an unusual total of rough, windy, or otherwise unavailable fishing days. Of course, in an important fishing centre, such as Can- so, where many different branches of the industry are being worked under differing conditions of seasons and markets, all departments will not show the same degree of progress. Some may even witness a great advance in the same period, where others show a de- cline. Therefore, to give a clear idea of the period under review, the writer will now go back to th be- ginning of the year, and briefly summarize, to the best of his knowledge and ability, the essential features of each important line. A little later than the middle of January, the win- ter haddocking came to a close, with a most satisfac- tory showing. High-line stocks had been the order of the day and price of $200 per ewt., ruling during the most productive period, gave good returns to the catchers. The first week of January was the banner one—the crews clearing from $25 to $100 per man, and the catch for the week totalling about 800,000 Ibs. Fish plants were busy day and night, icing, boxing, smoking and otherwise handling and finally shipping off the fresh and smoked products to the consumer. ~ With the winding-up of the winter-haddocking came the annual ‘‘lay-off’’ spell. February and March are always non-producing months, so far as the actual catching of fish is concerned. The icy breath and cold hands of winter forbid activity of that kind. The spearing of eels through the ice for home use is the most attempted. However, the energetic fisherman usually finds a good deal to oceupy most of the time. During these months, ice-houses are stocked by the various fish firms, netters and trappers get their gear CANADIAN in shape for the coming spring schools and those who engage in lobstering find plenty to do in fixing up old pots, making new ones and getting in general readi- ness for the arrival of the open season. The ice-crop stored in 1914 in Canso exceeded that of any previous year. _ The spring lobstering must be labelled as more or less a failure. The season legally opened as usual on April first, but actually nothing was done till well along in May. The presence of ice and unseasonable climatic conditions was the cause. The open season in this vicinity is legally supposed to close with the end f June, but in recent years, extensions of a fortnight or so have been frequent. Contrary to the usual cus- tom, however, the 1914 season was shortened by ten days, thus closing on the 20th of June. As I have said the result of the season’s work was disappointing, the high price being the sole redeeming feature. The lob- ster hatchery was busy, as usual, though a little late getting into its working swing, because of the late opening of the catch. The unprecedented ice-blockade of April and May while interfering greatly with the operations of the Atlantic bankers (about 80 being held up here at one _ time) also, of course, hindered the shore trawlers. - Th traps at White Point enjoyed some record-break- ing results from the closing days of May to end of - June. Splendid fares of haddock, cod, mackerel, etc., - were landed. The price of spring mackerel ruled very ___ low, large catches of tinkers on American coast being blamed for this. _ The summer months brought good returns to the _handliners and shore fishermen generally. One Canso boy, fishing alone in a motor-boat, cleared well over $80.00 for the week ending July 11th. Of course, such an excellent week’s work was above the average. Prices ruling at that time were steak cod $2.00, cod _ and haddock $1.25, pollock 60c. _ Swordfish appeared on the coast in force as usual about the first of August. This branch of fishing, though young in years at Canso, has developed wonder- ____ fully, and become one of prime importance. The Am- __erican market (by the way, there appears to be prac- _ tically no Canadian market for this fish) was slight- ly low, but a great many fishermen by shipping their own catches derived the full benefit of it. The fall and winter months up to date have been marked by exceptionally rough weather. conditions. Weeks of blowy rough days with only an occasional one suitable for setting, have handicapped the shore fleet badly. And not only the trawlers but fall mac- kerel netters also felt its effects, though among the latter some individual good hauls were taken. The market unfortunately was very unsatisfactory. Dog-fish invaded the off-shore grounds about the lat- ter part of September. About first October the Re- _ duction Works opened and were kept more ‘or less _ busy grinding up the invaders. The totals of Oil and _ Fertilizer exported are shown by table above to be somewhat smaller than last year. __ The Robinson Glue Company commenced operations for the year about mid-June and is still busy turn- ing out the ‘‘Crusoe’’ brand, which they claim ‘‘sticks everything but the buyer.’’ _ Since October 16 the town has been enjoying electric light supplied by its own plant. Many of the fisher- _ Men can now bait up, when using the bait-sheds, by this modern means of illumination, instead of the old flares and lanterns. a Er ec a FISHERMAN 17 The various fish firms, from all accounts, have en- joyed a satisfactory year’s work, though some chang- es and additions have’taken place in their ranks. The North Atlantic Fisheries suspended operations here in June, but Mr. A. W. Fader, their branch manager here,from the start, remained and went into business on his own account. Portland Packing Co., formerly dealing in lobsters only enlarged the scope of their business to include other lines. J. W. Sproule, a for- mer merchant here, also recently re-entered the ranks. Up to August, the Maritime Fish Corporation han- dled the fine fares—mostly halibut—of the Albert J. Lutz and other bankers. On August 3rd, the Grimsby steam trawler Rayondor arrived in port and has been operating since for that firm, making port each week- end, generally with big trips. A very large fleet (to which my notes for the month refer more fully) is now here, equipped, and hoping for a record wind-up to the year’s work. The CANADIAN FISHERMAN has asked of me not only a review of 1914, but also a word as to fu- ture prospects. No role is so unprofitable, unless in- dulged in with great circumspection, than that of the prophet. Weather conditions and the ups and downs of markets play a large part in determining the re- sults of off-shore fishing and are difficult to forecast, but one may venture to state a few probabilities based on present conditions. As to the winter fishing now on, unless a sudden and early change develops in climatic conditions, the season must be written decidedly poor. Let us hope not, however. The outlook for next spring’s lobster- ing, as a consequence of the war, seems rather gloomy, but many things may happen before then, to brighten the situation. As to the general outlook, there is no special reason to look for any disastrous lagging in the steady steps of Progress, to which Canso has be- come accustomed of late years. On the contrary, let fishermen, fish merchants and citizens, all inspired by a sane, practical optimism, prepare, hope and strive for the realizing of a new record—a greater-than-has-been in Canso’s fishing operations during the new year about to dawn, and that very attitude will help toward the desired goal. CHATHAM, N.B. (Special Gorrespondencee. ) The fishing business in this vicinity has been fairly satisfactory. The catch of codfish was perhaps hard- ly up to the average, but good prices were got by the fishermen, and prices were maintained, so that export- ers had a reasonable profit on their turn-over. The salmon business was an average catch, but prices on the foreign markets were low. The mackerel fishing was good; prices were low, which has caused an in- creased consumption, and the goods that were frozen are moving off readily at the present time. The catch of lobsters was hardly up to the average. In this vicinity there was a very severe storm that militated very much against the fishermen and the packers ; after the pack was all completed, war was de- clared and a large quantity of canned lobsters as a result, was left in the hands of the exporters. Ger- many is a large consumer, and that market was com- pletely shut out. We think canned lobsters have work- ed off in a satisfactory way under present conditions, although there are considerable quantities still on hand in the hands of the exporters, but we do not 18 CANADIAN think that the pack was quite up to the average, and had it not been for the war, a great many orders would not have been filled in full, so that we do not think there is any quantity of canned lobsters on hand that will militate to any extent any further reduction in price. Prices have been fairly well maintained, and the goods are going into consumption in a limited way, and while price for next year will be somewhat lower than last year, still we do not believe that any great quantity of lobsters will be carried over into next year, that will make next year’s prices so small as to be unremunerative to the fisherman and packer. The fact that lower prices are anticipated will curtail the fishing and the pack for next year. The important thing for lobster packers to do is to see that their pack is first-class in every respect, and to conserve the industry by strict enforcement of the close season. It is to be regretted that although the canning of lob- sters is considered a hazardous industry, because of the increased cost of production and the lessened pack each year, that notwithstanding this, poaching is done, although the Government have officials to prevent same; it is to be very much regretted that this does not appear to be sufficient to stop the canning of lob- sters out of season. We are informed that lobsters canned out of season this year are placed on the market at the present time in unlabelled. tins at about half their value. These are being peddled to the retail trade and sold in unlabelled tins. We are persuaded that if the packing of lobsters out of season was stopped altogether, and strict enforce- ment of the law during packing season, that the lob- ster industry could be maintained at its present pack per annum. If the Government will stop fishing after the season, and stop issuing indiscriminate _ licences, which privilege is overdone and abused, the industry could be maintained on a business basis. DIGBY, N.S. (Special Correspondence. ) During the latter part of November very rough wea- ther kept the boat fishermen in the harbors most of the time and few fish were caught. Bait also was very scarce and at one time was costing the fishermen $25 a hogshead. December opened up with fine fishing wea- ther and what boats were lucky enough to secure bait had excellent fishing for a while, landing about 40,000 Ibs. mixed fish here in one day. One boat fish- ing from Centreville stocked $100 to a man in two days’ fishing. Since then and at the present time the usual Fall and Winter weather is prevailing here and there seems to be the usual quantity of fish in these waters. In last month’s FISHERMAN there appeared, un- der the ‘‘Piseatorial paragraph’’ section, a compari- son of the amount of Clams shipped from the Anna- polis Basin during the past and present seasons. There no doubt was a typographical error in printing the amounts which read, ‘‘1,000 barrels and 300 barrels respectively.’’ This should have been 10,000 barrels in 1913 and 3.000 barrels shipped in 1914. This de- crease in the amount of clams shipped from this vicin- ity may at first give one the impression that the clam beds here were becoming depleted; but such is not the ease. Conditions of the market were wholly re- sponsible for the decrease. The United States is practically the only consumer of these clams, and they FISHERMAN January, 1915. have had a great quantity this last season from Ips- wich, Mass., and also from the extensive artificial beds at Plymouth, Mass. Consequently the demand from Nova Scotia was curtailed; but the clams here, if any- thing, are rather more plentiful this year than ever before. ; The off-shore fleet have not had excellent fishing by any means during the past month on account of ra- ther severe weather and scarcity of bait. They have landed here as follows :— Lbs. S.8.‘*St: sheonard’ "25 teen 232,883 Schooner ‘‘Dorothy M. Smart”’ .. 104,567 s ‘““Doroythy G. Snow”’ . 94,340 ‘« “Toran B. Snow” . 71,180 a ‘. 2 4,277 Hake Sourids, bags... 0,0. 3 §52 Dulse; barrels oe ee, Ts Glue Stock, barrels .. .. .. 2. 2. fe ie | Cod “Oil, barréiga. 28 Fish Waste, barrels . 2,783 Salt: Herring, barrels... 0s 58 5,475 Fresh Salmon, cases .. ... .. 03. 3. Cit: Bloaters,; boxes (7 ote ee 2173 - Pickled \Cod, cases; 2 2 Ce 68 Cod. Pillets;: boxesiy) 7 os 10 Bresh: Cod, Gases: 053) 15° Fresh Haddock, cases .. .. .. .. 9 Fresh ‘Pollock, cases) i238 vee 22 Albacore, cases.. .. 2... 600 Periwinkles, barrels .. 104 Dry Pollock, quintels oe vi - isd 46 Fresh Mackerel, barrels. . 9,728 5° Seallops, barrels. . bp elses 45% mturgeon, -CASGs 8) yee a eee 16 Fish Skins, barrels .. pee an 576 Alewives, barrels .. 5... 2.06. 44 be Swordfish, cases (3 4 ea 263 Fish: :Oil; “barrels. * g6055 Cg 36 Butter: Fish; barveleys 220s “ove ar) Pickled Codfish, cases .. .. .. .. 10 Tongues, barrels 00606 2b as 14 Dry Salt Cod; drams, <<. pa 1,376 FLresh Whitefish, barrels.. .. .. .. 13. Dry Haddock, quintals .. .. .. .. 140 Fish Clippings, barrels .. .. .. .. 36 Smoked Herrings, boxes .. .. .. 20 Smoked Fillets, boxes... .. .. .. 25 Smoked Kippers, boxes... .. .. .. 12 Dog-fish Oil, barrels . 122 LUNENBURG, N\S. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Since my last report the market for Dry Fish has strengthened up quite a bit and a number of cargoes have been purchased by Halifax and local shippers at the price per quintal of about $6.50 for codfish, leaving about twenty cargoes or thereabouts, say in round figures one quarter of the catch still in the hands of the producers. The ideas of the holders above referred to are for even higher prices than CANADIAN , 1915. and they appear to base their ideas on the short ‘of codfish in all the producing centres, and the that the French Government has prohibited the of all food stuffs, which of course includes fish, the latter fact having already had a tendency to ‘strengthen prices in Newfoundland for the fish suit- » for the Italian and European markets, thus re- the West Indies market of a certain quantity of wihch would otherwise have had to find an out- there. The result of the year’s fishing will not be equal to ~ that of last year, as the total catch was much smaller, ‘both on the spring and summer trips. Still some of the vessels will have fine dividends, others not as much, and it is more than likely that all the vessels engaged will pay their bills. The outlook for the next season is very encouraging, s all the present stocks will be worked off, leaving the markets in good shape for the new catch, and the t will probably be nearly equal to that of last year, d some of them will likely be going away early and shing frozen bait as in the years past. It must be remembered, however, that any unexpected change in the present war situation would very quickly put a _ very different face in the position of affairs, but we do look for anything of that kind to turn up. NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. ‘The fishermen of Northern Victoria continue to reap an immense harvest from the industry, and with not vestige of ice or other winterlike signs in sight, the imediate future, at least, has in store for them con- tinued prosperity. Almost daily since last Wednes- day the steamer Hilford, Capt. Thomas Ormiston, has taken cargoes here from Ingonish and vicinity, all of hich was transferred on cars at the Terminus and shipped to the Ontario market. During the past week ‘it is estimated that upwards of 150,000 pounds of fresh fish was shipped in this way from Northern Victoria County. In many instances individual fishermen net- ted $100 a day.—Herald. SOURIS, P.E.I. (Special Correspondence. ) With reference to fishing in this locality, herring fishing in the spring was only fair, so also was the - eod fishing, and haddock fishing—about an average ‘season. The lobster fishing was very good, prices were high and most of the packers got clear of their stock before the war broke out, thereby receiving full prices for same, but a great many of the shippers were caught with a lot of goods on the other side on which they are likely to meet with a considerable loss, as well as having to carry them over for some time. LIGHT PRODUCING FISH. ‘It is well-known that certain kinds of fish in the ea are able to emit light. These fish are not very merous, but they share in their phosphorescent power a feature which ranges through almost every class of the animal kingdom. In the sea vast numbers of the smallest animals, Protozoa, are in numerous instances phosphores- cent, and produce a luminosity which is often wide- = ean and has created interest in all ages. When 1e sea is phosphorescent, every vessel cutting its way rough the waves by night leaves a track of scintilla- FISHERMAN 21 ting fire, and every wave that breaks produces the same brilliant effect. ; Jelly-fishes or Medusae, are in many cases brillian- tly luminous. Amongst the the sea-worms (Annelids) quite a number as they creep about on the bottom of the sea, glitter with phosphorescent rays, each joint of the narrow body apparently emitting light. Among the colonies of Hydrozoa, often mistaken for plants or seaweeds, the small animals which compose these colonies are able also to produce luminosity, and one of the greatest authorities of life in the deep blue sea, Sir Wyville Thomson, of Edinburgh, de- clared that one of the most beautiful sights imagin- able was that of a forest of these branching animals washed by the waves and every wave producing an emission of luminosity. Some of the shrimp tribe have light-producing organs, usually situated in the tail, and of course, insects, such as fireflies and glow- worms, are familiar to everyone for their brilliance on dark warm evenings. Amongst the higher ani- mals, however, this light producing power is far less frequent. Some sharks possess it, and quite a number of the bony fishes, or Teleostei, have light-producing organs.—Prof. Prince. ALASKA HALIBUT BEING SENT EAST VIA PRINCE RUPERT. Halibut caught in Alaska waters by American schooners has commenced to find its way to the eastern markets through the port of Prince Rupert, Capt. D. McKenzie, master of the G.T.P. steamer Prince George | said that the train which pulled out from Prince Ru- pert last Wednesday for the east carried two carloads of Alaska fish, consigned to Boston, Mass. Vancouver and Seattle have been fearing for some time an inroad of this nature upon their fishing busi- nesses. In the past the schooners have had to make the long voyage from the Heeate strait and Alaska fishing banks to either the Terminal City or the Sound port to discharge their catches. But now they can slip into Prince Rupert and have their fish rushed to the eastern markets, and thereby eliminate the two- day run to either of the southern ports. This inroad into the business of Vancouver and Seattle, while not of any great force or strength at present, is bound to develop in the near future. Prince Rupert is already counting on a great business with the American and Vancouver schooners, and the G. T. P. has plenty of refrigerator cars on hand in order to handle the fish as rapidly as possible. Halibut can be landed in Boston from the banks via Rupert fully two days faster than by way of either Vancouver or Seattle, | naturally it is in better shape upon its arrival there. The shipment of halibut which left Prince Rupert last Wednesday consisted of 47,200 pounds. Through Prince Rupert the Alaska fish goes in bond the same as from the southern Canadian ports, so that there is no advantage gained by the carrying of the catches south. The immense fishing opportunities of Alaska in common with those of the northern British Colum- bia coast will find in Prince Rupert the most advan- tageous route by which to ship to the markets of the east. The trade is but beginning. It isn’t always the winner who wears a winning smile. Don’t worry to-day; put it off till day after to- morrow. 22 CANADIAN FISHERMAN January; 1915. ic. © USE ay THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) Fishing on the Pacific has been rather quiet this last month, owing to the big run of salmon and other staple fish being over. There is sufficient fish being caught to supply the local and up-country markets, but we all want to see Canadians eat more fish, as it will be to the benefit of all concerned. Smoked Fish. Dealers in Vancouver ask for a sample barrel of mild-eured haddock, and if any of our eastern readers can supply this, information may be obtained from the office of the Canadian Fisherman, 912 Dominion Bldg., Vancouver, B. C. ’ As anticipated, smoked fish is becoming more and more popular with this trade, and now with the var- ieties we can put up, we are seeking expansion of mar- kets and think it is a matter of only time and educa- ting people, before there will be a very large trade in this particular line. Pickled Fish. Pickled fish is very scarce from Alaska to Puget Sound. As our local trade does not consume much of this pack, consequently very little is put up during the season. Many fishermen and dealers have the idea that there is a market somewhere for these goods and they are right in their assumption, but until we can give the trade goods packed according to the rules laid down by the New Pickled Fish Inspection Act, we can- not hope to do much. There were some herring packed and shipped under the rules laid down by the above Act this past season, and many more barrels would have been shipped but for the fact that the particular herring required were very scarce this season. However, our fish have had an entry to the markets we were seeking and have been most favorably reported on, and prices realized that would surprise herring packers in Eastern Can- ada, Salmon. About the only fish offering now in the fresh state are Steelheads and Red-Springs. Stocks of frozen fish, such as Cohoes and Qualla are very limited, and stocks are not likely to be more than the trade will require. Herring. Shipments of dry-salt Herring to China have been somewhat larger of late and better than expected, in view of the general financial condition in the Orient. Herring used for this trade are a small Nanaimo fish, which are used for practically nothing else. The local market has been supplied with fresh herring, but only just sufficient to take care of orders and to supply the smokers. In fact fields, outside of the usual ones, have had to be cabled to to fill requirements. Halibut. Supplies are very limited and any fresh goods of- fering are eagerly bought up at prices considerably beyond that of last year. Of course there are one or two days in the course of a month when a large centre like Seattle will have several boats in at the same time, and this tends to lower the market a little but only temporarily. Frozen Halibut is going to be gilt-edge stock this year, and ‘‘carries-over’’ ought to be very limited. Cod-Fish Handlers of Boneless Fish are buying supplies this year, more and more from San Francisco and Puget Sound, although they all believe in the slogan (Made in Canada), still when it comes down to placing orders and prices, they seek every time the best prices they can. The above packers being long on Codfish this . year, and having three outlets considerably limited, have been quoting very cheap fish up here. I be- lieve that one San Francisco firm has been placing orders for 2 lb. boxes of Boneless fish at 1 cents per lb. duty and freight paid Vancouver. tees Shell-Fish. Owing to the house-wife having made up her mind to buy only necessities this year, the sale of oysters has been considerably less than that of other years. Crabs and local oysters are in fair supply. The local oyster being a small one is very suitable for such ‘Hors. D’Oeuvre’’ as Oyster Cocktails, a most delic- ious appetizer. Winkles are associated with English Bank Holiday trippers. We have all seen the usual stall at these popular seaside resorts, where one may buy these wink- les and have thrown in a large pin to eat them with. Winkles are now fo be had on the Pacifie Coast and fine fat ones too. From personal experience, I know that winkles are nice dainty eating, and for this reason if any readers of the Canadian Fisherman eare to have samples of these, I will be pleased to touch with the dealers. Mild Cured Salmon. The situation remains unchanged, except that two New York houses have had buyers in the market, and orders have been placed for a few cars at prices con- siderably below that of ordinary esasons. As I said before the mild-cured salmon business has been af- fected in the same way as the lobster business on the Atlantic, owing to the fact that Germany is the largest importer of this class of goods. Canned almon. Sockeyes in first hands are searee and prices very firm, Cohoes will remain popular and sales show no put them in. ee ae a ee ee eS ey es Ee ee og Ma in . With the winter now on us, sales should be large, and all stocks should been favored by a visit from Captain H. ' Digby, N. S., Captain Anderson is as ws the superintendent of the Maritime oration, Limited, and his name on boxes of sis an assurance that the goods are really what d states them to be, i. e., ‘‘Gilt-edge.”’ When we get an Atlantic fisherman on this Coast try to hold him, but in most cases the home-ties too strong to be broken, and we feel that it will lot of persuasion to get Capt. Anderson to abide have been very interested in Capt. Anderson’s BSSSARSRRERSSRSS BRBRSé Niides), Garrel 200 the. .... .. n Black Cod Tae . 25 te oh @ANADIAN FISHERMAN 23 SHELL FISH. Crabs (Boundry Bay) .. .... .. doz. $1.00 $1.20 DYHOUE eee a) ak ae per lb. .12 .20 Clams .. . .03 . per gal. 1.25 per doz. .25 per gal. 2.85 per gal. 3.25 Clams (Shelled) ........ Oysters Eastern (Shells)... .. .. Oysters Bulle 83s es Oysters Olympia (bulk) .... CANNED SALMON. A Review of the 1914 Pack on the Coast. The year 1914 has been in many ways a remarkable one. but in the canned goods line salmon is the star feature, according to Joseph Durney, of the Griffith- Durney Company, who says :— **While early in 1914 first hands were cleaned up on everything except sockeyes and pinks: dealers and retailers were carrying fairly good stocks, hence there was very little interest shown in salmon of any grade up to April when buyers began to purchase more or Jess Alaska reds and pinks. The year 1913 closed with all grades selling at opening prices. excepting Alaska red $1.20 and pinks 65¢, but about the middle of April the market commenced to firm up, and by the first of July Alaska red was selling at $1.25 and Alaska pink at 70ce. By the middle of July. owing to heavy con- sumption, red had advanced to $1.40 and pink to 80e, other grades advancing proportionately. “Therefore, the trade generally was prepared for the opening prices of 1914, and within thirty days af- ter they were announced 75 per cent of the pack was sold at prices from 25¢ to 45¢ per dozen over the opening prices of the previous year. ‘Considering the size of the current year’s pack, this advance in price is one of the reasons that makes the year 1914 a remarkable one, and the fact that we have broken the record for a short year makes it all the more remarkable; for while 5,000,000 cases is. the average pack for five years, this year’s pack will come very close to 6,000,000 cases. ““When we take into consideration the pack and the present situation we have every reason for calling the year 1914 a remarkable one. As for example, chi- nooks are practically sold up, sockeyes are in very light supply and, with exception of two factors, Alaska red is cleaned up. Pinks are almost a thing of the past. Packers are entirely out of pinks, the stock on the Coast consisting of a few thousand eases owned by second hands. The only grades that are in good sup- ply are medium reds and chums; but, as other grades are so closely cleaned up, the stock of these two grades, in our opinion, will not be sufficient to supply the trade until the new pack is ready for shipment. ‘Another thing that makes the year 1914 remark- able is the fact that domestic buyers have all pur- chased conservatively. There is not a dealer in the United States who has bought his usual amount or is carrying sufficient salmon of any grade to last him until the new pack is ready for shipment. “The cotton situation in the Southern States pre- vented packers from securing their usual Southern business, but this lack of trade in the South and eon- servative buying in the North was more than offset by _ the export trade, hence with the exception of medium reds and chums the market is more closely cleaned up than it usually is at this time of the year. 24 CANADIAN “From statisties compiled from all quarters we es- timate the 1914 pack as follows :— Cases. aa Se oes kins Hada ce ss hee bee ee 4,000,000 Puget Sound .. 2006.65 we eee ee te eee 650,000 British Columbia. .< -. 0-56 ce eee 1,110,000 Columbia River (Spring and Fall) .. -.- -- 500,000 Outside rivers .. .. .. 62 ee ee es 150,000 APS 21 GRR ODI ARE Nore) We cat ayread AE ane DE, 6,410,000 SEA WEED AND FISH SCRAP FERTILIZER RESOURCES OF THE US. In discussing the fertilizer resources of the United States, the Bureau of Soils, U.S. Department of Agri- culture, in its annual report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, says in part: Fish Refuse and Garbage. Following up previous investigation of the possi- bilities in the fish-serap industry of the Atlantic coast, already developed, a study has been made of the pos- sibilities on the Pacific Coast, including Alaska. The waste fish and fish refuse approximate annually 120,- 000 tons and can be made to yield about 12,000 tons of serap (fertilizer) and 3,000,000 gallons of oil, worth perhaps, $1,800,000. The Pacific Kelp Beds. The most promising American source of potash is the annual crop of giant kelps on the Pacifie Coast. Work- ing maps have now been made of nearly all the com- mercially available kelp beds from the Cedros Islands to the Shumagins, off the Alaskan coast. The area of these beds aggregates nearly 400 square miles, cap- able of yielding annually, either as dried kelp or as pure potassium chloride, over six times the present consumptoin of soluble potash salts in the United States, or something more than the world’s present to- tal production. The development of a great American industry, based on the conservation and utilization of this important national resource, of fundamental im- portance to the national agricultural interests, seems now to be a matter of time only. The best thing a knocker can do for his home town is to purchase a railway ticket one way and use it. A woman is never popular with a man who knows less than she does. A word to the wise doesn’t suffice any more: they want a surety bond. When some people have a little time to waste they annoy others who haven’t. Even a painstaking dentist doesn’t take away the pain of his victims. He is a wise candidate who sticks to his regular job until he gets into office. Telegraph operators do business on a sound basis, even if it is done on tick. Many a man who paints the town red would object if his wife painted her cheeks. Don’t wait until you are past three score and ten before beginning to make up for lost time. FISHERMAN January, 1915. SARDINES ON THE BATTLEFIELD. Their Strategic Value —Bait for Prisoners and Oil for Guns. Whatever other hardships may fall to the lot of the men who are fighting in the Allies’ trenches, there is happily no ground for complaint as to the quantity or quality of the food served out to. them. An im- portant item on the menu of the French infantry in these cold days is tinned sardines, and a couple of stor- ies published here would seem to suggest that the sar- dines under certain circumstances may Possess a strate- gic as well as a calorific value. At several points on the battle line, notably in the north and east, the French trenches are within 50 yards or so of those held by the Germans, and not infrequently in the in-— tervals between active hostilities an interchange more or les uncomplimentary remarks takes place be- tween the opposing front lines. At one such place a week or so ago a French soldier shouted across to his German vis-a-vis the information — that he and his comrades were making a satisfying meal on a ‘‘mixed grill’’ of cheese, sausage, and sar- dines. The German bluntly retorted that the French-— man was a colossal liar. Whereupon, an empty tin — was thrown at him for evidence. He admitted the — weight of it, but suggested that it would have been better had the tin been a full one. A few seconds later a tin fell a little way in advance © of his trench, and the German who was half-famished. and careless of consequences, began to clamber after — it, only to find that the Frenchman had tied a string © to it, whereby’ they were able to keep it out of his- reach. aaeee | A roar of laughter went up at his discomfiture, and — a voice adjured him that if he wanted sardines he must come to the French lines to eat them. The French officer who controls the stores says that the ‘‘Boche’” hesitated, and then came and ate, after which he was taken to the commander. ive alii On another occasion in the Vosges a French ‘‘75”’ be- gan to work badly at the moment of a German infantry _ attack. The battery commander called for oil, but — there was none to be had, except at a spot half a mile to the rear, and by the time it had been fetched from that distance it would probably be too late. At this juncture one of the gunners bethought him of two tins of sardines sent him from home. They were hurriedly — wrenched open, and the oil used for lubricating the gun, which was soon in action again. Thus was the situation saved by a savoury, and the battery supped on the residue.—Fishing News. People are unnecessarily active when they stir up — . trouble. A man isn’t necessarily polished because he casts reflections. 9 Some men can’t even head a procession at their own i B. funeral. Even the ice man may make it hot for you if you .. 2.0... Salting and Pickling Surplus BOCKSY OA. joi oa ae oe se es Technical Training for Fisher- men (Colin McKay) .. .. .. Tuna Canning (F. J. Hayward) Who’s Who in the Fishing World: Hon. J.D. Haven. : 3 ..033 4s Prof. B. Prince: ce 5 ie WAS ROUnG Nee. een prtar 1 A te CANADIAN bolelelslelelelcieiolcioloicleisicicleisisicisielsisicicicieieisicisicisivisieioieieisivicieisieivicisicieioieisivisisivieisieieieieleleleisleieleieioieleieisiolsisis 15] FISHERMAN FISH & OYSTERS ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled . and Prepared FISH in Season . O999O0 OYSTERS A SPECIALTY 200000 COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES Long Distance Telephones P.O. Box 1425 LEONARD BROS. 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, (Near Custom House) MONTREAL 099009 Branches: St. John, N.B. Grand River, Que. Gaspe, Que. Westport, N.S. Correspondence Invited beri isisioioieivieioiotsisislvivioisisivicloloteletetotoletetetotoloisioisicioteleisivivicloicisiciciolelsleieleielsisieiels is] le le Be Be Be Be Be BeBe Bo Be Bode de dodo de ede ed bh hhh hh hhh ho LL Lp nii22i.4. so fo ofe Bo oo Be ae Be oe oho on ofe he oe oe fe oho on afe oe oe oe ol oho oie oe fe oe fe ofr oe on oe oe oe of ono Peteieieleieisieieieieisisieisicicieieisieieleisisicieis] eee eee ee Ce eS ee eee SE EE Ee Era ae ares area ae eee i i ie he ie ie ie ** Thorough Inspection Before Shipment.” F. J. HAYWARD QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., etc. CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED WESTERN 912 DOMINION BUILDING he he Be Be Bc Be Be Be Be he Be Be Be Be Be Bo BeBe Me le Ba Bo Behe Bo Babe Beds Bodo deo ode dt - PEPE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EP ES ESE PEP ESEEEP EP EEE TEETH "? - FISH BROKER eee ee ee ee ee ee VANCOUVER, B.C. Boe sR che Be Bie Be Be Be Me Bo Be he Be Be Be Be Bede he de dodo de i i a a i a a ee a ee ae ee ‘Bo sBe she he he ee he ee Fo Go Fe Bo ofa fo oe Foo fo oBo oR oe Behe oho oe fe oooh = SO ee a a eee ee Se ee eee ee = r BEACON BRAND DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. oe | aig wo Cee CANADIAN FISHERMAN Bo 3 bbbbebeb bbb bbb heb bbb bbb bbb hh bh PPE EEE EEE EEE EEE DEE EE EE EEE EEE LEP EEE EE EE EE PEEE FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— So Ss Ba Be Be sho she ve oe le tek nee EP meee oes one eee ae a eee Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT | ALN. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA PEELE EEE EE EEE EE EEE SEEPS EE LEP E EEE EL EEE PEPE EE EEE EE EEE PEP EEEPE EEE EEE EEE ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS . Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines ~ in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless © Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes Sh Tee aa a ae ae ane ae eae eae ee eae ee ee ee ee ee > LEE LE EEE EEE EEE ELE LEE EEE ELLE EE EEE EEE LEE ED EE EEE EE EEE EE EE EEE EP EE EEE EE ; ’ goooonocoodoocoOocoEnoOoODooooooooNooooooooSooonoooooooooDooEooooOonoooERORoneeD ecto a : a g Everywhere im Canada Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies| 3 8 Gateway Brand Boneless Fish s q oe in 7 Gateway Brand Threaded Fish i 8 f ATEW ly F at KI ask fi or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod 3 8 ees , Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish sz q 8 | YARMOUTH, N.S. oe 8 66 9 ie at er : GATEWAY’ Brands of Fish : pie itt iti lilt tittle leit teltets on THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO. Inga a a - a - - . Wholesale and Commission Dealers in a a 4 E S Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited PEPER EE PEELE ELEL EL EEE PEPE EEE EEE EEE E EEE EEE PEPE EEE EEE PEPE PEPE PEPE PSHE PEELED EE EEE EEE EEE PELE PEEP EEE EE PEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EES PEEPS EEE EES ‘ CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAZ q FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Fr ier 62033; Fronti 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. EEEEEEEEEEEE OOO OEEEEREE EEE EEE EERE EE EEE EEE EPEP EE OOO SO OPFEPEREE EEE EEE EPS SE SSS SSE Vol. I. MONTREAL, FLERUARY, 1915 ce hee GeMAGAZINE & CANADA'S “COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. CANADIAN FISHERMAN filatroen SHA KOODS | Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade : : ; ; : : : ; + : : : : : : : Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. THROUGHOUT CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. EEE EE EEE EEE EEE E EEE EE EE EEE EEE ER EEE EE EEE EEE PEE EEE EEEEEE EEE EEE Q ANADIAN FISHERMAN 33 . — nays — DOGO OOOO —_— =e * =n Exceptional » Angling Opportunities fi are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one W that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. SRROOPIOO PRONE Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. xs ROC Oc On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and v the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license = a Sy a s a ia as a = | naa y Se tn Wiel “a Li G: en a be ee “4 = or e Ce ee ee See, ee Ee ent ee | . © ; ‘ . § To The Wholesale Fish Trade > : j ‘ : = * The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from 3 U Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- a 9) tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. Ow SOO PRX XOXO For all Information apply to-- THE MINSTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES OF THE PROVINGE OF QUEBEC Aa = — AY — Te ee OGIO OIIOOY 34 CANADIAN FISHERMAN Department of Marine and Fisheries FISHERIES: In addition to the full statistics of the Fisheries which are published yearly in the Annual Report, the Department issues monthly bulletins containing statistics of the sea fisheries and general information in regard thereto. Copies of these will be sent free to any applicant. The value of the Fisheries of Canada is now about $34,000,000.00 annually. The demand in the home markets for fresh and mildly cured fish, is expanding very rapidly. The Department pays one-third of the express charges on less than car-load lots on all shipments of such fish from the Atlantic Coast to points as far west as the eastern boundary of Manitoba, and from the Pacific Coast, as far east as this boundary. Over 1,000 tons more fish reached Montreal for use there and distribution to other points from the Atlantic Coast, under this arrangement last year than the year before. The growth has been equally satisfactory from the Pacific Coast to the Prairie Provinces. Close Seasons for Fish in Force on December Ist, 1913 Kiad of Fish: Nova Scotia. New Brunswick. P. E. Island. Quebec. 1 April to 15 June. 15 April to 15 June. 1 Oct. to 30 Nov. b1 Jan. to 30 Sept. Bass (Achigan) Maskinonge Ounaniche. bl Jan. to 30 Sept. Oc:. 1 to May 10 and July 1 to Aug. 31. Aug 15 to March 1. Aug. 15 to March 1. eAug. 16 to Jan. 31. Sept 16 to March 31. fApril 1 to July 1. fMarch 1 to June 30. June 1 to July Oct. 1 to Marc bl Jan. to 30 Sept. Oct. 1 to May 10 and July 1 to Aug 31. b1 Jan. to 30 Sept. Oct. 1 to May 10 July 1 to Aug 31. ‘ April 15 to May 15. Aug. 1 to April 30. (neteing} Sept. 16 to April 30. angling) ) led Trout. Salmon Trout. . Whitefish Kind of Fish: Ontario. Alberta & British Columbia. Bass (Achigan) Maskinonge Ounaniche Quahau uahaugs Pickerel” al5 April to 15 June. 15 April to 15 June. fengling) Speckled Trout... Salmon Trout Whitefish. cApril 15 to May 15. Sept. 15 to April 30." hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. Sept. 15 to Nov. 19. iSept. 15 to Dec. 15. See regulations. gMay 15 to June 15. iSept 15 to Dec. 15. 3 a—Except in Lake Erie west of Pt. Pelee and around Pelee Island, where close season is May 25 to July 15. 5 Banert. 0 leased areas, where close season is from 1 July to ug. c—No close season in St. Clair River and off Lambton County. d—Except in waters north of or intersected by 54th parallel north lat. between eastern boundary of Saskatchewan, and 109th meridian and in waters intersected by or north of 55th parallel n, lat. west of this meridian to western boundary of Alberta, where there is no close season, e—Except in Cape Breton Island, where close season is from Sept. 27 to May 31. f—Bag-net fishing season Dec. 1 to Feb. 15, Peat fishing season ba 15 to Feb. 15. Licenses required for bag-nets or gill- nets. g—-Siarason fishing ele ag until Jan. 1, 1916. h—No close season in Lake Erie. i—Except_in waters specified in (d) where close season is from 1 Oct. to Nov. 30. For British Columbia See Regulations. aera The Industrial & Educational OLAS St, Alexander St. - Montreal "CANADA Vancouver Office - 912 Dominion Bdg. - VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR Press, Limited v7} THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED _ TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES _ OF “ANADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE _ FISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND SUBSCRIPTION: Canada, Great Britain and United States. . sanesses: SRO Bleswhheee 655 io oa vec cee cee eas (ORM payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects of practical interest. If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. = — Vol. II. MONTREAL, FEBRUARY, 1915 No. 2 CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION : A MOST IMPORTANT MOVEMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF CANADA'S FISHING INDUSTRY For some time past, a number of persons interested in various branches of Canada’s fishing industry— fishermen, distributors, and retailers—have endeav- ored to promote an Association upon organized lines for the better understanding and development of the great national resource of the Fisheries. A meeting was held in Montreal recently for the purpose of discussing ways and means for the pro- motion of such an organization, and the whole-hearted enthusiasm of those who attended almost guaranteed the necessity and assured success of an Association up- on lines laid down as follows :— The objects for which the Association shall be estab- lished are :— (a) The protection of the interests of Vessel Owners, Fish Curers and Packers, Fish Merchants, Boat Own- ers, Fishermen and all persons engaged in the pro- duction and distribution of the Fishing Industry of Canada and allied industries. The legal enforcement of their just claims, the due representation of their interests and requirements, the promotion or opposition for their benefit of legislative measures, and the promotion of a co-operative spirit among all en- gaged in Canada’s Fishing Industry for their mutual benefit. (b) The securing of just and fair rates for the transportation of fish, the enforcement of prompt de- liveries and the reduction of high rents and tolls. (ec) The promotion of improvement in Fishing me- thods, curing, packing and transportation; also in har- bor accommodation, navigational and other aids for fishing. (d) The prevention of frauds upon and by those engaged in the several businesses mentioned in Clause (a) or any of them. (e) The collection and circulation of statistics or other information relating to the several businesses mentioned in Clause (a) or any of them. (f) The organization and dissemination of informa- tion of an educational nature among producers, dis- tributors, retailers and consumers to the benefit of the industry in general. (g) The consideration of all general questions which affect the interests of those engaged in the several businesses mentioned in Clause (a) or any of them, or which in any way relate to the Sea and Inland Fish Trade or Fisheries of Canada, and the carrying out of the decisions arrived at. Copies of the proposed By-Laws and a letter outlin- ing the movement were mailed to some two hundred persons directly engaged or interested in the fishing industry, also to the Ministers of Fisheries in the Fed- eral and Provincial Governments. Among the numer- ous replies received, we reproduce the following: 36 CANADIAN Department of the Naval Service, Canada. Office of the Minister, Ottawa, January 25th, 1915. Dear Sir,—I was much pleased to learn from your circular letter, which reached me a few days ago, that so much progress has been made towards the forma- tion of a Canadian Fisheries Association. The need for such an Association has been obvious for a considerable time, and I am confident that it will prove of great assistance in developing the fishing industry and the fish business of this country. The progress that has been made reflects much credit on those who have un- dertaken the project, and I am hopeful that it will meet with the success it merits. Yours truly, J. D. HAZEN. Department of the Naval Service. Ottawa, January 25, 1915. Sir,—Please accept my thanks for your letter with regard to the formation of a Canadian Fisheries Asso- ciation. It is very gratifying to know that such pro- gress has been made in the matter, and there now seems no room for doubt that the efforts that you and your associates are putting forth will be crowned with success. There can be no question that a great deal can be done by such an Association, in developing the fish business, and the fishing industry of this country.—I am sir, your obedient servant, G. J. DESBARATS, Deputy Minister of the Naval Service. Department of Public Works. Minister’s Office, Toronto, January 22nd, 1915. Dear Sir,—I have to thank you very much for your letter and for the pamphlet, Constitution and By-laws, ° of the Canadian Fisheries Association. It will give me a very great deal of pleasure to at- tend the meeting to be held in Montreal on January 30th, and if I am so situated that I cannot avail my- self of this privilege I shall be happy to send a Re- presentative.—Yours truly, T. G@. MACDIARMID. Department of Colonization, Mines and Fisheries, Province of Quebec. Quebee, 25th aJnuary, 1915. Dear Sir,—I thank you for your recent letter invit- ing me to attend a meeting in Montreal on Saturday, the 30th, which is to be held for the purpose of arrang- ing for a further meeting in Ottawa to form an Associ- ation for the protection and furtherence of the inter- FISHERMAN February, 1915. ests of those engaged in the fishing industry. If it is possible, I shall be very glad to attend next Saturday’s meeting in Montreal. —Yours faithfully, | HENRI MERCIER. Minister of Railways, Saskatchewan. Regina, January 28, 1915. Dear Sir,—Owing to Premier Scott’s absence, your — letter of recent date has been referred to me for con- sideration. In reply, I may state that as under our constivalaal the province has no jurisdiction over the matter — Fisheries we have no department of the service d ing with the matter, which is entirely under the con: trol of the Federal Shores, ‘é a very successful sgaliieei at Ottawa. Yours very ue Quebee— Dear Sir,—I am in receipt of your letter informtiag’ G: me of the project entertained by you and by some other x gentlemen, for the creation of the Canadian Fisheries Association. In accordance with your invitation gladly express my personal view of the sages which is that much help to the fishing industry be derived from the co-operation of such a body men watching over the interests of all concerned, from: the boat-owners to consumer, including those int in the curing, the packing and the transportation ‘of the fish. The Association might do much, no doubt, in the way of controlling the distribution and the price of the product, which latter should not be pro-— hibitive—lest it risk the paralyzing of the industry from its source. I think that much more ean be made of the fisheries of this Province both coastal and ; 4 inland. Dr. Adams, Dean of the Faculty of Applied alate of McGill University, addressing the Royal Society of Canada last May, said: ‘‘It is a common idea that the conservation of our natural resources meant hoarding them for the use of future generations. This is an entire misconception. Most of our natural resources are best conserved by working and devéloping them. Our forests, our lands and our fisheries, will, if pro- perly worked not only yield this generation a large profit, but they will be handed on to our suceessors in a more highly productive condition than that in which we received them.’ Except for mines, which from their very nature can: not be permanent, and are liable to be dug out and thus exhausted at any time, the above is perfeetly CANADIAN ‘the more so when applied to the fisheries, quickly renew themselves, in fact every year. should be developed to their possible limit for reial purposes, even to the extent of calling in ou ‘inland waters. - own province of Quebec offers a number of problems to those interested in the due develop- of the harvest of the sea and of our inland lakes, none, perhaps, that are more pressing than the asportation and marketing of the product of our professional fishermen. Means should certainly und for largely reducing the terrible dispropor- which exists between the prices obtained for their e by the fisherfolk of the North Shore of the wrence and the Baie des Chaleurs, and those by the consumer for similar fish on the markets of eal and Quebec; a much more serious dispropor- I venture to say, than that which may be found n the earnings of any other body of fishermen on tinent, and the retail price of their catch. . wide field of possible operations opens itself out an Association as is now proposed, and it goes saying that the benefits that will follow its or- tion will depend not only upon the commercial f those who may compose its membership, but so upon their spirit of enterprise and their deter- ination to grapple with the various problems pre- the fishing industry, in such a manner as to justice to the great variety of interests more ss intimately connected therewith. Yours very truly, S. DUFAULT, Deputy-Minister. aly commendatory letters were also received Mr. Flector Gasou, Superintendent of Fish and Quebee, and Mr. J. B. McCready, Publicity for Prince Edward Island. Space will not per- to reproduce in full some thirty or more let- industry, who were unable to be present or nted at the pag in Montreal, but the fol- tern trlands in a ‘programme such as you have . I would suggest that the organization should looked at purely from the producer’s end, but include a movement taking in the consumers of ”—Mr. W. Hamar Greenwood, Skeena River Fish- Canadian Fisheries, and anything we can do i forwarding the movement we would be pleased Fe oastuios Fisheries, Ltd., Halifax., N.S. FISHERMAN departments at Ottawa should bear 37 “T am heartily in accord with the movement, and I trust that arrangements will be made to bring it to a successful termination and that a good live Associa- tion will be formed.’’—Mr. H. B. Short, Maritime Fish Corporation, Digby, N.S. “Tt gives us pleasure to know that your Associa- tion is being formed as it will be a boon to all in the Fish Trade.’’—Reid & Haddock, Regina, Sask. “‘T will only be too pleased to assist in any way possible to help make it a suecess.’-—Mr. J. N. MeIn- tosh, Ottawa, Ont. “The organization of a Fisheries Association a think, a step in the right direction. The proposed Fisheries Association has my best wishes in tackling the many problems that confront all concerned in the carrying on and development of the fisheries of Can- ada.’’ Mr. A. H. Whitman, Robin, Jones & Whitman, Ltd., Halifax, N.S. **T am interested in this movement, and will give my hearty approval and support to any movement that will have a tendency to further the interests of the producers and dealers of fish in Canada.’’—Mr. Hugh Armstrong, Armstrong Trading Co., Ltd., Portage la Prairie, Man. “‘T heartily approve of the proposition, and I feel that the gentlemen in charge of matters are fully — capable of handling same to the entire satisfaction of all.”"—Mr. W. M. Hodge, Lockeport Cold Storage Co., Ltd., Lockeport, N.S. **T certainly think the move a good one.’’—Mr. H. A. Rice, Mayor of Canso, N.S. ‘“We feel that the aim and object of the Association merits the support of everyone connected with the fish- ing industry.’’—Mr. E. M. Robertson, Nova Scotia Fish Co., Ltd., Digby, N.S. “Tt seems to me that the formation of a Canadian Fisheries Association is a very wise move. Each branch has its own particular troubles and any central organization which may be appealed to for advice will, I feel, be heartily supported in its efforts to put the fishing industry where it belongs—on top.’’—Mr. T. W. C. Binns, Matthews-Blackwell Co., Ltd., Ottawa, Ont. “‘T was very much impressed with the views of the organization I would think that such an organiza- tion would not only prove to be of great benefit to those in the fishing industry, but should be of great assistance to the Federal Government in bringing about aids and protections to the fishing industry. Such an Association would naturally be made up of those keenly interested in the Fisheries of the Dominion and their views or recommendations to the different considerable weight. As one interested in the Fishing Industry, I wish the organization of this Association every suc- cess.’’—Mr. Seott D. Guptill, M.P.P. North Head, Grand Manan, N.B. At the second meeting in Montreal on January 30th, it was decided, in view of the encouragement given, 38 CANADIAN that the Association be organized at once, and with this object in view, the inaugural meeting will be held in the Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, at 3 p.m. on Monday, February 15th. At this meeting the By-laws will be ratified and officers elected to carry on the work of the Association. All persons directly engaged or interest- ed in Canada’s Fishing Industry are cordially invited to attend. It is the earnest wish of the Committee to have the Association thoroughly representative of the Industry from the fisherman to the retailer, and any person who may not have received a letter outlining the movement is requested to accept the invitation through these columns. The Editor of the ‘‘Canadian Fisher- man’’ will be pleased to furnish any further particu- lars. FISHERMAN February, 1915. There is not the least doubt but what an Associa- tion formed upon the above lines will have a most beneficial and far-reaching effect upon the Fisheries of this country. There will be a stimulus given to the industry: a linking up of all branches from fisherman to retailer, and a better and more cordial apprecia- tion of each other’s work. The Association is not intended to be a one-sided affair. Every person en- gaged in the industry has a right to become a mem- ber, and a right to pronounce their views. With the unanimous approval already given the Association by the Industry and Government Officials, — it is fully evident that it will fill a long-felt want, and the Fisheries and Fish Trade of Canada will be vastly benefitted thereby. ste 2 ae FEBRUARY - 1915 FISH CALENDAR Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. Sat. 21 2 22 2 9 23 a 10 17 24 4 11 18 29 ‘ 6 13 20 26 27 Ash Wednesday, 16th. Ember Days, 24th, 26th, 27th. The U.S. Fisherman’s Hospital Ship While lying at anchor behind Sand Point, Shelburne, N.8., recently, the writer, who was aboard a fishing schooner, had the pleasure of seeing the trim United States Revenue Cutter ‘‘Androscoggin’’ steam into the harbor. This in itself would be nothing unusual as revenue cutters have a roving commission, and are liable to be seen anywhere, but to fishermen, the ‘‘An- droscoggin’’ held an especial interest, as she was on her first trip as a Deep Sea Fishermen’s Hospital Ship. Sea — The cutter is an able seaworthy vessel fully equip- ped with a sick bay upon her main deck. There are six beds and an isolation ward of two beds in the hos- pital department, in addition to a completely fitted operating table and a drug dispensary. Dr. O. H. Cox, — of the U.S. Health Service, is in charge, assisted by a fully qualified male nurse. For the transfer of sick fishermen at sea, a splint stretcher can be used, and the patient transferred from vessel or dory without rough handling. There. is nothing selfish in the objects of the “Ane droscoggin’s’’ mission, She is commissioned to attend February, 1915. CANADIAN to fishermen of all nations, and Canadian fishermen wishing medical attendance have merely to fly the ensign from the main peak, and the cutter will take aboard all sick or injured fishermen and treat them un- ‘recovery or until they can be landed for hospital tment ashore. The patrol grounds for the ‘‘ Androscoggin’’ have ‘been carefully mapped out, with the assistance of sever- fishing skippers so that she will always follow the main fleet in their various journeys from Brown’ s to estern and Grand Bank. Nothing will please the promoters of this splendid ork more than the knowledge that the scheme is be- ing made use of, and we, ourselves, as Canadians, trust that our fishermen will take advantage of the generosity of our sister nation. Men with hands pois- oned by rusty hooks should get medical treatment from eutter if she is in the vicinity, as this common fish- ’s injury is a very painful and often a very dan- gerous one. Gurry sores, oilskin chafes and salt wa- boils are also common fishermen’s complaints, should not be neglected, as they often result in poisoning and disfigurement. These, and a num- ber of ‘‘main-sheet accidents’’ will no doubt constitute large proportion of the cutter’s services. _ The ‘‘Canadian Fisherman’’ heartily congratulates United States Government upon inaugurating this ‘scheme, and in the name of our industry extends thanks and every success to the men responsible for the pro- motion of a noble work. Fish for Government Institu- if tions Some time ago in one of our issues we advocated use of Canadian fish as rations to the soldiers train- in barracks all over Canada, and also for the pen- itiaries. If the various Government Departments controlling these institutions and the cone2ntration eamps of alien war prisoners were to supply fish at least three times a week to the persons under their jurisdiction it would help the fish trade immensely. Mr. Hugh A. Green, a well-known fish dealer of Saskatchewan, was in the East recently preaching the gospal of fish for Government rations. He states that there are immense quantities of whitefish in storage at orthern lake stations for which there is but little mar- . If no market can be found for them, the dealers who hold the fish are liable to suffer a total loss and the lake fishermen will be thrown out of employment. Speaking to a CANADIAN FISHERMAN represen- tative Mr. Green stated: ‘‘Last year, one of our Sas- katchewan fishing companies sold over 40 carloads of ipping it all over the Dominion. This winter y shut down all the fishing camps and threw their out of employment on December 26th. Five ecar- loads of fish were sold and they have about 25 car- ~ FISHERMAN 39 loads on hand. As soon as a warm spell comes all that fish might as well be dumped as it will be unsale- able. ‘The dealers are not selling fish now,’’ he claimed, ‘Restaurants and hotels are the chief customers of the retail fish dealers, and I could show you stores that last winter were selling $100 worth of fish a week to res- taurants that are now not selling $10, for customers of the restaurants are training for active service and are being fed on cold storage beef and pork at the coun- try’s expense. Fish is not recognised as a ration, al- though it is half the price of meat. If the military authorities would feed the men fish, the soldiers in Sas- katoon could consume a carload a week, and the men in Winnipeg two or three carloads. The closing down of the fish camps is likely to prove a serious affair to the people of the North Coun- try, especially the white men and their families, for the fishing and fur industries are the only means of subsisting. The demand for fur has dropped to nil and in consequence the Indians are forced to the fish camps. At Dore Lake there is a large settlement of Icelanders who depend entirely on the fish industry. There are now out of work.’’ Mr. Green gave some interesting particulars of the fishing industry and the methods in use by one of the firms in the North Country. During the summer months a couple of hundred men are employed making boxes and nets. Eight thousand boxes capable of hold- ing 125 pounds of fish each are required each season and the I. C. Fish Company, which has a saw mill and logging camps, manufacturing their own boxes. The netting is bought in rolls and employment is given to about 50 people making them up. This work begins about the middle of April and continues until August. In November the fishing season starts and the fisher- men who usually work three to a gang come into the company’s stores and camps to be outfitted. They are supplied free of charge with boxes and nets, and are sold provisions on credit, the company being re- paid out of the proceeds of the fish sales. A gill net is 40 fathoms in length and each gang usually oper- ates about 15 nets, boring holes in the ice of the lakes and stringing the nets. Good fishermen haul them in every day, two men working the nets while the third, splits, cleans and boxes the fish. A gang in an average season clears about $500 after paying all expenses. Many teams are required to haul the boxes into Big River and about 150 teamsters generally are at work. Isle a la Crosse and Dore Lake are the two largest shipping posts, the first being 70 miles and the second 35 miles from Big River. About a ton and a half is reckoned as a load and good wages can be earned during the season, which lasts generally until about March 1. He considers that there is a great future ahead of the North Country when it has been developed. White fish, pike, pickerel and trout are the yarieties most 40 CANADIAN common, and he had frequently seen trout weighing 35 lbs. The average weight he thought would be about 10 Ibs., while the white fish ran about 5 to 7 lbs. We are of the same viewpoint as Mr. Green, and would strongly advocate the use of more fish in the menus of Government institutions—not for the Lake fisheries alone, but also for the products of the At- lantie and Pacific fishermen. Charity begins at home and while the eattle dealers have been having their share in the supplies, we in the fish trade should insist that fish be given a show, and the industry thereby encouraged. [Since the above was written, we are pleased to re- port that fish has been added to the rations of soldiers and inmates of Government institutions. This means a considerable market for fish dealers all over the Do- minion.—Ed. ] Halifax as a Fisherman’s Port Halifax is splendidly situated as a base of supplies for the Canadian and American fishing vessels trawl- ing on the grounds adjacent to the Nova Scotian Coast. It is lo¢ated within an easy run-off distance of the Western Banks and it possesses the advantage of being an easy harbor to enter in almost any kind of weather. But Halifax, in catering to the bigger and more aris- tocratie class of shipping, ignores the smaller fry of fishing craft and evidently considers them not worth encouraging. The Editor was a member of the crew on a Canadian fishing schooner recently, and we had occasion to run in to Halifax for fresh water and fishing information. While anchored in the stream we were informed that it was necessary for us to enter and clear the vessel at the Custom House and also to pay Harbor and Pilot- age dues. This was something new to our skipper who was under the impression that Canadian owned and reg- istered fishing vessels under 100 tons register were at liberty to enter and sail out of a Canadian port with- out reporting or going through the routine of making out papers enumerating the names of the crew and particulars regarding the vessel. The payment of pilotage dues on a fishing craft seemed an unnecessary exaction, as we came in without a pilot. However, we spent a whole morning fixing up these legal papers, and when we received our clearance, the skipper reg- istered a vow never to come into Halifax again. Canadian fishermen are in the habit of running in- to Yarmouth, Liverpool, Shelburne and Canso_ for shelter and supplies without having to go through the red tape of entering and clearing, paying harbor dues and pilotage. These ports are glad to see the vessels making use of their harbors, as they invariably bring FISHERMAN February, 1915. no inconsiderable amount of money into the place in the purchase of supplies. Fishing craft are of a nomad type. They run into a port and stand out to sea again on the ebb and flood of a tide. a Customs House routine nor taxed for pilotage, which they never make use of, or for harbor dues when the anchor takes the mud but for a space of hours. Hali- fax might take the hint, and clear away obstructions of this nature. They will find fishermen’s money worth encouraging. Canadian Fish for England A market for Canadian fresh fish is opening up in Great Britain. Owing to the closing of the North Sea, thousands of British fishing craft and their crews are unable to fish, consequently the demand is’ greater than the supply. The Old Country people are great fish eaters. With them, fish is a staple article of diet, and among the poorer classes, fish, owing to — ; its cheapness, is a very necessary part of the menu, os they are going to live at all. Sixty thousand pounds of Pacific halibut eae Prince Rupert, B.C., were shipped from St. John, N.B., last week for Grout Britain. The consignment was brought from British Columbia by the Grand Trunk Pacific in Express refrigerator cars and placed in cold. storage on board the Allan liner Scandinavian at St. John. A trial shipment of 20,000 pounds was sent across last month, and when placed on sale in England, it was in first-class condition in spite of a six thousand Z q mile journey. We admire the business acumen of our British Co- lumbia fishermen in reaching out for this trade. ‘It shows a progressive spirit which might be copied ine the east. What is to hinder Eastern dealers aiionien cod and haddock across? In the Billingsgate Fish Market, London, at the i. ginning of Jnauary, dead cod fetched $1.00 to $1.25 per stone of 14 pounds. Haddock and hake fetched similar wholesale prices. Lobsters sold at from $3 to $10 for twenty. In the Grimsby market small had- dock sold for $1 with large at $1.50 for 14 pounds. With prices like this ranging there is surely a chance for some of our exporters. The fishing will be closed in the North Sea for an indefinite period—in fact until the German Navy is completely wiped out, there can be no tishing there. Our fishing fleet on the Atlantic always dwindles! down to but a few vessels during the winter months. Fresh fishing in winter calls for hardy men willing to take chances in catching fish. With the few shore boats and Bankers engaged in the work we ean use all the fish caught ourselves. The great salt bank- ing fleet 1s hauled up during the winter—about 125 of them lying around Lunenburg alone. If the English market offered profitable prices what is to hinder some They should not be compelled to go through = February, 1915.0 ANADIAN ‘The big able vessels of the Lunenburg fleet would ideal haddockers for off-shore in winter. Am- fishing, halibuting end haddocking in the same schoon- -merely changing the gear to the requirements of _work. Surely, if the market is open, our salt- ermen can switch over to fresh fishing and make a d for the trade. It is worth looking into. Piscatorial Paragraphs We are indebted to the Charles Noble, Jr., Company Buffalo, N.Y., for a very handsome calendar. In addition to its artistic value, the calendar shows very Jearly the various fish days throughout the year. * * * We sincerely hope that the United States Hospital ) will not be called upon to administer ‘‘straighten- * to those sons of the sea who feel the effects of he last shore ‘‘jag’’ has populated the forecastle with too many visionary specimens of the green snake and k mice variety. In a humorous light, we can im- agine the cutter being hailed for a drop of the need- “to save a life.’’ * * * Fishing skippers would do well to remember that — neglect to comply with the law that all dories on Bank hing vessels must be equipped with compasses, food water, is liable to get them into trouble should back into American waters to replenish their own ly. Professional inspectors, who know the ropes, overhauling all crates and seizing the live shorts. would be better policy for us to do this work on our _ own side of the line. A large Western Canada fish dealer calls our at- tion to the exorbitant freight rates charged on ship- ts of frozen fish consigned to them from the east. Even with the refrigerator car moving from depar- to destination in freezing weather, the charges icing are the same as in summer. It seems to us that there ought to be some discrimination, as paying charges on unnecessary icing does not tend to en- courage the fish business. There is an urgent need at d t for railroad men and shippers to get together promulgate rates which will be fair to each other. , * * * The off-shore fishermen of the Atlantic coast have had to contend with desperate weather ever since the _ winter haddocking season opened. In addition, the FISHERMAN 41 fish along the shore grounds has been very scarce and many of the vessels are barely paying their outfitting expenses. With the commencement of the Brown’s Bank haddocking, however, prospects are likely to brighten up. The continuous storms have played havoe with the lobstermen’s traps in many sections of the coast. IN THE MARCH ISSUE. In the March issue of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman,’’ we will publish an article on ‘‘ Winter Fishing. The Log of a Hard Luck Haddocking Trip.’’—Being a short account of a voyage taken in January by the Editor up- on the Digby schooner ‘‘ Albert J. Lutz.’’ Illustrated by photographs taken upon the trip. THE CONTROL OF QUEBEC’S TIDAL FISHERIES IN DISPUTE. A dispute of long standing between the Dominion Government and that of Quebee as to the administra- tion of the fisheries in the tidal waters of that pro- vince will come to a head next summer and as both parties are so far standing firm according to what was learned to-day, a certain liveliness may be looked for along Quebec tidal shores this year. After a lapse of sixteen years, the Federal Govern- ment, through the Naval Service Department, is ar- ranging again to administer the fisheries in Quebec tidal waters west of Point des Monts. The Provincial Government, on the other hand, contemplates retain- ing control, and as a reference of the matter to the courts has been decided against and as Quebec has no navy, no one knows just what will decide the ques- tion. At Confederation the administration of all fisheries was undertaken by the Federal Government, but after its jurisdiction over non-tidal fisheries had been at- tacked in the courts, British Columbia claimed not only the fisheries in non-tidal waters flowing through Crown lands, but those in the tidal waters as well. Pending final settlement, an arrangement was en- tered into with all the provinces except Quebec, whereby the Federal Government would continue to administer the fisheries in tidal waters. With Que- bee it was agreed that the administration of the fish- eries east of Point des Monts on the north shore of the St. Lawrence should be continued by the Federal Government, while those west of that point, as well as on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, would be taken over by the provincial authorities. Finally, in 1913, the Supreme Court and Privy Coun- cil maintained the contention of the Federal Govern- ment against the Province of British Columbia. Que- bee, however, refused to hand over the administration of the tidal fisheries it had controlled since 1898, urg- ing that the recent Privy Council decisicn applied on- ly to British Columbia, and the province also did uot favorably entertain a reference of the matter to the courts. In these circumstances, the Federal Govern- ment has decided this year to undertake the control of the fisheries in Quebee tidal waters and has so inform- ed the Provincial Government. Fishermen interested are being advised by a notice which will appear in the Canada Gazette that they must obtain licenses from the minister of the Naval Service and no other autho- rity. 42 CANADIAN FISHERMAN February, 1915. REVIEW OF LUNENBURG’S FISHING INDUSTRY FOR 1914 By AGNES G. McGUIRE. At the close of a year, the habit of retrospection be- comes almost a fixed one, and among other things worthy of review the fishing industry of Lunenburg ranks among the most prominent, as its products are among the most widely distributed of any in the world. The year 1914 will not be classed among the “‘big’’ years, but when conditions are considered in manu- facturing centres and in towns, whose prosperity in other years was unquestionable, but in which since the outbreak of the war business is absolutely flat, Av’ge per Year. Vessels. Qtls. Voyage. 1908 oo See es Sees 110 138,180 1,256 BI09 eas RT nei 93 173,582 1,866 DONO. ie peg ae ee 102 216,400 2,051 FOUL. Chae Ge eee ee, 122 216,450 1,774 R912 cs aaa ae 136 211,080 1,552 OTS oe ace teers 121 211,405 1,747 BONE oo cian eee 118 154,065 1,305 Vessels Fitting Out the majority of our fishermen should and do feel, that they have much to be thankful for. The merchants say that they find business about average, and the commercial travellers who have worked hitherto pros- perous towns without one dollar of an order from the largest stores, claim that Lunenburg is buying just as steadily as ever, and they see no diminution in the amount of goods purchased, and it may be taken for granted that they are viewing the fishing industry, which is the very bone and marrow of our town, with considerably more respect than heretofore. The following is a tabulated statement for the past en Ve@ars: ae =a wl Bic\\, eee) t B Coan at Lunenburg This shows that the catch per vessel is lower than in any year since 1908, and the difference between that of 1913 and 1914 is 57,340 quintals. Things, however, are not so bad as they would seem at first glance, as the spring catch, though smaller than in other years, brought unusually high prices, some cargoes touching the extremely high figure of $7.50 per quintal, while $7.00 was the ruling price. The small spring catch was due to the ice condi- tions in the Strait of Canso, which imprisoned the vessels for weary weeks, preventing them from reach- ing the Magdalen Islands to seeure bait. The sum- mer catch, also below the average, may be accounted a a ee ‘Sind i ae ae in a pe Tae Aine February, 1915. CANADIAN for by the scarcity of squid on the Newfoundland Coast and also that the Banks swarmed with caplin, a most unusual condition, and no wise old cod was going to be foolish enough to run the risk of being hooked with dead caplin when he could have all the live ones he wanted in perfect safety. The total bank catch was 154,065 quintals, the number of vessels engaged in deep sea or Bank fishing, of one hundred tons or upwards, being 118, with some 60 smaller craft engaged in off- shore fishing. This represents considerably over one million dollars in floating property. The fleet car- ried 2,600 men and the loss of life for the entire sea- son was a blessedly small percentage. . The fishermen have hitherto been handicapped by life insurance companies demanding an additional pre- mium for a so-called sea risk. The Lunenburg fish merchants protested against this form of insurance, and proved their case so clearly that several of the companies have cancelled this additional premium, thus placing the fishermen’s insurance in the same class and rate as the men on shore. FISHERMAN 43 again the governments of these countries sought the removal of this barrier, but without avail until after the war began. The reason, or rather one reason, for this discrimination sounds to us rather childish. It was the objection of Portugal to the custom on this side of the Atlantic of applying to certain wines, not produced in Portugal, the name of port wine. The Portugese Government claimed that the word ‘‘port’’ could only be’ properly applied to wine from that country. Canada and Newfoundland have fallen into and agreed to Portugal’s terms in this respect. The imports of wine to Newfoundland last year amounted to 3,000 gallons, valued at $5,000, whereas the exports of dry fish from Newfoundland to Portugal amounted to 200,000 quintals, valued at $1,250,000. Next to Bra- zil, Portugal is the largest purchaser of Newfound- land fish. It is expected that similar concessions will be secured from the Spanish, Italian and Greek Gov- ernments shortly, and that the foreign trade in ecod- fish will be greatly increased in 1915. As already stated, the spring catch brought a high a —_— ~ Shipyards and Marine Railway, Lunenburg, N. S. This seems to be a year of rectifying discriminations in the fishing industry, as the war has brought about the revival of the ancient alliance between Great Bri- tain and Portugal with the result that a discrimina- tion made by the latter country for many years against fish from the Canadian Maritime Provinces and New- foundland has been removed. The products of this region are now admitted to Portuguese markets on an equality with those of all other countries. Until hos- tilities began, Norway derived the greatest benefit from the existing conditions, which because of, general trade with Portugal enjoyed an advantage in the mat- ter of duty charged on dry fish entering Portuguese harbors, equivalent to from 25 to 35 cents per guin- tal, according to the fluctuations in the rate of ex- change. This advantage enabled the Norwegians to undersell Newfoundland and Canadian products. Time and time - ? £ a . - ee ela price, but when it came to marketing the summer catch the outlook was not very encouraging. The anxiety in regard to safety of freight, the increased rate of in- surance and several other conditions caused a slack demand and kept the prices down. Conditions have changed, however, within the last few weeks, and a large percentage of this catch has been marketed at a good price. The first cargoes bringing $6.15 with the later ones going up to $6.75 per quintal. This will net the lucky ones a good pro- fit, although there will be some of the fleet that will not meet expenses. It is felt that the matter of out- fitting should be conducted with more regard to econ- omy, as the expenses of the cuisine are perhaps a little bit overdone. Business has been rather quiet with the holding out for high prices, but when the cargoes began to change hands in the past weeks of 1914, the loca/ 44 CANADIAN banks conjugated the verb to hustle, as the men from FISHERMAN February, 1915. The following is a statement of the fleet for 1914 :— %4 of a ee a ae ke a all parts of the county filed in to have their cheques vessel. Captain. Quintals. eashed. : : Muriel B. Winters—Winters .. 2,950 Money circulated freely after that in purchasing Gladys B. Smith—Smith .. .. .. «- «1 ++ «++ 2,900 gifts for the wives and sweethearts as the Lunenburg Burton L. Cook—Cook .. .. .. +. -. «+ «. 2,750 = % ni : Delanawa—Cook .. 2,500 fisherman is a lavish spender where his women folk Gjintonia—Mack .....-. 2.250 are concerned and the best is never considered too. Granite—Richard .. .. .. .. .. 1... 2,150 good for any home. ce B. coe o's Sie Sadia pew ee ramen ae 2,120 * evenue—Mossman ,. .. .. «+ os e+ os 2,100 . TY ae eae ee + eae have been Warren M. Winters—Silver .. .. is 2,000 . ept airly usy, a arge number of new vessels be- J. W. Margeson—Conrad .... .. * 1,950 ing built for the fleet with quite a few smaller craft Harry W. Adams—Zinck .. . «2860 for shore fishing. The new vessels were for the firms rong L, Hirtle—Hirtle . + 1,925 of Robin, Jones & Whitman, Adams & Knickle, Zwick- Ment, nua oe aig : i er & Company and W. C. Smith & Company. Lauretta Frances—Spindler .. .. i. 1,780 A large part of the fish this Fall have been packed 7. M- Toro Corkum «» + s+ 0+ s+ + ++ Ts and shipped from Lunenburg, thus affording employ- iy é MeKay—-Dichi. ram J iss ment to a goodly number and keeping the coopers Annie M. Spindler—Spindler .. .. .. 1) 1,726 busy manufacturing packages. The getting out of W. T. Wight—Knock .. . ++ 1,720 ship timber for the yards is another source of rey- wae i Ltacnsineame eee y ++ ee enue, the very highest prices being paid for that and 4 B. Walters—Walters ae ears oh ihe boat building materials. This alone circulates thous- Earl Grey—Corkum .. .. .. .. 2. 2. ee ee ee ee es © 1,678 ands of dollars. ee ee Be 6A jd eee Tel raat la wie al anaes 1,650 4 Despite the diffleulties that beset the freighters, ties mo minaé- Rihana... quite a number of our vessels have been chartered to Golden West—Gelson .. .. -. «ss + ee ee ee oe ee © 1,576 q Oporto and other Mediterranean ports to carry dry ftasksRittoy +. a+ + 76th ot sr es ee 1,550 fish from Newfoundland. Others are engaged in the jyrg ve sft Ge Se ho ee ie Leon Newfoundland herring business for American mar- Marion Adams—Knickle .. .. .. s+ e. ss ce ss se 1,560 kets, so that the earnings of many of the men have Conto-—Frale: ¢ 666 esigebeel else cee eee eee ee 1,525 been considerably increased in what is considered a Sa ilin “Weacraes: we hails on : — OF os 06. 66 08 bie 20 8 eee hard winter. : : Uda A. Saunders-—Spindler |... i... 35 6c be ce oer 1,500 The off-shore fishermen in their up-to-date motor Eva June—Schnare .. .. .. 6. 6. ee ee ce ee ee ee ee ~—-1,500 boats are busy supplying the local markets with fresh: . Millie Louise—Birnat o4.(00 6.) 49 ens es ok es ee epee 1,500 cod, haddock, ete., and lobsters, the latter though <4 peste ME eae Se oe SO ee pet: ae small, bringing a good price, and as the weather has Nordica—Mason .. .. 1. ss ee ve ee ce ce ee ee ee ee 1,400 been calm through the intense cold, the lobster men Viola May—Wentzell .. .. 1,400 have had better luck than for many years. The past Winifred—Ernst ....... 1,400" few winters with their incessant storms, s dh ee ee — ) 1 2 L , Seemed tO Lewis H. Smith—Westhaver .. 1,400 bring this trade nothing but disaster, for as soon aS Jennie EB. Ritcey—Ritcey .. . 1,400 the cages were lowered gales would spring up, scat- Benevolence—Corkum .. .. 1,400 tering the traps far and wide, and the disgusted fish- %'@0k Adams—Creaser .. .. .... .. . bebe y 2 Percival F. Parks—Parks .. .. .. meee 1,850 ermen would see the results of their labor piled up Hazel L. Ritcey—Ritcey .. .... . 1.275 on the rocks as so many bits of wood, washing in and Jennie E. Duff—Wansback .. .. . 1,250 out with the tide as a tantalizing reminder of their Arcola—Knickle .. ..... .. - 1,250 lennon: bs Potanet toe +. seem ee : as: sie B. Corkum—Corkum. i. .s 6. 20 ee ce es To many of these poor fellows who risk their lives Original—Conrad .. a Se ao gte Oeaire ee E ix00 lots of times in setting their traps and to whom this Falka—Conrad . eit 1,200 is almost a necessary means of eking out their liveli- Rs pprigde ge era ees ope c 1,200 hood, the catch during the past few weeks has been Frank Ty ere anier ae i. a godsend, and as the demand always far exceeds the Otokio—Ernst .. .. ..... 1200 supply, it is to be hoped that the weather god will a ee tee ee es 1,200 es : yf antanzas—Wentzell .. .. .. .. .. 150 Hee ‘ab to “ig * cae a flag may reward Elsie Porter—Eisenhauer .. .. ..... iste eir labors. The boneless fish plant here is also one Wautauga—Backman .. ; 1,150 of the paying industries, its products having a wide Russel H. Pentz—Pentz .. ote ee ee te eee 1,150 market—the ubiquitous ‘‘T. Eaton Company,’’ figur- Douslas Adams-—De Courcey .. .. .. .. «.. cies ™ 2 f thi ‘ Defender—Knickle. 6.0.04. .6 os bates as ee 1,100 ing as an importer of this commodity, rather revers- piake—Corkum 1 ing the usual order of things. C. J. Mason and Com- Car! D.—Schmeisser .. 1100 pany, of Kastern Points, is fish packing, and the out- Assurance—Zinck .. .. .. .. .. sss 1.075 put of both of these firms are second to none. Although velvm V- Miller Miller «. «+ + «« baka ? ‘ - : ssociate—Backman 69.0 s< ss sb ee spe ee 1,050 cae year’s eye sear mo pga quoted among the [Lottie A. Silver—Silver .. .. 1. se ce ce 1,050 ast ones, ye e fishermen feel that it could have Minnie M. Mosher—Backman .. 1,050 been much worse, and are already optimistic of the Coronation—Tanner .. .. .. ... 1,050 catch for 1915. In a few months outfitting will be- ee > eens hl tame oe 1,000 ‘ . ‘ pa elman , oe we ‘ Lar for the spring trip and the wharves and stores H. H. Macintosh—Wynacht .. .. .. .. ss cs as ree will hum with activity. Pernt ore W—Whidden ..°.. si 1,000 . ( ; * pa Abyssinia—Sartey .. . . 1, For 1914, Captain Henry Winters, of the schooner Caransa—Conrad .. .. .. .; be Muriel B. Winters, wins the title of ‘‘high-liner,’’ Ww. Cortada—Backman .. .. 1,000 with a catch of 2,950 quintals, with Captain Benjamin John Parker—Ritcey .. .. .. . 1,000 ©. Smith, of the schooner Gladys B. Smith, both of hay C, Genitie-Beng 553 - 980 whose pictures were featured in last July’s edition of Moa watestenetioiar pencpink set < the ‘‘Fisherman,’’ a close second, with 2,900 quintals. | Ida M. Zinck—Zinck.. .. .. .. .. eo > ‘Wabroary, 1915. CANADIAN Gigantic—Parks .. .. «+ «+ + Donald A. Silver—Silver .. - A. G. Eisenhauer—Eisenhauer . 875 Muriel Walters—Walters.. . 800 Guide—Getson .. . a Leta J. Schwartz—-Schwartz oa oe a Mariner—Greek .. .. 800 Blectro—Corkum .. .. «+ ++ 750 W. H. Smith—Naas.. .. 750 Ida M. Westhaver—Young . 700 Arcona—Sartey .. .. «+ ++ ee ee +e Norma O. Collins—Collins .. .. .. + Mary D. Young—Berringer .. 650 Nobility—Croft .. .. he Edith Marguerite—Himmelman .. .. ++ ++ ++ + Falcon—Walters .. Sar tee Sart ara Eva M. Zellars—Greek .. .. «+ «+ «+ = 600 _ Bllen M. Maxner—Publicover .. .. -- «+ ++ ee ers 600 Ne Bernard C—Herman .. .. .. +--+ ee te ee te te 500 Lowell F. Parks—Parks . Ak wes os 0% 460 Review—Bell .. .. ; 450 i Ethel—Walters .. .. «1 «+ «+ ee ee oe oe 400 __ Muriel D. Young—Conrad .. .. -- - 400 ce 118 Vessels. 154,085 —_——_ Gill Netting at Gloucester, g Mass. a By R. P. GETTY. Within the last few years a novel method of catching fish has been adopted by certain progressive fishermen of Gloucester, that ancient fishing town of Massachu- setts, with results so satisfactory that it bids fair to be- ome an important factor in the regular shore fisheries of the place. And it has all come about through an improved application of the gill-net, that contrivance which consists merely of suspending a net vertically in the water with meshes of such a size as to catch by its gills any fish that may attempt to force its way through them. Fishermen, of course, know that the principle of gill-net is not new. That with modifications, it has been employed in many waters, principally in Norway, where its use seems to have taken a firm hold on those - inhabitants who derive their living from the sea. But as a practical measure in the United States its em- ployment never made much of a success. The nets were not strong enough to restrain the large fish often encountered, and were too unwieldy and clumsy to be handled in the strong and shifting tides and currents which are met with so frequently. In fact actual experiences showed that it was only available in fairly calm days, and these were just the - times when the sail boat with its dependence on the wind for propulsion could not reach the fishing grounds suitable for the proper sinking of the nets. And matters would probably have remained in what amounted to a period of disuse had not the Gloucester men with their power boats and a net lifting device, come forward and solved the problems presented. The craft to-day employed at Gloucester for the new - method, usually run from 36 to 50 ft. in length, and are covered over almost their entire deck space with a cab- in. Such an arrangement protects the engine ranging - from 24 to 36 horse-power capacity which propels the _ boat, and also the auxiliary engine from three to five horse power capacity, which operates the lifter design- ed to handle the nets. - This latter machine consists of a drum wheel twenty- eight inches in diameter around the rim, of which are FISHERMAN 45 arranged clutches actuated by a cam which close at a certain point and grasp the side lines of the net only to open again at other points to release them. This drum is set firmly on a base fastened securely to the deck and is rotated by the auxiliary engine already mentioned. The nets employed are one fathom wide and sixty fathoms in length, with a mesh of six inches, and are anchored with about thirty pounds weights. Buoys are floated at the surface whenever necessary. Usually forty or fifty of these nets are sunk, and set at one time, and are weighted sufficiently to keep them in an upright position in the water, one net following the other net until every one is let out and sunk. The gill-net season at Gloucester begins the first of November and ends about the first of June, when it must cease on account of the prevalence of dog-fish which render further fishing unprofitable. After the boats reach suitable grounds from ten to fifteen miles from shore, the fishermen with the lifter get ready for the work. The end of one net is an- chored and buoyed, and then let out and sunk follow- ed by other nets in succession so rapidly by the ma- chine that it is possible to sink four miles of them in half an hour. After the last one is anchored and buoyed comes the wait for the fish to get ensnared, usually from one to two hours. Net Lifting Machine on Vessel’s Deck When ready for a hauling the anchor at one end of the long line is lifted, the boat is started ahead with its engine, and the auxiliary engine on its own account begins to revolve the lifter. And then in truth, begins the real labor of the day, for the fish, often thousands in numbers, come tumbling and squirming up with the nets over an adjustable roller leading from the drum, and pass in a curved trough around one side of it to the deck where the crew clears out the catch and places the emptied nets in trays convenient to handle. These nets have the advantage of being able to be handled either with or against the tide, and two miles or more may be lifted in one hour provided the crew is quick enough in clearing the deck. When all the nets are in, others may at once be set from the stern of the boat, while running at full speed as before de- scribed. The number of fish secured by means of these gill- nets is enormous, and men engaged in the industry say it is nothing unusual to ensnare from five to eight thousand pounds in a single haul, figures that are really startling when compared with the seven or eight hun- dred pounds which is usually considered a fair one day’s catch for a shore boat. Captures such as these . mines. 46 CANADIAN have been impossible before unless it be with the beam trawl. And another advantage of the method is the entire saving in bait, and of the labor formerly required for handling and baiting the trawls in the old-fashioned way. : Gill-netting, as it is now practiced at Gloucester in conjunction with the net lifter, has certainly opened the eyes of the shore fishermen to the possibilities of their calling. There seems no reason why the same results should not be obtained by Canadian fishermen in their own native waters. The Fishermen’s War Work in the North Sea Manned by Great Britain’s deep-sea fishermen, hun- dreds of tiny vessels are patrolling England’s coast from Harwich to Pentland Firth. From boats in which only a few weeks ago they were catching her- ring and trawl fish they are now fishing for menaces to navigation and maintaining a daily ‘‘sweep’’ for Day and night the drifters’ patrol and the mine-sweeping flotilla are engaged in a work which, if it is less glorious, is not an unimportant part of the work of England’s navy. What a perilous task the mine ‘‘sweep’’ is, is evi- denced by the number of disasters which have over- taken members of the fleet. The strain of the work is tremendous, as each man realizes that every turn of the propeller may send him to the bottom. For mine “‘sweeping’’ the vessels work in pairs, steaming abreast of each other and dragging between them a heavy chain that sweeps as a trawl net along or just above the bottom of the sea. When a mine is fouled it either explodes or is dragged. to the surface and put out of action. The danger is in the vessels striking with their hulls the mines that they are seeking to dis- rover with their trawls. Through the roads of the North Sea a continual pro- eession of merchant shipping, bringing supplies of all kinds to the various ports, is passing with regu- larity and comparative safety. As far as the North Sea is concerned, it is only mines, comparatively speak- ing, that constitute a danger to the coastwise and — traffic for the seas are well cleared of hostile ships. Many of the drifters engaged in patrol work have heen fitted with wireless, so that they quickly get in touch with the authorities when mine layers or other hostile vessels are sighted. The coast is divided into districts, and Lowestoft, North Shields, Folkestone and other such fishing ports have become headquarters for the mine destroyers. Hundreds of other fishermen, members of the Royal Naval Reserve, have been mobilized and are now in barracks waiting to be drafted into vessels as they are commissioned in the stokehold or on the deck. Not all of the fishermen have been able to find places in the various branches of sea service. Thousands of them are out of work and the outlook is anything but bright for very many. “Tn other years at this time,’’ ‘“Toilers of the Deep,’’ the magazine of the Royal National Mission of Deep Sea Fishermen, says, ‘‘the great herring harvest of the east coast should be in full swing. To-day the quay is lined with vessels, but there is no sign of life on board ; also they are idle because the markets on the other side of the North Sea are closed to them, and be- FISHERMAN February, 1915. cause their work at sea would be a menace to them- selves and cause serious hampering to the rapid de- velopments of His Majesty’s ships that come and go continually. ‘‘At the outbreak of the war the North Sea was cleared for a time of all fishing vessels, and many of us think it would have been well had the prohibition been maintained longer than it was. There can be no doubt that numbers of fishing vessels have been cap- tured and turned into mine-laying vessels while out- wardly, to all appearance, they are English trawlers engaged in their ordinary routine of fishing. Many of the fishing ports have received blows through the non-return of a large part of their fishing 4 fleet. The vessels have simply disappeared. Whether they have been sunk or captured no one can say. Bos- ton, Grimsby, and Hull have been particularly heavy sufferers through striking mines. Thirty vessels were reported destroyed from Grimsby and ten from Bos- ton. In other cases only two vessels were the’ crews all saved. isis ea The mine-sweepers will continue their work all through the winter or until the close of the war. More than 200 vessels are carrying on the work in the North Sea, each with a crew of 10 men. oe FISHERIES STATISTICS, DECEMBER, 1914. a The value of the sea fisheries, for the month of De- __ cember, 1914, was $699,441, compared with $699,716 for the same month in the preceding year. This value being what was paid at the boat or vessel’s side for _ the fish. a The chief kinds of fish showing increased catches during the month under review, as compared 1 ee December, 1913, were salmon, cod, haddock, pollock, a. sardines, halibut and smelts. as On.the Atlantic coast rough weather prevented fish- a ing operations being carried on to a greater ex- tent, yet, notwithstanding this fact, increased catches are reported in several districts. In New B ick, <3 with the exception of the Bay of Fundy Coast, and in Prince Edward Island, about the only fishing prose- __ cuted was for smelts, while in Quebec the fis —sea- son has closed. res Since the opening of the lobster season in Novem- ber last, there have been 1,343 cases packed, and 8,685 ewts. used fresh or shipped in shell. ; On the Pacific Coast the weather was good for fish- ing and a large catch of halibut was landed at Prince — Rupert. For the nine months period, from April to Decem- ber, the value of salt water fish when landed, was” $16,219,808, compared with $17,983,328 for the cor- responding period in the preceding year. here. FISH TRADE ENQUIRY FROM ITALY. Mr. Silvio Verona, Casella Postale 1176, Milano, Italy, wishes to get in touch with Canadian exporters of stoek-fish, cod liver oil and whale oil. Send quota- tions, ¢.i.f. Genoa, brokerage commission, ete. Payment will be made cash against documents. X The fishing interests of the world will be pleased. to learn that there will be fifty-three Fridays during the year; the superstitious will also find in the fact an excuse for considering nineteen-fifteen an unlucky year. February, 1915. CANADIAN Wholesale Fish Prices, Montreal Markets (Quoted by D. Hatton Company.) _ Fish trade has been relatively quiet since holiday time. Mild weather has also interfered to a great i xtent with the sales of frozen fish. Stocks held in hands are of fairly good size and prices as a rule comparatively low. Lent is near at hand and a good demand will set in now. Frozen herrings are scarce—all other lines plenti- ful. Fishing operations are practically over for the Season on the Eastern Coast. From the West, reports come that stocks are very well reduced. Whatever _ surplus available had been shipped to England. _ From the lakes region, fishing is nearly over, and a ey supply has accumulated. Let everybody be pa- iotie during Lenten time and help the fish industry, which is one of the best assets of Canada. Fish as food is hygienic economical, satisfying. Haddies, 15 lb. boxes new .. .. .. ..per Ib. $ .07 Haddies, 30 lb. boxes .. .. .. .. ..per lb. .07 Haddies, Fillets... er lb. .10 Haddies, boneless, 15 and 30 Ib. boxes.. .. .081%4 ar. Bloaters, 60 in box, Selected . cpg eee. St. John’s Bloaters, 100 in a box .. .. .. .. 1.00 Kippered Herrings—Selected .. .. .. .. .. 1.40 Kippered Herrings—Other brands . avrg Bey _ Smoked Herrings—large size, per box... Say S _ Smoked Herrings—medium, per box.. .. .. .20 oked Boneless Herrings, 10 Ib. box Sats = ee ya a basket 15 Ibs.. 1-50 Smoked Eels .. .. .. .12 Fresh Fish. Salmon Gaspe . .-per Ib. .15 .16 Salmon, British | Columbia Gauss per 2D, (> 40 .14 A <3 eA eee eee ay |: eae BE .12 iin Ti PU PPR ORE «77 Jet: ROR -10 bak Wiley ae ie sper Ib, - 05 051% eras. per. Wb. 5046 > 105 tate ad, oie POP IDs |. 0614.» 07 win-aids Rs, ae per 1b; .12 Pitney ane 5 OE AD, .16 Chetek nee Per, WO, .12 pein a at oe Det ID. pat | SF ah Osh eee DOR Let, .12 epee. Kot ss DOF AD: .08 i ern cae .10 .. .-per Ib .10 . ..per Ib .10 SRP PORES at | .06 Miura Menace eer UD -26 Riese S as esp DOR: AD .28 Frozen Fish. Salmon—Gaspe, large .. .. ..per Ib. .11% .12 mon—Red, Steel Heads ry) get | Seeieoe | 11% Salmon—Red, Sockeyes. -per lb. .0914 .10 on—Red, Cohoes or Silvers per lb. .08% .09 ie --per lb. .091%4 .10 Salmon and headless. 6 --per lb. .03% .04 FISHERMAN 47 Tommy Cods .. . per brl 2.00 Smelts, extras 10, 20, ORs, per lb 15 Smelts, medium to large per lb a Smelts, amelie. per lb .06 Canadian Soles . per lb .07 Blue fish .. .. ee perlb, 236 ry es Striped Sea Bass, large ES tad | Sogmey t 16 Sea Trout .. .. yh: per lb. .10 -10% White fish, large | ae .. .-per lb. .09%% .10 White fish, small Tulibees .. ..per lb. .06% .07 Lake Trout, large and medium per lb. .10% .11 Dore, dressed or round .. .. ..per lb. .08 .081% Pike, dressed and headless. . .-per lb. .06 .0614 Pike, round. . Ae .. ..per Ib. .05% .06 ee per lb .10 Shad, 3 Ibs. ‘each. . etehy ope .08 Frogs, 10 Ibs. iS Pils aa ee Se -20 Pickled Fish. Salmon, Labrador, Tierces 300 Ib. .. .. .. 20.00 Salmon, Labrador, Brls. 20 Olb. 14.00 Salmon, B.C., bris. ca ; 13.00 Sea Trout, bris. ge ee ranges 12.00 Sea Trout, half bris., halves: . 6.50 Mackerel, N:S., Bris. 200 Ib. ..°.. .. 2... .. 12.00 Mackerel, N.S., Hf. Bris. 100 Ib. .. .. 6.75 Mackerel, N.S., Pails, 20 Ib. .. 1.50 Herrings, Labrador, Brls. .. . 5.50 Herrings, Nova Seotia, Bris. .. .. .. .. 5.25 Herrings; Nova Scotia, Half Bris. .. .. 2.90 Lake Trout, Half Brls. odie 6-00 Quebee Sardines, Brls. 6.00 Turbot, brls. 14.00 Salt Dried & Prepared F Fish, No. I Green Cod, large, per barrel . 10.00 No. 1 Green Cod, medium, Brl.. 9.06 No. 1 Green Cod, TU Ag Ba ee 8.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Haddock, medium, Bri. . 8.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Pollock, Medium, Brl. 7.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Hake, medium, Brl. 6.50 Quebee Eels, large, HOM As cs cec .07 Dried Codfish, med. & small 100 Ib. bundle . 7.00 Dried Hake, medium & large 10 Olb. bundles 5.50 Dried Pollock, medium & large 100 lb. bund. 6.00 Dressed or skinless codfish, 10 Olb. case .. 7.25 Boneless Codfish, 2 lb. blocks, 20 Ib. boxes .08 Boneless Codfish, strips 30 Ib. boxes .. ... ll Shredded Codfish, 12 Ib. ane 24 cartons, Y% lb. each, a box ere ; Rae Sey {," Bulk Oysters, Clams, Etc. Best Standards, i imp. gallon. . : 1.40 Solid meats, imp. gallon .. .. .. 1.70 Selects, best, imp. ee a eee es Selects, solid meats, imp. elke rere ie 2.00 Best clams, i imp. gallon SOR Da op 1.50 Best Scollops, imp. gallon .. 2.00 Best prawns, imp. gallon .. .. Eames Best Shrimps, imp. gallon .. .. .. .. 1... 2.25 Oysters pails, 14 gal. per 100 . 1.10 Oysters pails, 1% gal. per 100... .. .. .... .90 Oysters pails, 1-16 gal. per 100 .. .. .. -70 Sealed best standards, quart cans, each .. .. .85 Sealed best selects, quart cans, each .. .45 Oysters, Clams, Mussels and Shel Fish, Crustaceans, Cape Cod shell oysters, per barrel . Malpeque shell oysters, selected C.0.L, bri. Malpeque shell oysters, selected J. AP., brl. Malpeque shell oysters, ordinary, per bri. ay Malpeque shell oysters, caraquets, per bri... Clams. per barrel . late Whats. oi te Mussels, per barrel .. so AIaAnIoawvnorwo .) sssssss 48 CANADIAN FISHERMAN February, 1915. AN OLD-TIME TRIP ON THE BANKS By CAPTAIN SYLVANUS SMITH. In the following interesting article Capt. Sylvanus Smith, in the Gloucester Times, in his bright, inimitable manner, tells of the old-time fisheries of Massachu- setts and takes his readers on a cod-fishing trip in the old Marblehead Grand Banker, ‘‘Polly Ann.’’ The captain writes :— Of all old towns along the New England coast, none are more worthy of note than old Marblehead. His- tory gives special mention to the men of this place in the early wars and any tribute we might pay them now would be but a repetition. In the very early days of the colony this town was one of the important fishing places along the coast and many Grand Bankers ‘‘hailed”’ from this port. Many men were engaged in the fishing industry there and the products were sent to distant markets, bringing home the products of other lands. On all the uplands along the shore were ‘‘flake yards’’ where fish were cured before being sent to market. f The vessels in which these men pursued their calling were probably built from timber cut in the near by for- ests and square at both ends. They were not things of beauty, nor were they smoothed with plane and sand paper, but simply, yet strongly made, answering the purpose of those times. The vessels engaged in the Grank Bank fishery were divided into two classes, those which made two trips, starting in May, and those making but one trip, spend- ing four months at sea, which entitled the mto bounty money. The bounty was allowed by the government: to such vessels as spent four months at sea and the amount varied according to the soze of the vessel, the limit any one craft might receive was $360. T recall going to Marblehead with my father when a very small boy to dispose of a few halibut which he had caught. The late Bank fleet were getting ready to sail. While we were lying in the harbor. some of the boys who were going on these vessels, took me aboard some of the crafts. They were some of the very oldest of the fleet and would indeed be a curiosity in these days and one of them I remember in particular after all these years. She was one of the oldest of that fleet of old eraft. The cabin, like all those old-fashioned eraft, was a deck cabin, with a fireplace in the middle, opening toward the companionway (the first and only time I ever saw a fireplace so arranged) and _ the foreastle, or where the foreastle is in a modern craft. was used for the storage of supplies. Under the for’d hatch was a place bricked up where a smudge fire could be kept for smoking fish, above, on the under side of deck, between the deck beams, were lace lines where halibut were placed for smoking, after being ‘‘flitch- ed.’’ During the trip such halibut as were caught were thus prepared and when properly done were consider- ed very fine. Crews ‘‘Found’’ Themselves. The crews of these eraft ‘‘found’’ themselves, so that a man could be as saving as he wished. Pro- visions for such a trip were confined to simple things, and the menu was not very extensive. The sch. Polly An was a very old craft with old style rig and sails of hemp duck, and when dry the sun could be seen through them. These were very durable, and soft and when on the Banks could be easily taken off, rolled up and stored away. While the sails made of this material were ‘‘baggy”’ when dry, this was largely overcome by wetting the sails, a ‘‘scoot horn’’ being used for this purpose. When wet the fibre had a tendency to shrink which made the sail lay quite flat. There were no patent blocks on this old craft as is found on the modern schooners and the windlass for taking up the anchor was one of those very early af- fairs, the crew using hand spikes and ‘‘rounders’’ for this purpose. The ‘‘skipper’’ of the Polly Ann, probably recently married, was a young man, who was making his first trip as skipper. 3 The Trip of the Polly Ann. The following day, with a fair wind, saw the sailing of the fleet and with them the old ‘‘Polly,’’ the skip- per’s wife waving him a last farewell from the shore. With 30 or 40 vessels making ready to sail, the wives and sweethearts and children gathering down by the Head to see them off on their long trip, was an im- pressive sight. There also was old ‘‘Skipper Ben,”’ who had sailed away on this same craft, 25 or more years ago, when the Polly was among the newest of the fleet. In our imagination we can picture him as he wanders homeward, when the last sail has disap- peared from sight, and later in the old chimney eorner with his pipe as companion (not always lighted), he _ lives over again the summer of his life, when as a young man he had gone to the Banks in the old Polly. He recalls those old days’ Thanksgiving dinners at sea, of those days when he had seen the snows of winter melt, while on the Banks in the sch. Polly Ann. af Often in the days to come he would stroll down to the ‘‘Head’’ and gaze off to sea, to catch a glimpse of some incoming craft which might bring him news of the old schooner and of his son. And when the van- guard of the first Bank fleet arrive, he is among the first to clamber aboard to talk with those who may have news of his old schooner. In fancy we might take a trip with the young ‘‘Skip- per Ben,’’ who has sailed many trips with his father, in fact since his thirteenth year the sea has been as much, yes more, his home than has the land. As the old schooner with sails hoisted, feels the breeze in her sails she fills away and with gathering — speed passes out by the ‘‘Head’’ into the bay, eatch- ing a last glimpse of the watchers on shore. With the optimism of youth the young skipper looks forward eagerly to the trip, confident that he will overcome the dangers of the sea and return in due time “well fished’’ to his home port. With every thing made snug when once in the open sea, the watch is set and he of the first wateh takes the tiller. This was before the days of the wheel, the tiller of the old craft being made of oak and some eight feet long. The old Polly bowls along lumberingly and when Thatchers is reached the course is ‘‘set’’ for the Grand Banks, ee ey ae ee _ February, 1915. CANADIAN ‘and the fifth day out they find themselves becalmed on the fishing frounds off Sable Island and here some of the erew try for fish, after getting up a barrel of elam bait. Fish are found quite plentiful and when cleaned the refuse is thrown overboard attracting many hagdons which seem to recognize the old Polly, some even ~alighting on the rail. Quite a few of these birds are taken with hook and line (they take the hook freely) - and when cleaned were considered quite an addition to the larder. A popular way of preparing them was in a ‘‘pot pie’’ and when cooked in this manner they had a taste similar to a coot. These birds are a specie of gull and are seldom seen excepting at sea. Several ‘‘trys’’ are made for fish at different spots on the bank until the tenth day from home they find a spot to suit them on the north-eastern part of the bank, where fish seem to be quite plentiful, and the mainsail jis taken off and stored away in the forepeak until a start should be made for home. Handlining from the Deck. _ The mode of fishing was handlining from the deck, there being four men to each side of the eraft, each man having two lines and his own ‘‘kid’’ or box in which to put his catch. Fishing is kept up as long as the fish take the hook freely and then each man’s catch is counted, the skipper keeping the account, and when ‘«dressed’’ and cleaned are put in the hold and salted down. The boy’s time was not much taken with the simple cooking and he had plenty of spare moments to do chores for the men, such as filling and lighting ‘pipes and catching hagdons (which were salted and taken home for winter use). The last words of old “Skipper Ben’’ was for them to save him some hag- dons. It is said that these old time skippers did not con- sider a Thanksgiving dinner complete without a boiled _hagdon, even though the fattest goose might adorn the table, its gamey flavor and its fishy taste as well strongly appealing to these men. — Where the Polly anchored was probably on a rocky _ bottom where the fish come to cast their spawn as well as to feed on the bank clams which the fish swal- low in its whole state and when the meaty part of _ the clam has dissolved the fish ejects the shell. _ Halibut are very plentiful and bother them consider- able at times, their gear being light and not suitable for halibut fishing. Often a trawl is rigged out astern at night in this manner. When cleaned and ‘‘flitched’’ these are smoked in the place made for this purpose _ for’d, the boys attending to the smoking of the fish. _ The life on the Banks and aboard these craft was much the same from day to day. These craft that made but one trip made their start in the late spring and were home before winter set in so that they saw but little real severe weather though at times there _ were severe summer gales which swept the Banks these were not the rule. _ Oceasionally some fishing craft would be sighted and if she happened to have just come from home late news would be gleaned. If she happened to be home bound, _ messages would be sent to those at home. Sighted Homeward Bound Craft. On the 2nd of July the sch. Robert Bruce was sighted _ bound home on her first trip and those on the Polly asked to be reported. July 4th was celebrated by not fishing, the crew taking this opportunity to repair clothes, repack the FISHERMAN 49 fish that had been caught, dipping the oil off the livers, ete. It was in this manner that the oldtime fishermen spent their Sundays when on the fishing grounds. In those days no trans-Atlantic steamers crossed the Grand Banks as is now the case, but in place of these were many timber ships, bound to and from Canadian ports, which made fishing on these grounds more or less dangerous. At certain seasons of the year there were a great many of these ships and naturally they were quite a menace to crafts at anchor on the banks. Another danger was from icebergs which came down from the north to finally melt in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Many of the icebergs are of im- mense size and if it happens to be clear weather can be seen for many miles, not the actual bergs perhaps, but the ‘‘ice glim’’ which has a sort of mirage effect, reflecting the object in the sky when it is altogether too far way to be seen in itself. These bergs have been known to ground in 150 feet of water, and as but one-sixth of their size is shown above water some idea of their bulk may be imagined. Fill Water from Iceberg. Great care must be taken that one of these does not come down on a craft while at anchor. Often they will be obscured by the thick fog which sweeps down across these fishing grounds and then the position of a fishing craft may indeed be dangerous. The summit of some of these icebergs tower 75 feet in the air and often on the south side of the berg, where the warm sun melts the ice, dashing rivulets may be seen tumb- ling down the sides into the sea. It was from one of these bergs that the crew of the Polly Ann refilled some of their water butts with cool, sparkling water. Often a field of ice will be seen many miles away and as these come nearer, many colors will be re- flected by the sunlight, a beautiful sight indeed. These bergs move slowly but the ‘‘pan’’ or ‘‘field’’ ice moves more quickly. Sometimes a French trawler will be seen in the distance and their boats will go out setting trawls miles away from their ship. These boats are large affairs, round bodied and carrying quite a large sail. The French vessels are largely brigs and con- siderably larger than vessels of the Polly type. Homeward Bound. As the days pass by the nights become cooler and a noticeable shortening of the day appears which tells them the approach of fall. The old Polly Ann has settled deeper and deeper in the water, which shows they are “‘well fished’’ and that the journey home will be a matter of but a short time; and for the last few days the catch has been ‘‘kenched’’ on deck, until the fish in the hold can settle to make room for more. An- other sign that she is nearly full is the slow and slug- gish manner in which the old schooner takes the swell and then one afternoon the order is given to break out and bend the mainsail, the anchor was hove up and the old Polly is soon upon her homeward trip. Not a fast sailer at her best, and after four months on the banks with her bottom covered with barnacles, she makes a slow passage home. However, there is quite a number of things to do, the last of the halibut are smoked up and put away, the deck cleared and every- thing made snug and with light winds generally the old craft wallows along her course, taking 12 days on the passage home. While these old bankers were not much for beauty, and dull sailers, they were good sea boats generally. In a great summer gale during the early days many 50 CANADIAN of these vessels were lost, foundering with all on board. It is related that Capt. Floyd Ireson’s vessel when passing by one of these craft was ‘‘hailed’’ and asked to ‘‘lay by’’ which he refused to do, and when this beeame known in Marblehead, the women tarred and feathered the skipper and rode him on a rail. Whit- tler wrote a poem referring to the affair and the lines may be familiar to some of the readers: “The strangest ride that ever was sped Was Ireson’s, out from Marblehead. Old Floyd Ireson, for his hard heart, Tarred and feathered and carried in a cart By the women of Marblehead.” We may guess ‘‘Skipper Ben’s’’ joy as he saw old Polly come up the harbor and follow him as he has- tens to where his dory is moored. With an activity surprising in a man of his years he sends the little eraft quickly through the water, and is among the first to climb the rail of the old schooner and to greet his friends among the crew. One of his first questions is if ‘‘they have saved him some hagdons?’’ He notes the fish kenched on deck and is greatly pleased when he gazes into the hold and sees that » “she’s full to the beams,’’ and he remarked that it was the best trip she ever made. When the fish were taken out, washed, etc., by the erew, old ‘‘Skipper Ben’’ took charge of the curing of the cargo. No immediate settlement is made, the fish being cured and sent to market, it being months perhaps before the crew received their share of the eatch. ‘ Seventy years passed since I again visited Marble- head and passing in by the ‘‘Head’’ I saw a crowd of people, but how changed. In place of the wives, sweethearts and friends of out-going craft, as in the old days, now were seen women and girls in light sum- mer dresses, men in natty yacht costumes and from the club houses the sound of musie and laughter is wafted by the summer breeze. The harbor is filled with pleasure craft and handsome residences dot the shore where stood the flake yards of years ago, and to me it was a wonderful transformation. FISH FAMINE IN ENGLAND. Though the ery all over the country is for fish, the Midland towns are perhaps suffering the‘ most. A fish famine also prevails in Liverpool, to such an ex- tent that, according to a well-known fish merchant, the situation is unparalleled in the history of the trade. No one, he says, remembers such searcity and high prices; indeed, many varieties are quite unobtainable. From what I hear, there seems quite a boom in chilled salmon. It seems likely to take the place of the prime kinds of salt-water fish—Fishing News, January 16. FRENCH COD FISHING FLEET NOT TO SAIL. The cod fishing fleet, which usually equips in Brit- tany and Normandy during December for the next voyage to Newfoundland, has asked the Ministry of Marine if it is possible to count on its being released from service by the end of February. The Minister vf Marine replied that he was unable to make such a promise, hence the first sailing of the fleet for 1915 has been cancelled. FISHERMAN February, 1915. A Homeward-Bounder’s Song The skipper passed the word to-night: ‘‘Sheet out an’ drive her home!’’ ee So the able little hooker is a-stormin’ through the foam, With the whole four lowers on her—jigged taut an’ sweated down, An’ the swayin’ bowsplit p’inting for the lights o’ Gloucester town. ““West, the course, an’ drive her, you!’’ To the watch | the word goes round, An’ the little schooner’s walkin’ she’s homeward bound, one An’ my little girl is waitin’ with a kiss I know for me And a hearty sweetheart’s welcome for her traw home from sea. fae ‘cause she knows The soundin’ lead is clean wore out with nigh a hun- dred sounds, a) An’ the jumbo tail rope’s clean wore through 1 joggin’ on them grounds. Our trawl gear’s raked the bottom clean from Western Bank to Grand ve An’ we’ve bin fourteen weeks to sea — it’s time we made the land. Sie cael get will I drive her? West, ye say? I got oe! s Ba Whoop! Jest let me warm her! Sure, I’ll make peddler go!”’ a With this easterly a-breezin’ on the course are bound, eet Sure, I’ll tear the mains’l off her ‘fore we start reefin’ down. epee “Yes! I know she’s breezin’ ugly, and the snow comin’ thick, But she’ll romp some ways to Gloucester, bo: I leave my trick. : The skipper’s snorin’ in his bunk, and he’s a hound, 8 And he won’t reef no mains’l, boy, when we are ward bound!’’ ye So it’s rip along an’ drive her John, there’s fis sell below! We It’s keep her steady on her course an’ blow, ye ¥ heigh-o! For a little girl is waitin’, boy, way down on @ ter quay, With a hearty sweetheart’s weleome for her tt home from sea. PERSONALS. re Mr. H. C. Walby of the Canadian Fish and Storage Co., Ltd., Prince Rupert, was in Montreal re- cently on his way to Europe. Mr. Walby piodiois iets § great future for the fishing industry of Prince Rupert. The several shipments of fresh and frozen fish w his firm have made to Great Britain arrived in condition and were well received by the British eon- sumer, Mr. Osear L. Davis, of the Gateway Fish Company Yarmouth, N.S., and Mr. 8. Y. Wilson, of A. Wil C and Son, Halifax, N.S., were in Montreal this we Mr. Davis informs us that they have received large orders for their threaded codfish from English firms The initial shipments have already been made. CANADIAN os er) SRR SSAC xx) XX FISHERMAN 51 vA NNEC THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES CANSO, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) The unusually severe weather conditions, of Decem- ber, with its ‘‘blows’’ storms and zero weather was followed in January of the New Year by the opposite extreme. This almost summerlike spell has allowed _ the winter-haddocking fleet to continue operations somewhat later than usual, some of the boats being still in action at time of writing—that is, the last week of January. The catches, however, since the middle of _ _ the month have not been large enough to make up for the backwardness of the early part of the season, and the eraft from outside ports have returned to their homes. Just after my preceding report had been sent in, the price of haddock advanced to 2.00 per ewt., which still obtains. The season’s work, as a whole, has hardly, I think, been up to the average, at any rate, nothing more, for though some good landings were made particularly, as usual, during New Year’s week, yet the ‘‘schools’’ did not seem to hold out as usual. One day a big catch, the next, very often al- - most nothing, or as the men themselves said, ‘‘the fish were spotty.’’ - Not long ago the Government steamer ‘‘Thirty- _ Three’ came very near being the scene of a distressing _aecident. The ship’s popular cook, Mr. Harris Barss, had been in the habit, while the boat was in dock, of _ sleeping in the cabin, which is heated by an old base- burner. One morning, in the wee small hours, he woke _ up almost stupified by gas from the heater. With great difficulty, he managed to drag himself on deck, where he lay in the cold for several hours until, on the ar- _ rival of a teamster on the wharf, he succeeded in at- tracting attention. A doctor was called, and Mr. Barss was soon ‘‘on deck’’ once more, but it was some time, as he remarked to your scribe, before he began to feel like himself again. _ Contrary to her former rule, the steam-trawler Ray- _ ondor did not return to the Old Country on the ap- _ proach of winter, but will continue fishing on this side for the present. Capt. Olesen has been succeeded by Capt. Jensen, the former visiting his family in Den- mark. Capt. John D. MacDonald has been shipped as pilot for the winter fishing DIGBY, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) The fish are gradually leaving the shores now for _ the off-shore banks. The boat fishermen are there- fore beginning to quit the shore fishing, and until the vessels find the fish on the off-shore banks there will probably be a temporary scarcity. It usually happens that when few fish are being landed, the demand from the upper provices increases more or less accordingly and vice versa. But during January the demand was not very active, notwithstanding the fact that the catch was below the average. However, at this writing the demand seems to be somewhat better. The steam trawler, St. Leonard, after a successful season here, has left for her home port in England; but she has apparently left behind her sinister shadows in the minds of some of our shore fishermen. A writer in the Halifax ‘‘Morning Chronicle’ of January 9th, who signs himself ‘‘Shore Fisherman’’ refers to this boat as being a ‘‘ Destructive and piratical steam traw- ler,’’ and says further that she has stripped the fish- ing grounds in the Bay of Fundy. Now the writer does not care to take exception to these statements, but there must be something radically wrong some- where, for I have been reliably informed that this boat caught just 22,525 Ibs. of fish in the Bay, and none of those within the three-mile limit; while her catch of one or two million pounds was procured hundreds of miles from the Bay of Fundy. This for the informa- tion of those shore fishermen who, it seems to me, are aceusing this boat of something she does not rightly deserve. The off-shore vessels have landed here during the month as follows: ‘‘Grace Darling’’.. .. 15,513 “CTERIESUBI! ya. aries oy ua ee et oe **Cora Gertie’... .. ... ee peers bts W293 eg Bc! GME indy 9 tlt oP a RUN eR a ery Se RNY oto) CRS TOPS ec ghd ree ho 6) etc ece eee ay OU IRR oe oe ce tee eee ek Sales 26 laws OULU ‘Albert J. Lutz’’ (by rail from Yarmouth).. 23,056 ‘Tia OUGEPS Gs a Ul ec ka ha ee ae oe NOOO ‘‘Dorothy M. Smart’’.. .. 67,265 LOCKPORT, N.S. The Morning Chronicle’s Lockeport correspondent sends the following list of vessels landing fish at that port from January 18 to January 23, inclusive :-— R. L. Mackenzie, 13,859 pounds, Nellie Viola 13,000, Jellicoe 15,890, Buema 12,535, Togo 6,300 Opitza 19,- 630, Gladys Thorburn 18,500, Aleyone 23,104, Lydia May 14,468, Julie Opp 15,500, Olive R. 1,500, Ida M. Cunningham 1,600, Elnora T. Bonney 4,665, Blanchard C. 2,730, Viola A. 2,009, Helen G. McLean 19,318. NEW BRUNSWICK NOTES. (Special Correspondence. ) ‘‘One thing I would like to see the Dominion Fish- eries Department do is to establish a lobster hatchery on the New Brunswick shore of the Bay of Fundy to stock the waters of St. John and Charlotte coun- ties,’’ said Lewis Connors of Connors Bros. Blacks Harbor, who was in St. John yesterday. ‘‘Quite a number of lobster hatcheries have been established on the Maine Coast, and the lobster fish- 52 CANADIAN ing there is much better than it was some years ago. Lobsters are not so plentiful in St. John and Char- lotte county as they used to be, and a hatchery is need- ed to restock the waters. At one time our firm handled large quantities of lobsters, but to-day we do not handle a single lobster. Canning lobsters. is now out of the question in these two counties. This winter, the fishermen of Charlotte county and Grand Manan have been receiving 25 cents a piece for live lobsters. That is a good price. On the whole, I think, the lobster fishermen have been making a fair season of it, but if the lobsters were as plentiful as they used to be, and the fishermen were getting 25 cents a piece, it would be a great thing for our people. “Tf a lobster hatchery would give results anywhere, it would be along the shores of St. John and Charlotte counties. Fairly deep water is, I believe, essential to successful artificial culture of lobsters, and that we have along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. When lobster fry is distributed in shallow water it is very often destroyed in the surf, or devoured by inshore fish. We have not yet realibzed what a valuable asset our lobster fishing might become, or we would have given more attention to the matter of artificial cul- ture.’’ Cononrs Bros. is the only firm in New Brunswick which was engaged in canning sardines last year, and it only finished operations a few weeks ago. In spite of the high prices for sardine herring, the company put up a large pack, and it plans on resuming canning op- erations in March. This winter, small herring have remained on the coast, and this, it is said, promises good sardine fishing this year. It is believed by some fishermen that it may become more profitable for the sardine packers to carry on operations in the winter time instead of in the summer. Last summer the sar- dine packers had to pay $30 a hogshead, while during the present winter there were times when sardines were abundant at $5 a hogshead. Although large her- ring were scarce about Grand Manan last summer, they have recently struck in around the island in big schools and the fishermen have been making good catches. NORTH SYDNEY, NS. The fishermen of Ingonish and other sections in Northern Victoria County have ceased operations, af- ter one of the most successful seasons in their history. Last week a shortage of bait prevailed, when those engaged in the industry decided to cease work until the Spring. The last cargo of about 25,000 pounds was conveyed here Saturday by the tug Hilford and ship- ped by rail from the deep water terminus direct to Toronto, where a great demand prevailed. Since the Hilford commenced taking fish here for rail shipment to Ontario about five weeks ago, it is estimated about 400,000 pounds found their way to the Ontario market. What will likely be the largest cargo of fish to leave here this season, and the second in the history of the port, for Cork, Ireland, will be carried by a steamer which is due here in a few days. The Bueckworth and Mumby Co., owners of the Irish trawler Andromanche, which had such a successful season, stored a consider- able quantity of her catch before sailing two months for Lockeport, are sending a steamer here to take the fish from Vooght Bros. warehouse. This will be aug- mented by a consignment to be taken on at Halifax, when the steamer will sail direct to Cork. One of the trawlers owned by the above firm, which was to oper- ate in these waters next season, was a short time ago FISHERMAN February, 1915. taken over by the British Admiralty, and is now used as a mine-sweeper in the war zone. The Company, however, immediately gave a contract to a British ship- building concern to build another trawler of the latest design, and next summer the firm will have four, and possibly five trawlers operating in these waters, with North Sydney as headquarters——North Sydney Herald. ST. JOHN, N.B. (Special Correspondence.) The hatchery built by Hon. J. D. Hazen on the city property at Little River is proving a splendid success, — Last year 2,500,000 salmon and 250,000 trout eggs — were cared for, and this year an even larger number, over 3,000,000 salmon and 3,000,000 trout eggs are now in the troughs, and are expected, according to reports of the department officials, to yield splendid results. Up to the present, trout eggs have been secured out- side the province, but Hon. Mr. Hazen, who is taking a warm personal interest in the effort to cultivate the game fish of the province and restock the lakes and streams, has hopes hereafter of getting the eggs from local sources. ciency of the hatchery by having outside tanks in which the young fish can be developed to the finger- ling stage before they are sent away. The benefit of the work of salmon propogation is now so well recog- nized that equally satisfactory results are looked for from the work Hon. Mr. Hazen is having earried out in connection with the trout, while good results are — also being reported from the more difficult work of shad propogation, although the officials have not been able to get all the eggs desired. will pretty well demonstrate what the results are, and if the work is not altogether successful, a close sea- son for shad may have to be declared. The report on the trout hatchery sent to Hon. Mr. Hazen by his of- ficials is as follows: ‘“‘T am pleased to report that 300,000 speckled trout: eggs were laid down in splendid condition in the St. John Hatchery on Saturday last, the 16th instant. The inspector reports that judging from their appear- ance on the following day he does not think the loss will exceed 2 per cent. These eggs were purchased from the Acton Trout Ponds of Acton, Ont., at 80¢ per thousand. Last season’s supply was purchased from the Caledonian Mountain Trout Club, of Inglewood, Ont., at $1.00 a thousand. ‘Three million and sixty-four thousand salmon eggs from the St. John Retaining Pond were also placed in this hatchery last November. They have developed satisfactorily and are in splendid condition at the pre- sent time. a ‘“The above is as many eggs as should be carried in this hatchery. The troughs could carry a few more if absolutely necessary; but if no more than the usual — loss oceurs, they will be congested when the fry begin to hatch. Provision has been made to relieve this eon- gestion by transferring some of the fry to outside tanks. ‘The increase in the number of eggs in this hatche over last year is shown below: Atlantic Salmon. Trout. 1918 i: 5 2,500,000 250,000 19i4: ts 8,064,000 300,000 ( Signed) “J. A. RODD. ‘Ottawa, January 20th, 1915.’’ It is also planned to increase the effi- — A year or two more February, 1915. CANADIAN A falling o of $40,480 in the market value of the fisheries in St. John and Charlotte counties for the year ending March 31, 1914, is noted in the annual report of the marine and fisheries department at Ot- va. The value of the fish marketed during 1913-14 was $1,572,119. According to the report there is $1,- 923,874 invested in the fishing industry in this district, an advance of approximately $65,000 during 1913-14. There are 3,767 men employed at the work, a decrease of 143 persons from previous years. This, the report says, is due to fewer persons being employed in fish- ouses, canneries, ete., on shore. Wholesale quotations here are :— memall dry cod ......- ... 4.25 to 4.50 Been dty cod... 2s)... oes... 5625 7” 5.50 Grand Manan herring, bbl... .. .. 3.00 7’ 3.35 eee re yo Cs eee. 8.60 Berean haddock 42... 2... 0.2... 0.00 ~?? 0.00 Fresh cod, per Ib... .. .. . 0.03%’ 0.04 Pickled shad, half-bbl. .. 8.00 ’ 12.00 ters, per box 0.80" * 0.90 innan haddies .. mp 6.00’? 7.00 Kippered herring, per doz. 0.00 ” 0.90 YARMOUTH, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) The past month has been a dull one from the fish- erman’s point of view. There has been a ‘‘blow’’ prac- tically every day, and there have been but one or two fish days of any consequence. The weather has not been cold—it has been the mildest January for many years, but it has been exceptionally windy. The prin- cipal activity has been in the live lobster fishing. The h has been fair and the price has been steadily ad- cing. The last shipment sold at 30 for large. There have been a few fresh fish shipments, but none them have been very large. The south shore has sending quite a quantity particularly of salt her- and mackerel and scallops. Of the latter there been an exceptionally large quantity sent over. The shipment of fish to England and Scotland still ‘The first casualty in a fishing fleet for some months _ took place on the evening of the 15th, when Edward uise, one of the crew of the schooner Nelson A., was drowned. It is presumed he made a miss-step while boarding the vessel that evening. The body was re- vered on Monday, the 18th, and at the inquest a erdict in accordance with the facts was returned. Now that the lobster factories are paying such low prices for tinkers, many of the fishermen are trying to sneak a few through to Boston in their live lobster shipments. But they are on to the trick at the other end. By the Massachusetts law these tinkers are contraband, still they are shipped in spite of repeated warnings. The State Fish Commission is looking very closely in- » the matter with the result that these tinkers are being confiscated and released again in Boston Bay. Only last Thursday 6,000 of these slints were so dis- FISHERMAN 53 posed of. It is pretty nearly time our fishermen ‘‘took a tumble’’ and put an end to this foolish trick. They are getting nothing at all for the tinkers they are sending over, and are out the freight on them. At the same time, their labor is helping to stock the waters of another country. The exports for the past month have been: Live Lobsters, crates .......... 3,429 BYORU etal CONOR 6 Sock weakness 254 Fresh Halibut, cases.. .. .. .. ..... 8 Eels, boxes .. .. .... 43 PRINGT My OURO ioe g ss a ace are 962 Finnan Haddies, boxes .. .. . 1,221 Pickled Fish, cases ......... 177 Boneless Fish, boxes .. . 3,521 Salt Mackerel, barrels . 15 Fish Clippings, barrels .. .. 62 Cod Oil, barrels ............ .. 8 Salt Herring, barrels .. .. 234 Dry ‘Salt Wish; droms. so es 648 Seallops (shocked) barrels .. .... .. 215 Dulse, barrels .. .. .. .. 15 Fish Waste, barrels .. ¢ 162 Canned Lobsters, cases .. . 721 CNOIOE HOUTBIB ie he eis sok ee 274 Gino stock, barrels). bs oS 5 POMIMCAINe DORON Sige hy eS 25 Shredded Fish, eases .. .. .. ...... 2 Hake Hounds, bags 72 oe ek 75 Mish Serapa, arrels. 0356) 6. 3. ed 17 Fillets, cases ..°.. .. .. 25 Tongues, barrels .. . 14 To London: 75 eases Canned Lobster. To Panama: 75 drums Dry Salt Fish. To Porto Rico: 110 casks Dry Salt Fish. To Brazil: 436 crates Dry Salt Fish. NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES. St. Johns, Nfld., January 16.—There has been very little doing in the fish business as between merchant and fisherman this week, says the Trade Review, but some small lots of dry and talqual shore changed hands at $7.70 and $7.80. Labrador soft cure is quoted at $5.50 for ordinary, with better price for better dried goods. Well-cured Labrador Shore is selling from $6.80 to $7.00, and West India goes at from $3.80 to $4.00. Cod oil has advanced slightly since last week, and the figure this morning is from $82.00 to $85.00 per tun for prime goods in iron-bound packages. The Western fishery has opened very well this sea- son, as far as the in-shore voyage is concerned, but the bankers have not yet left the coast. Mr. LeMessurier, Assistant Collector of Customs, had a wire from Bur- geo, on Thursday, to the effect that the eighty dories in that vicinity had landed fourteen hundred quintals in three days. This is a pretty good showing, as it means an average of nearly six quintals per day per dory. It is an evidence that the fish is on the ground, and if the bait supply holds out, the Shore fishery for the winter in Burgeo and vicinity, is likely to be a pretty good one. The Italian fish market, which has been very healthy of late, is likely to be somewhat affected by the dis- 54 CANADIAN aster, which has lately devastated Naples and vicinity, and business complications are likely to arise to ham- per the disposal of cargoes of our fish now at Naples or on the way over. To this writing, none of the local merehants has received any information as to how the position is affected, and we must only hope that mat- ters will come out. alright. Outlook for Newfoundland Fisheries Good Despite the great European war, says the Trade Re- view, and the conditions necessarily entailed, and which affect, more or less, every part of the world, Newfoundland enters the new year confronting a very hopeful outlook. During the last months of 1914, there was a shortening of our industrial sails, some of our fish values shrunk, labor became restricted, and money flowed less freely through our ordinary trade channels; but the enhancement of codfish prices, late in the season, did a good deal in lightening the de- pression and removing the feeling of panicy pessim- ism that was very apparent during the first month of the war. Besides, the country had passed through a series of fat years, and there was a good bit of money stowed away in the national stocking when the war came, Heretofore, the bank fishery did not begin until from the first to the middle of March many years, but this year we note that some of the first of the wes- tern fleet are about starting on the annual voyage. Some of them are baiting with salted squid, while others are taking along fresh frozen herring brought down from Bonne Bay ‘and Bay of Islands by the Western coastal boat. Up to a few years ago, the bank fishery (and for that matter the cod-fishery gen- erally) was conducted in a come-day go-day fashion— that is without much keenness or enthusiasm. It was part of the national annual game, and every man en- gaged worked at the business ust because it was his way of making a living, and he never expected to get more out of it than the bare necessities of life. His horizon was bounded by the close of his day, and he had no ambitions for to-morrow. But of late years a great change has come over the fishermen of the Island, especially the fishermen of Southern and Western ports. The men have become more eager and hopeful in the prosecution of their calling, and are beginning their voyages earlier and continuing them later. Any person who has watched the change closely must admit that it synchronizes with the removal of duty on our fish going into the United States and the consequent increase in our trade in this article with the people of that country. Last year Newfoundland sold in salt bulk to the Am- ericans, 76,326 qtls. codfish and at good prices, and all on a straight cash basis. This trade is only in its infaney, and it is in anticipation of its growth that the Western and Southern bankers are moving in be- ginning the voyage nearly two months earlier than usual. Some persons contend that the activity of the Am- ericans on our coast last year was due to the fact that the American catch was short, and that with the return of a normal year, or years, we will not be eall- ed upon to supply fish to the Americans. But those who know the situation deny this; they say that the FISHERMAN February, 1915. United States people are eating more fish food per head than ever before, and they are going to continue to eat it. Upton Sinclair’s ‘‘Jungle’’ story of a few years ago was a great indirect help to fish-eating, and the high prices for meat have helped the fish trade ever since. The American immigrants of the last few years have been from Eastern and Southern Europe, and are great fish eaters. They are calling for more fish than Unele Sam can supply, and Eastern Canada and Newfoundland must fill the gap. LET FISHERMEN Bie FOR THE AMERICA’S — What better demonstration could be asked that our — international cup defenders are merely racing machines, not real boats, than the fate of the yacht Defiance? — This beautiful piece of workmanship cost the syndi- cate which had it built approximately $1,000,000 be- | fore it was found she was out-classed in the trials. — Now the Defiance goes to the junkman for $6,500. Not a real boat, this proves that she is not even a yacht, else some yachtsman surely would have snapped her a up at the nominal sum for which she was turned over. — We fancy a race between a crack English fishing ves- _ sel and a trim Gloucester schooner manned by red- blooded Gloucestermen, sailed in a smashing summer smoky sou-wester would be a real test of boats and oo men.—Portland Express. The Newfoundland F isheries for 1914 ae The year 1914 shows the first break in a long series of years of prosperity, says the Trade Review. Part of — this is due to purely local circumstances, and part to the indirect influence of the European war. The year was still young when the sealing disaster came upon the country, and two hundred and fifty men lost their : lives. The sad event cast a gloom over the country, — and the response in subscriptions for the disaster has been generous, amounting to $310,680 at this writing. . This sum will be distributed with equity and care by the committee in charge. For the first half of the calendar year the business of the country and the in- © 4 dustrial output was up to the normal, and the out- fitting for the fishery was as large as usual. The ice conditions on the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts however made for a later opening of the ing sea- son, and, as a matter of fact, the bulk of the 0) ther unusual. in 1914 than the year before, but the Labrador catch — was larger. We estimate from most reliable figures — available that the shore catch for the year just closed amounted to 700,000 qtls., against 850,000 quintals last year. The Labrador catch amounted roundly to 300,- — 000 qtls., of which slightly over 90,000 qtls (91,048 qtls. to be exact) were shipped from the coast, and — 210,000 brought to Newfoundland and hard cured. The Bank fishery for the calendar year 1914 shows that 105 vessels were employed; these had crews aggregat- _ ing 1,892 men, were of 7,790 tons, and caught 124,067 qtls., which was less than the catch of 1918 by 28,307 qtls. Included in the shore catch are 76,326 qtls., sold — in salt bulk to the Americans, if we add the 124,067 qtls. to the total of shore and Labrador catch given yy above, we will have a grand total of 1,124,000 qtls. voy- 4 age was taken after the first of August, whisk ake , The catch of shore fish was smaller CANADIAN Reha cky Whe thigh figute tiaintaining’ this fall # a give an average price of $6.50 all round, or a value for our codfishery of $7,306,000. The seal fishery, notwithstanding the disaster which it, was fair. The total pena ght seals, value for $494,355.00, against 272,965 seals the pr ig year, which were valued at $493,697.00. The lobster fishery was very small during 1914, and, as a matter of fact, the shrinkage in catch has been very noticeable for years past. The catch was only ut 12,000 cases, against 20,000 cases the year be- fore. About two thousand eases of these were bought when the war broke out, and changed hands for $22.50 and $23.00 per case. With the declaration of war the price dropped from $12.00 to $13.00, and only those packers who were forced by circumstances have The demand for processed fish in the local market is asing; Mr. John Clouston put up nearly six thous- quintals during 1914. e amount of fishery products exported for the two _ Years past is given in tabulated form on this page, with increase or decrease in the various articles. _ Exports from the City of St. John’s, for the calendar ; 1913 and 1914, showing the increases and De- -ereases in the quantities handled during these years :— eee Ine. Dee. ; for for ‘e 1913. 1914. 1914. 1914. : Daw 9,266 Portugal See eat ee GR OOe ~ 10,008) csc. 49, ‘Spain .. .. .. .. .. 181,732 90472 |||. 41,260 Ree 6 a gs et daUOOT 110,990... ,’. 9,365 peinaies 2°... TL Ald 68,945 5... 7,469 Mae ss sae SOE 400 O41, 147 143,258 . of Canada 13,607 3,940 ..... 9,667 AAMC ks apes 19,46) “5607. Se madi .s Pape eal heeds 150 SOU eee ; States Pest; AOL A ct osc 3,240 parts. . 95,216 65,626 ..... 29,590 Seal Oil Tuns ited Kingdom VOLO VAIO se: 894 Pe Pars 4.5. % ak herd OLS 3: y Dir [e-.12t Ba Oil, Tuns: Kingdom .. 4600 A908 330 parts: =... 2,148 3,697 1,549 ..... tres. . 39803 2,990 2 1,019 kerel & Herring, : BAe ee eae 28,393 36,552 8159 ..... e Oil, tuns . 809 OU pranne 350 er Oil, tuns 51 81 900 cae Shee Saas 4 556 AG esc 382 PEM c'4 aah 2 + MTB 1,785 GOT? 225,54 Renee n: 2s, teen SRIG 4... 13,011 BIG DEAL IN CODFISH. J. A. Farquhar and Co., recently put through one of the largest deals in fish in one day that has been made in Halifax. This firm sold in a day over 1,000,000 ands of cod in bulk, from Newfoundland. Of this iount 800,000 pounds will go to Cork, Ireland, by rn schooner Beryl L. Corkum, from Halifax. € remaining amount, about 300,000 pounds, was sold & Whitman. _ nutritive qualities being quite as good. FISHERMAN , 55 THE MOTHER CAREY SUPERSTITION. Mother Carey’s chickens, the fascinating little pe- trels whose chosen home is on the tempestuous Atlan- tic, are well known to fishermen and beloved of sail- ors, who consider they bring luck on their ever-flut- tering wings. There are many varieties, some as large as a sea-gull, some as small as a swallow. But all of them are most graceful in shape, and in coloring are soft and sad: just the hue of the shadows that play about the waves, slate-grey merging into steely-blue. Their names are curious. ‘‘Petrel’’ is obviously de- rived from Peter, the Apostle, who tried to walk upon the water. But while St. Peter failed, the petrels ““walk”’ for hours upon the surface of the sea, pad- dling with their pattering feet while their fluttering wings keep them secure—‘‘ forever climbing up the climbing waves.’’ They seek their food thus upon the sea: the tiny molluses and infusoria almost invis- ible to eyes less keen than theirs. The French call them the ‘‘Birds of Our Lady’’—‘‘Oiseaux de Notre Dame,’’ viz., Latin: ‘‘Mater Cara.’’ It is easy to see how that last term has become ‘‘Mother Carey.’’ There is something uncanny about these small crea- tures, found hundreds of miles from land, living in the spray of the tremendous seas, their wild, lonely ery coming, with strange effect, as if from the very heart of the great deep. To sailors they are sacred. We once managed to entangle one in a net, and suc- ceeded in getting the throbbing serap of life on deck. The report of our capture ran through the ship like wildfire, and the oldest of the A. B. came, hat in hand, to entreat us to set it free. ‘‘It makes the men a bit nervous,’’ was his plea. ‘‘Odd things happen now and again. It is safer to give it back to the sea.’’ And back to the sea and its mysterious life we gave it forthwith. EAT THE SMALL FISH. The Berlin (Ont.) Daily Telegraph shows good com- mon sense in the following editorial which appeared recently. Dealers in fish find it difficult to dispose of the in- ferior varieties and the smaller grades of fish that are brought in by the fishermen. Consumers forget that little fish are taken in the nets as well as large ones, and that all are delivered to the merchant. It fol- lows, therefore, that, if there is only a small demand for the less choice fish, the dealers must obtain higher prices for the better grades. This is an aspect of the high cost of living which deserves the serious consider- tion of the public. Except for the slight extra labor involved in preparing small fish for the table ,they are in no way inferior to the larger fish, their flavor and Similarly many of the so-called coarser cooked grades of fish, when skilfully cooked, are not only very palatable, but are very nutritious. Consequently, it will be seen that greater economy can easily be practiced in the use of this very import- ant natural resource. The fisheries of Canada are both varied and extensive and should prove to be an import- ant factor in reducing the cost of living. What is needed, says one critic, is more conservatoin in con- nection with them, or in other words more careful and intelligent use. 56 CANADIAN FISHERMAN February, 1915. THE MAINE LOBSTER LAW By ALFRED ELDEN. [The following article by a writer who has made a study of the lobster fishery conditions along the Maine coast, will doubtless prove of interest to our Canadian readers, and those engaged in the lobstering industry of our own waters. | Some time before the Maine Legislature adjourns this spring, it will decide whether to change its pre- sent lobster law which prohibits catching and selling anything under approximately ten and one-half inches in length, or whether to adopt a nine-inch law simi- lar to those which prevail, in the coast States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and farther south. Maine’s lobster industry has reached a stage where something must be done to save it from even- tual annihilation. It is generally conceded by lobster fishermen, lobster dealers and the thinking public at large that the Maine law is the best for fisheries and fishermen, but that its effectiveness is nullified by the non-existence of similar laws in other coast states. It is not a difficult thing to make the situation reasonably plain. In Maine the carapace of a lobster must measure 434 inches. What is the carapace? It is the shell covering the cephalo- thorax! For goodness sake what is that, you ask? Why, it is the anterior portion of the crustacean, the united head and thorax. In plain English, it is the body of the lobster and if it measures 434 inches, that ensures a length of at least 101% inches from the end of the nose to the tip of the outstretched tail. It is not my purpose to undertake a history of the Maine lobster industry. Government and State re- ports are obtainable for the asking that tell the story scientifically and exhaustively. But I should like to point out a few conditions that exist along the coast of Maine because of the present lobster law, or, per- haps, in spite of it. There are strong arguments to be made both for and against a retention of the 104% inch law. Those who believe in letting matters stand as they now are, point out that there is a good deal of bunkum in the outery for ‘‘uniform’’ law. For example, the laws of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Con- necticut and New York are practically uniform. What has been the result? They depend largely upon Maine for their lobsters. Why? Because they have reduced the size to a point where, with lax enforcement, the fishermen have been able to market almost anything big enough to call a lobster. Naturally, this has re- sulted in a great deterioration of their lobster fish- eries. A hundred of legal length Maine lobsters will average in weight forty pounds more than a hundred of the nine-inch variety, permitted in other States. In 1914 Maine landed over eight million pounds of lobsters while Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecti- eut and New York combined did not produce one-half as many. Where then, does the uniform law advan- tage appear? The only uniform law, people of this belief will agree to is one that will put other States on a uniformity with Maine. But on the other hand. It cannot be denied that there are fully as many intelligent lobster dealers, fish- ermen and other interested people who think that if the Mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed should amble resignedly in the direction of the Moun- tain, Maine being Mohammed, while the part of the Mountain is taken by the nine-inch law of other States. The nub of the whole situation lies in the absolute ina- bility of Maine officials to enforce the present law. It is a situation that one Portland warden recently said made criminals out of honest Maine fishermen. While that statement would hardly bear a literal analysis, it is true that hundreds of Maine lobstermen who would not stoop to a single mean, underhanded or in any other way dishonest act, always have and always will traffic in short lobsters. As the crow flies it is little more than 26u miles from Kittery Point to Quoddy Head, but because of the — bays, reaches, coves and almost countless indentations, it has been estimated that Maine has a coast of more than 3,000 miles in length. There are approximately 3,000 lobster fishermen, and seldom if ever more than 30 wardens distributed so as to cover the coast to the best advantage. Picture for yourself just what 30 wardens can accomplish against the wits of 3,000 shrewd fishermen, scattered along 3,000 miles of coastal waters ! It is unfair, however, to state that all Maine lobster- men are law-breakers. In some communities it would be almost suicidal for a man to attempt to cateh and sell illegal size crustaceans. Take the Island of Mon- hegan, for instance. There the lobstermen do not put their traps in the water until January 15 and prompt- ly at midnight on June 15 every bit of gear is up and on the bank. The man who would attempt to lobster — fish in waters adjacent to this island during the six months close season would be given short shrift in- deed. But Monhegan is peculiarly situated. Nearly — 20 miles off shore in the open Atlantic, its fishermen — can come pretty near running a little fishing monarchy of their own. And they are wise enough to do this. - The lobsters become so large and plentiful during the summer months that enormous hauls are made when the fishing does begin. The Monhegan lobsterman who fails to clear $2,000 during the six months of fishing considers he has had hard luck, while there are always a few high liners who come close to the $3,000 mark. — So, too, are laws well observed at Matinicus, Vin- alhaven and here and there along the coast. But it has been estimated by Sea and Shore Commissioners that there are few times when there are not at least 1,500 lobstermen engaged in a wholesale business in short lobsters. ajen Whom do they sell to, and how is the traffie car- — ried on? Well, the summer tourist is the most prolific source of profit, because from him are the highest prices obtained. He pays from 75 cents to a dollar and a quarter a dozen. It is these retail transactions, however, that generally get the short lobster man in- to trouble. Wardens sometimes spend days trying to get a case against these fishermen. do so they must catch their ‘‘man with the goods.”’ Generally they lie in wait in some secluded spot along — a the shore where with a powerful field glass they can watch the lobsterman as he returns from the morning’s haul. They may see him tie his motor boat to its moor- ing, cull out the legal length catch and place it in his near-by car. So, too, may they see him in a more un- derhanded manner putting other lobsters into an old grain bag. The warden may glimpse the fisherman wave his hand toward the shore and turning his glass- es in that direction he will readily make out the pro- spective customer. Then the lobsterman with his bag But in order to — ‘ ‘bruary, 1915. CANADIAN of shorts will jump into his punt and hastily row a- shore, transfer the ‘‘shorts’’ to the summer tourist and receive in exchange his money for them. The war- den prefers to step into the game right here and to seize the bag from the fisherman before the latter has passed it to his customer. He then has a clear case against the primary offender. To be sure he could e the lobsters from the purchaser and impose the eustomary fine of one dollar each for every lobster, but that would not be reaching the fountain head. It is the risk of transferral that has led many lobs- termen to make a rule that they will not deliver ‘shorts’’ personally. The most popular method is to secrete them in some place along the rocky shore when no wardens are about. The customer knows of this hide, of course, and at a propitious moment makes off _with his prize, paying the fisherman when next he sees him. There is a spice of adventure, of danger, to such transaction that is all very fascinating to the aver- * summer tourist who seldom stops to think that in _ reality he is helping to make a criminal of a Maine fish- -erman. Unfortunately for the law neither purchaser fisherman can be made to realize that taking from e sea anything God has placed therein is a particu- arly serious offense. They place the lobster law on parity with the Maine prohibition law—something that is well enough on the statutes, but that must be winked at on the quiet. While, of course, many thousand short lobsters are disposed of in this manner during the Maine vaca- tion season, it is the wholesale traffic in ‘*shorts,’’ that is really responsible for the present agitation look- _ ing to a change in Maine’s law. While not all summer _ hotel landlords are law breakers in this respect it is well known and admitted by all the wardens that a great many of them leave standing orders with cer- tain fishermen to furnish them with all the short lobs- ters obtainable. The average short lobsterman would much prefer to sell 200 or 300 ‘‘shorts’’ outright to a single individual for, say, 50 cents a dozen, taking but the one chance of getting caught, than to attempt to dispose of that number by the dozen to summer va- eationists, with all the attendant risk. _ Even worse than this wholesale business for the fu- ture of the Maine industry is the smack trade be- tween all points of the coast and Boston. Here is the situation. Dozens of unscrupulous Massachusetts -smacksmen long since discovered that there were great possibilities in operating a lobster smack between Bos- ton and Maine points. These smacks operate Winter and Summer, although the heavy business is, of course, done during the period between early Spring and late Fall, as the Winter seas are generally too tempestuous for the little smacks. Some of these craft are sloops equipped with auxiliary motors, but during the past three or four years the more modern smacks are power eraft wholly. They are from 40 to 60 feet in length, equipped with large wells and have engines of suffi- sient horse-power to give them a speed of from 10 to 12 miles. ‘These smacks are the despair of the Maine wardens and of the Maine coast missionaries who are now car- Tying on a splendidly organized work among the fish- en. The Boston smackmen stock up with generous _ quantities of cheap liquors of all kinds. They know x where they can use it to the best advantage. Liquor is hard to procure in the isolated sections of ‘the Maine coast and on the outlying islands. And it is lamentable but true that there are among the Maine fishermen as among the fishermen all along the coast, FISHERMAN 57 those who will hold a quart of cheap whiskey in higher favor at times than they will a five dollar bill. The result of all this is that the Massachusetts smack- men come to Maine and secure immense quantities of short lobsters which the fishermen save for them in elever hides. In exchange the smackmen give the poisonous and coveted liquor or else buy the lobsters, paying the very lowest prices possible. As the Maine lobstermen are dealing in illegal goods it is appar- ent that they must take what they can get for their lobsters. These the smackmen carry back to Boston, and, as the majority of all they buy averages just about nine inches, or legal length in Massachusetts, they are able to command the full market price per pound. It is easy to see that the Maine fishermen gets the worst of the deal in every way. He is debauched with the cheap liquor and receives possibly five cents a pound for goods that the smackmen receives twenty-five for. Then, too, the lobster industry of Maine is being ir- reparably injured. The lobsters which should either be allowed to attain legal Maine size, or the proceeds of which should go to Maine fishermen, are taken away for the benefit of outsiders. The point made by those who would have the law changed is evident. It is absolutely impossible to prevent the traffic, both wholesale and retail, in short lobsters. Granting this, then why not make the Maine law uniform with that of offending Massachu- setts and the other States? With a nine-inch law, Maine fishermen can dispose at local markets for the full market price the lobsters they now sell for a song to the outside smackmen. There will be no oc- easion to furnish vacationists with any appreciable number of ‘‘shorts,’’ for there is little demand for a lobster that measures less than nine inches. Every- thing, it is claimed, would automatically adjust itself. No more lobsters would be taken than are taken now, consequently the industry would be in no more dan- ger of a decline than it is at present. Moreover, the otherwise honest Maine fisherman would find it. un- necessary to become a criminal in order to make a living. If it were possible for lobster wardens to enforce the present law there is no question that the inter- ests of the industry would be conserved by retain- ing it. It is admitted, however, that it would require a fleet of swift motor boats and a small sized army of wardens to prevent the traffic. The ingenious me- thods of the Maine lobstermen in inventing ways of hiding their catches of shorts and adding to them un- til they have accumulated enough for the smacks would furnish a score of plots for a moving picture scenario. With smart motor boats of their own they carry hundreds of ‘‘shorts’’ out to the smacks which await them just beyond the three-mile limit, where no officials can touch them. There have been in the past fist fights between fishermen and wardens. In one or two instances shots have been exchanged, and it is not uncommon for a warden to order a short lobsterman ashore at the point of revolver or rifle. Naturally, the feeling between wardens and fishermen is bitter, and it is _ wonder of all that so far bloodshed has not en- sued. These are among the chief points that the Maine Leg- islature is being asked to consider at its 77th annual session. The present law has been in effect since 1895, As a preventive of illegal fishing it has proved an un- doubted failure. Will its repeal and the adoption of a law uniform with that of other coast States remedy the situation? It remains for the Maine legislature to decide. 58 CANADIAN FISHERMAN February, 1915. AY uy \ KAA > 02 0 \ \ yl THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) Fishing in British Columbia, covering the year 1914 just past, taken as a whole, leaves very little to com- plain of, with the exception of the run of sockeyes on the Fraser. Other packs were well up to average, and at the present writing there is very little left in storage on the Coast. Fish like the Chums Salmon fetched almost record prices wit hthe canners, owing to the fact that our neighbors on the Sound seemed to think that all the salmon they could get hold of, irrespective of quality, would find a ready market. As far as Vancouver is concerned, there is quite a movement eastward of frozen and canned fish, but the shipment of dry-salt herring was lighter than previous years. This can be attributed to the fact that financial conditions in China were decidedly unsettled, and also that salt costs more than in previous seasons. The famous Point Grey herring were a disappoint- ment to some, owing to the fact that orders were se- cured for many thousand barrels of this fish, and they refused to put in an appearance worth while. Of course, British Columbia has no kick coming over her fish movements in 1914, and she has the additional sat- isfaction of knowing that she has now open for her products a brand new railway, practically in the heart of the fishing ground. Smoked Fish. The present winter has seen quite a number of firms making’ kippers, bloaters and kippered salmon, ete. In fact, it looks as if, from the prices asked, that there were almost too many at the game. Of course, this is the trouble in all businesses, and cannot be avoided. Unfortunately it leads to price - cutting, and conse- quently some packers have to get out of the game. There are enough herring offering to supply require- ments of bloaters and kippers. Smoked and kippered salmon are fairly plentiful, but curers find that it is difficult to procure halibut cheap enough to allow them to sell it at a price to attract the housewife. Pickled Fish. Supplies of salt salmon are practically exhausted, except for a few odd kits in the hands of small deal- ers. These will be readily taken up before the win- ter is over, and earry-overs will be practically nothing. I notice that the widely read Pacific Fisherman, which is acknowledged to be the official organ of the Alaska Fisheries, has taken a great interest in the ‘Pickled Fish Inspection Act.’’ This is gratifying to us, and helps us in our belief that this Act will ma- terially help sales to our friends across the line. This will be of special interest to British Columbia Packers, as it ought to give an impetus to the packing of her- ring and salmon. American markets will now feel that they are getting value for their money, and in ¥ consequence will have no excuse to offer us less, than they give for their home-cured goods. Salmon. Steelheads here offering fairly well during the month of December, and this high-grade fish could have been had by the earload at attractive prices if purchasers had been open. Unfortunately the war has affected this fish also, in so far as France and Germany are concerned, as they took many cars of Pacific steelhead salmon yearly. German markets be- ing closed, and France no longer being interested in what might be called luxuries, our steelhead pack was consequently small. Herring. Pender Harbor herring have been much in evidence of late, taking the place of the Point Grey, which were conspicuous by their absence. Many reasons have been attributed as the cause of the latter, but after all they did not turn us so it is no use discussing them fur- ther. Practically all the pack of the dry-salt herring has been shipped to the Orient. Prices advanced some- what, and shippers who were fortunate enough to send their packs on consignment had no reason to com- plain of their receipts. There will be very little more offering, and now the market is firm with several en- quiries that cannot be taken care of. Halibut. The holidays around X’mas and the New Year affect the sales of fish, and consequently the market is very quiet. High prices were looked for on fresh halibut this year and were obtained. Eight cents was nothing out of the ordinary, and Seattle paid one vessel 10¢ and a bonus for her catch. The schooner ‘‘Knickerbocker’’ operated by the New England Fishing Company, fishing out of Vancou- ver, B.C., arrived during the latter part of December with a record catch for a vessel of her rig and size, that is with 200,000 Ibs. of fresh halibut. This may seem a large amount of fish at one go, but when one takes into consideration the fact that the New Eng- land Fishing Company, considers this a mere drop in the bucket, it will give the readers of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman’’ an idea of the quantities of this fish handled by this company. It is no uncommon thing for them to send Hast a special train of halibut alone. In Seattle they have evolved a system of handling halibut, worthy of mention. The majority of the hali- but fishing boats out of Seattle are independently own- ed. On arrival of the vessel in Port with her eatch, the captain proceeds to the fishermen’s rooms, which are situated over the Pacifie Net and Twine Company, who operate their own dock. In these quarters is a room where the buyers of the various fish companies in the ee ee ebruary, 1915. CANADI AN East congregate and there bid for the cargo of the vessel just arrived. If the sale is completed, the ves- ‘sel proceeds to the premises of the successful bidder and there discharges her catch. It is needless to point out the advantage this plan has to both fishermen and the buyer, and its successful working has proved it to be a boon to all concerned. ot Codfish. There has been considerable discussion of late as to the chances of marketing the famous black cod. Even the most ardent supporters of the Maritime Provinces ave to confess that there is no fish equal in quality our black cod. That it will become a very great vorite is understood, and the man lucky enough to take hold of the proposition in the right way will be ell repaid for the trouble. We have an almost inexhaustible supply of grey and red cod, but our fisheries, being only in their infancy ; here, we cannot expect to do everything at once. Their turn will come later. Mild-cured Salmon. _ There has been a considerable easing up of late of the holdings on the Coast. British Columbia is lucky enough to have had such a small pack, as compared with that on the Sound. The original market, ‘‘Ger- many,’’ is undoubtedly getting all she can through neutral countries. Owing to the fact that steamships operating to these neutral countries have limited cold- storage capacity, shipments are slow. Packers have t been selling below cost, and apparently have no need to, as this matter is adjusting itself. Seattle, as well as Vancouver, has noticed that “‘war’’ times mean less oysters. Sales in Vancouver have been very small. Some handlers cutting out the line altogether. People all realize that however nutri- tious oysters are, still owing to the difficulty in trans- tation, they must be classed as a luxury out here. hen, again, there are the small local or Esquimalt oyster, which serves for cooking purposes. These are now coming in again, and importations from the Sound consequently being less. ° Canned Salmon. So far, the railways have not fulfilled the example of the American lines in lowering prices on this com- -modity, to allow competition with the rates quoted via the Panama Canal. There has been a considerable clearing-out in England of the higher grades and ekeve flats are practically off the market, being sold ow There are practically no sockeyes held in first hand now. Movements of the cheaper grades are somewhat slow, but there is no doubt but that the clearing-out of the sockeyes will mean a considerable movement in the cheaper grades. __ There was some slight agitation by a rumor that the War Office were seeking Alaska Canned Salmon, but British packers have been re-assured on this point. Canned Salmon. Sockeye, Talls .. ‘ creat 8.25 Plats ..: 8.75 ; \% Flats 10.25 Cohoes, Talls .. . 4.75 Flats .. 4.75 Y% Flats J 6.25 Talls ... 3.50 Plats . 3.50 FISHERMAN 59 Chums, Talls. .. .. .. 2.75 a eS yh ae 2.75 Wholesale Fish Prices, Vancouver Market. Smoked Fish. Per lb. Finnan Haddies, Atlantic 15s and 30... .. .. .09 Willete, Atianti¢- ihe. 0) as aS .10 MAIORLONS 3 Se Rig eat ee ew 06 Kippers, local .. .. .. eee ine 07 Salmon... ...... site oS ce Halibut .. .. Bibb Gh ails wh: acne .12 Frozen Fish. Salmon, Steelheads (round) .. ........ .09 Salmon, Cohoes (round) .. ......... .06 Papute so. 5 .08-.09 Ti a hide os abe oA .05 Biaci O00, Alaskan eo cs cee .08 Fresh Fis Salmon, Steelheads . .09 Salmon, Redsprings . fh We anes 10 Salmon, White Springs... .. .. .05 PAMAIONG Sales ts ee es eles .08-.09 Codey sie us, -06 Smelts . .07 Herring... .. .04 SOONG jas en ela a .05 Whiting... .. a .05 MEAT Ee iso os .03 PORGING Vice ithe ose ca .06 Rock Cod .. 2... 0.3 .05 Rad Cpe eae ee .03 Black Cod, Alaskan ....... .08 Shad, Columbia River .. .. .... .08 Pickled Fis Alaskan Black Cod .. . .08 Pacific, whole cod .. .. . a as pee .07 Herring, 1oehh cess 0), creer hs 06 Herring AWanie Goa a ek sn SS .05 Perpared Fish. Acadia, No. 2, Boxes .. .. ati .14 Acadia. Stripers os) oe shin .134% Acadia, Tablets ........ .14 Bluenose . eee ne 091% PHOS ioe carol ties sa see 0814 Nova Scotia Turkey .. ... 07% PRCINCIOUCAONR ao sca, dasa kes ow Fe lee 081% Shell Fish. Crabs (Boundary Bay) .. .. .. ..Doz. $1.00 $1.20 SUTIN Pots by. ee es per Ib. .12 18 MOUMIR eg Aree oe cer at eR. ce, .03 Clams (shelled) .. .. .. .. ..per gal. 1.25 Oysters, Eastern (Shells) .. ..per doz. .25 Oysters (Bulk) ...... .. ..per gal. 2.85 Oysters Olympia (Bulk) .. ..per gal. 8.25 General Notes. It is understood that at a meeting of the Standard Fisheries, Limited, the company was offered a sub- stantial cash sum for their holdings, by a gentleman who is at present in England endeavoring to reor- ganize the late B. C. Fisheries, Limited. We hear that the directors and shareholders of the Standard Fish- eries, Limited, refused this offer, as they have been assured a considerably better one by the financier who contemplates forming a very large development com- 60 CANADIAN pany, after the present financial difficulties are ad- justed, and the intention is to inelude a fishing com- pany in the parent company. There was also some little stir of late, as it was rumored that the B.C. Fisheries had been re-organ- ized, and that their halibut boats would shortly pro- ceed to the halibut grounds again, but so far no con- firmation has been received of this. The Salmon Fishermen of the : Pacific By F. WALD. Just as it takes an army of men to harvest the agri- cultural erops of the Middle West, so does it take an army to harvest the products of the sea on the Pa- cific Coast. To gather and pack so immense a har- vest from the sea requires close to 30,000 men, and a good share of these men are fishermen. A good share of the fishermen use motorboats—most of them, in fact— so it is readily seen how just one industry on the Pacifie Coast provides an immense market for boats and motors. : When the salmon run is on, which is from about June Ist to October Ist, although the heavier runs are during the summer months, you will find the sal- mon fishermen in every salt waterway from the Sac- ramento River to the Bering Sea, spreading their nets and seines and combing the waters clean in an effort to get their share of the great food fish that to-day helps feed the entire world. On different parts of the coast these fishermen have different ways of fishing. On the Sacramento and the Columbia rivers and also in British Colum- bia, the majority of the fishermen are gillnetters. These men use comparatively small boats, usually about 26 or 28 feet in length, powered with from 4-h.p. to 6-h.p. motors. Their nets are long but not very deep, and they fish on the surface of the water, the fish becom- ing entangled with their gills in the mazes of the thread or cord, where they are held till the fishermen extrieate them. On Puget Sound and in Alaska, however, the most popular way of fishing is what is known as purse-sein- ing. The seines that these fishermen use are much larger than the gillnets, being sometimes more than a quarter of a mile in length and many fathoms deep. The method of fishing is to surround the schools of fish with these big seines, and then by pulling in on the ropes that hold the seines, gradually to purse them together until the fish are drawn into a struggling mass within the purse alongside the boat, from which they are speared or gaffed and thrown aboard. The purse-seine boats are larger, 45 to 50 feet and some- times even 70 feet in length. The crews have regular sleeping and living accommodations aboard and large fish tanks under the decks carry as high as several thousand fish at a time. It is estimated that on the Columbia, from the Dalles down to the mouth of the river, there are eight thou- sand gillnet fishing boats im operation during the height of the season. Ten years ago these boats were all provided with leg o’ mutton sails, and when the wind went down, their owners rowed them. The in- troduction of the marine gas engine changed things, and now, while the river is dotted with these fishing boats during the salmon run, searcely a sail is to be seen. It used to be more picturesque to see this great FISHERMAN February, 1915. fleet start out from Astoria and drift down to the mouth of the river with their thousands of white sails, but certainly the motorboats of to-day are more prac- tical. They save the fishermen time and thus inerease their catches and their earnings. Also their safety has been increased very materially for in the former days when they had no motors the tide carried them out across the bar at the mouth, and many of them were drowned in the breakers. To-day, with their mo- tors, they are able to take care of themselves, and few accidents oceur. ee The greatest commercial salmon of Puget Sound is the sockeye, which enter the Sound every year in — large numbers, heading toward the spawning grounds — of the Fraser River to the north. Their course is in ~ through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, through the San — Juan Islands into the Gulf of Georgia and then into the Fraser. The best fishing grounds are, therefore, in the Strait and among the Islands for the Sound fish- — ermen, and in the Gulf for the British Columbia fish- ermen. Every four years there is a great run of these fish, eight or ten times as great as the run in the other three years, and then a great fleet of fishing boats is assembled to catch every fish that the cannerymen | can handle. The year of 1913 was such a year, and the pack was about 2,000,000 cases, where in off years it is often less than 200,000 cases. alt cre The cannerymen own many salmon traps, long rows — of piling along the shore, covered with wire webbing, — that catch hundreds of thousands of fish in a season, but they are also dependent upon the fishermen. In the big fourth years, the Puget Sound purse-seiners op- _ erate among the San Juan Islands, fishing for sock- . eyes. In the off years, they have of late been fishing out toward Cape Flattery and the open ocean. In both places their boats encounter rough water, and are con- sequently heavily-built and well-powered, seaworthy vessels that are prepared to go to sea if necessary. The crew of a purse-seine boat consists of about eight — men, and they fish on shares, usually one-half to the skipper and the balance evenly divided among the rest of the crew. When a boat has a good season— and nearly all of them did this year—the owners of these boats make big money, and many a member of a erew has made enough in one season to enable him to build his own boat the following year. = ‘Soa _ The seiners usually run into some cove among the islands for the night, where they are sheltered from __ the weather. Those on the smaller boats sleep inecamps on the shore, while those on the larger ones sleep : aboard and have all the comforts that are provided on i the ordinary eruising yacht, of moderate size. “Tua, y Early in the morning they are under way and leave the coves for the banks outside. Off in the distance 3 a flash of silver on the surface of the water marks the j approach of a school of salmon. The boat that is near- est or that is fastest reaches the school first, and cir- cling around it lets out its big purse-seine from the turning table on the stern of the boat. The fish are completely surrounded. Then the power winch, usu- ally run from the main motor, is started. The rope __ that runs along the top of the seine is drawn in by the i winch and the seine is gradually pursed into a smaller compass at the top, until it becomes a small circle alongside of the boat. Then up comes the net, and if : it is a lucky haul, the bottom is filled with a writhing, a kicking mass of silvery salmon. Men spring into their — dinghies alongside the boat and with their long gaffs they spear the fish and throw them aboard, and into the tanks they go. The operation is repeated until the tanks and decks are loaded to capacity and then e boat heads for the nearest cannery tender. These iders, some of them motor-boats and some of them steam, are usually waiting on the fishing banks with scows alongside, and they take all the fish they can get from the fishermen. When both the tanks of the tender and the scows gside are loaded, they head for the cannery that they represent, turn over their fish to the packers and eome back for more. It is a busy scene and there is no loss of time either on the part of the cannery, the fish-buyers or the fishermen. Time is money when the fish are running, and everything is figured out to give the greatest facility. The main run of fish lasts only four or five weeks. Then the fishermen leave the San Juan banks and scat- ter out over broader areas, fishing for the Fall sal- mon or Cohoe, which spawns up many different streams i therefore, can be found in different parts of the d. But in the last two years the fishermen have ed that the surest place to catch the Fall sal- is out at the Cape when they first start in from » ocean. Last year and the year before there was great fleet of seine-boats at Neah Bay, near the ipe, and these boats during the day fished the banks 80 miles out to sea. This resulted in the develop- _ ment of a larger, heavier type of fishing boat, known as the deep-sea seineboat, with raised decks and heav- timbers and more power, for the boat that fishes at e Flattery must be in position, if necessary, to id some hard handling. Most of the Summer, how- ver, the weather is calm, and as a matter of fact there are hundreds of smaller boats at the Cape which were wn as ‘‘trollers’’ that were little more than open runabouts. The ‘‘trollers’’ fish with line and spoon and catch the fish one or two at a time. With Fall salmon bringing high prices, they were able, by taking small boatload a day, to make fairly good money, d there have probably been over four hundred of ese boats, ranging from 24 feet to 35 feet in length, ilt on the Sound for trolling during the past three ears. The British Columbia fishermen largely still stick to their oars and their sails, partly because the Govern- nent prohibited the use of motors for a long time, lieving that motorboats increased the catch of fish 90 greatly, which was against their policy of conser- vation. These rules have been relaxed somewhat in the last year or two, however, and the market for ma- rine motors in British Columbia, as a result, has been on the increase. ‘The Alaska fishermen probably are called upon to un- dergo the greatest hardships. Those in southeastern “Alaska, it is true, fish largely in protected waters, al- though in the past year there was a large fleet of trollers and seiners fishing on the west coast, outside the islands. But the fishermen of Cook Inlet, Bristol _ Bay and the Bering Sea have to do most of their fishing in open water, and in water that is subject to ‘sudden and heavy storms. As a consequence, the purse- boats that have been built for use in the North have been even larger and heavier than those of Puget Sound, big boats that could ride out a storm if neces- ry in the Bering or buck the tide-rips at the en- nce to Cook Inlet. But the canneries in Alaska get the fish and the boats come back safely in the Fall, th seldom one reported missing. So, while the laska fishermen undoubtedly have their hardships, ‘are a hardy lot who are used to facing dangers thinking little of it, and who know how to handle boats and their motors and to bring in the fish ‘spite of wind and weather. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 61 What is true of the Alaska fishermen is true of all the salmon fishermen of the Pacific Coast. They are good navigators and good engineers, men who are will- ing to take chances for the stakes that the game offers, and moreover, they are good business men who make the game pay them. They usually come home with the fish and they usually end the season with larger bank rolls than when they started. Good boats and good motors are decidedly a business necessity for them and they are keen and prosperous enough to be able to buy what they need—Motor Boat. GOVERNMENT DAILY BAIT REPORTS OF GREAT VALUE TO FISHERMEN. For the purpose of assisting masters of fishing ves- sels to locate bait supplies during the cod-fishing sea- son, and thus avoid the great loss of time annually spent in searching for bait from harbor to harbor, the Department of Fisheries, in the course of the year, 1913, put into operation a system whereby definite in- formation concerning supplies along certain stretches of the Atlantic seaboard was collected by the local officer of the Department and despatched, daily, by telegram, to certain important sea ports, and there posted up. The number of ports selected as receiving stations had necessarily to be limited, but, through the cour- tesy of the daily papers in Nova Scotia in which the telegrams were published each day, the smaller fishing communities derived the benefit of direct advices as to available supplies of bait. During the spring ninety-three telegrams were sent from Magdalen Islands, Souris, P.E.I., and Queen- port, N.S., to Canso, N.S., Halifax, N.S., Lunenburg, N.S., and Riverport, N.S. During July and August five hundred and fourteen telegrams were sent from Grand Mira, N.S., Little Bras D’Or, N.S., Petit de Grat, N.S., Lower L’Ardoise, N.S., Canso, N.S., Wine Harbour, N.S., Tangier, N.S., and Musquodoboit Har- bor, N.S., to North Sydney, N.S., Canso, N.S., Halifax, N.S., Lunenburg N.S., Riverport, N.S., and Shelburne, N.S.; also from Lockeport, N.S. to Canso, N.S., Hali- fax, N.S., Lunenburg, N.S., and Riverport, N.S.; from Shag Harbor, Middle West Pubnico and Digby, N.S., to Halifax, Lunenburg, Shelburne and Lockeport, N.S.; from Bedeque and Leoville, P.E.1., to Caraquette and Shippigan, N.B. During September, October, November and Decem- ber one hundred and seventy-five telegrams were sent from Grand Manan, N.B., Pennfield, N.B., and St. John, N.B., to Digby, N.S., Yarmouth, N.S., Pubnico, N.S., and Clarke’s Harbor, N.S. Each telegram sent out contained specific information as to bait supplies at all the important points within the district of the officer who despatched the inessage. Copies of all telegrams were mailed to the Department at the end of each week, and the work closely followed. The benefits derived from the first year’s operation of this service may be gathered from the following synopsis of the reports from the officers directly con- cerned :— The officer at Grand Manan, N.B.,, reported that the service considerably helped masters of vessels to locate bait supplies. A number of these vessels called a Reh rete: during August and generally obtained ait. The officer at Guysborough reported that masters and owners of fishing vessels benefitted greatly by the information posted up at Canso. The officer at Wine Harbor, N.S., reported that, as 62 CANADIAN a result of the telegraphic information sent to Canso, Halifax, ete., during July and August, several ves- sels baited at Port Beckerton and other harbors in his district. All the net fishermen much appreciated the fact that the telegrams sent out brought buyers to them who paid fair prices for their herring. The officer at Musquodoboit Harbor, N.S., reported that during July and August five vessels and a num- ber of boats baited at Owl’s Head. The telegraphic in- formation benefitted herring fishermen by bringing twenty-five sail of boats from Tancook to Eastern Passage, where they averaged about one hundred bar- rels per boat. The officer at Lunenburg, N.S., reported that the bait telegrams were very beneficial to the managing owners of vessels at Lunenburg. As soon as they knew where bait was they telegraphed the information to their captains. The officer at Allendale, N.S., reported that the re- ports sent out were the means of bringing a number -of vessels to Lockeport, and other points in his dis- trict, for bait, which was a decided benefit not only to the vessel fishermen, but to the local net fisher- men as well. All were greatly pleased with the ser- vice. The officer at Lower Shag Harbor reported that the service was very satisfactory to trap owners and net fishermen as they readily sold their bait during the months of July and August. The officer at Middle West Pubnico, N.S., reported that the masters and owners of vessels fresh fishing off Yarmouth made much use of the bait reports from Grand Manan, N.B. Several vessels went from Pub- nico to Grand Manan for lobster bait, and were en- abled to load and make their trip within two weeks; previously, owing to the lack of definite information regarding catches of bait, such a trip usually occu- pied four or five weeks’ time. The officer at Digby, N.S., reported the local fisher- men as having declared that by knowing exactly where to get bait they caught much more fish than they would have caught without such knowledge. The captain of the schooner Cora May depended altogether on the reports in order to get his bait. The captain of a vessel buying fresh fish, and who had to keep the fishermen supplied with bait in order to buy their fish, also depended entirely on the telegraphic reports. In securing bait supplies another captain said that he had been able in many instances to gain several days’ fishing and at times a whole trip by the informtion contained in the bait telegrams. The gasoline boats also benefitted greatly by the information. In good fishing weather one boat would be sent directly to FISHERMAN February, 1915. where bait was reported as obtainable for enough to supply several boats; thus fishing went on without in- terruption. This officer received many more com- munications from captains of vessels telling of the benefits derived from the bait reports. The officer at Grand Manan, N.B., reported that the service proved very beneficial as many fishing vessels from Nova Scotia got bait there for immediate use; also large quantities of bait were secured for lobster fishing purposes. The captain of a Digby vessel in- formed them that the Daily Bait Reports had been of great service to their fishing fleet, by saving them a lot of time and trouble, as they knew just where they could obtain their bait. TO RESTRICT STEAM TRAWLING. U.S. Proposal to Conserve Supply. In a report on an investigation of trawl fishing in the Atlantic, submitted to the House to-day, Commissioner Smith, of the Bureau of Fisheries, urged that the United States, with the co-operation of Canada, New- foundland and France, safeguard the future supply of fish by restricting to certain definite banks and grounds, the use of any kind of vessel using trawls to catch fish, beam or otter. The commissioner proposed that the taking of fish, except shellfish, by means of the otter trawl or beam trawl, or by any other apparatus drawn over the ocean bottom by a vessel in motion, be prohibited on all bottoms in the Atlantic Ocean outside of territorial jurisdiction north of the fortieth degree of north lati- tude, except Georges Banks, south channel and Nan- tucket Shoals east of the meridian of Sankaty Head on Nantucket Islands. a Such a plan, the report said, would return to the otter trawlers sufficient ground for their work, but would not exclude the line fisheries, and would re- serve to them exclusively the banks to which they make more than two-thirds of their trips. CANADIAN FISHERIES REPORT 1913-14. That the total value of all kinds of fish products and marine animals taken by Canadian fishermen last year e was $33,207,748 is shown by the annual report of the Marine and Fisheries Department, just issued. The value falls short of the preceding year by $181,716. There was a total of 71,776 men employed in fishing on 1,992 vessels, tugs and smacks and 37,686 boats, while 26,893 were engaged in canneries, ete., on shore. Gasoline boats are ousting the sailing vessels, 8,700 having been used last year, an increase of 2,789. Sa W. Irving Atwood, Prest. Atwood, BRANO = FINNAN HADDE 31 Boston Fish Pier — N. D. Freeman, Treas. ALL VARIETIES Or THE SEASON Boston, Mass. CANADIAN Peloleleteieleicicieteisieisicieivisivivivisieioicivisicisisieisisisisisivicivieieieioieisisisivisisisisisieleleieleislelsisieleleleleisieleielels isis ies] FISHERMAN 63 FISH & OYSTERS ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled . and Prepared FISH in Season . 000000 OYSTERS A SPECIALTY $$9OO0 COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES Long Distance Telephones : P.O. Box 1425 LEONARD BROS. 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, (Near Custom House) MONTREAL OOOO Branches: Correspondence Invited St. John, N.B. Grand River, Que. Gaspe, Que. Westport, N.S. ICHOHOHOHOHOCOHCHOHCHOCHCHOHOHOHOO0H0H0/010) CHOHCHCH0H0 OHOHOH0}0.CHOCHO}CHOHCHOOHCHOHOHOH CHCHCHOHCHO CHCHOHOHOHO (CHOHCHOHOHG CHOHCHOHOHO CHOHOHOHOHGE PEEPS EEEEEEEEEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE PEPE EE EEE EEE PEEP EE PEE EEE EEE EEE PE EEEE EEE EEE EE ** Thorough Inspection Before Shipment.” F. J. HAYWARD QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only WESTERN AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., exc. CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED 912 DOMINION BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. PEEL EELEEEL EERE EE EE EEE EEE EE EE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EEEEEE EEE EEE EE EEEE EE EEE FISH BROKER ee COOOCC OOOO COOOOOoooooO OOoooo She She She Bh oie Be hn Bo Bo Bo Bn Be Bade de POSS PPPS PPS PSS Sly eee T TS =". . . # o Koacan ere DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! : DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE i The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited : TORONTO : FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS F % We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. e |e 5 \. ‘ 64 CANADIAN FISHERMAN i Be a i i i a En ig She Bh Ble a hs hn Bia a Bs Be Ra Be Be Bae Be Bede de ee et he Be he he oo oe oho oe ooo oe Go oe oe oho oe oe on oe oe oe of Ge oe oe os oo ogs oh ego egn eds $e! EEE NS FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA PPh PEE bb hhh EE ELLE EES EEE PEELE EE EEE EEE EELS PEEPS LEE PEPE EE PEEPS hE EEE HEE aE EEE EEE EE PEEE EE EEE EEE EEE EP EP EE EEE ESE LEE EE PEPE PO PP SPSS Se es eee ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless | Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes ; PEE EEEELELE ELE EE EEE EEE EEE DEERE EEE EEE EDEL EDEL ELE DEEP ED ED EPR EDEL E DEES a EEE ELSES SASSLDLLASLLELAAAL hhh bbb hhh hobo bbb hhh hohe SP PSS PSS SPP SSS SSS SST TTS Everywhere in Canada Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies Gateway Brand Boneless Fish a ae ae recone re f, Gateway Brand Threaded Fish | as or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod ~ me | GATEWAY f oH Cl Mayflower sam riaaiel Fish LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. “GATEWAY” Brands of Fish fetstetoisioleioioisivisicioivisisieleioieisieleieloisieieieisivioisisicleivicieivisioivivisisivicieicieiniel sis isi sists] PE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE PEPE EEE EEE PEE EEE EEE EEE THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Inc. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited PEEEEEEE PEELE PEELE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EE PEE EEE PEEP PEPE EE EE EE EEE EE EEE EE EES EEE PEPE SS PEELED EE EEE EE EE EE PEER PEPE EEEE EE EE EE EE EEE EE EEE PEPE EE EEE EEE EEE EET CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (Puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oysters) - 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. EEE EEEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE EE EERE EE EE DEE EE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE —— ee eo 2 ee POS C CSCC ST TT TTT No. 1915 MONTREAL, MARCH, ‘Vol. II. "li al ADA” RIES. Eo CAN GAZINI 4 wal Be MA S) at ’ ia i Y) be 4 s © wv a > & ce OQ = — Zz Zz < fe = oe) eo) n 7p) < w” a a4 “ an Mt Le Z, * Q < Zz < oO ~ a COM oo* Producers and Distributors QE A ROQODS j CANADIAN FISHERMAN 7 0: Re ee SE Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. ; THROUGHOUT ~ CANSO. NS. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. Sadan ladle i A aa ai rnd i at ip il Mian lai ae bie PEEEEEEEE EEE EEEEEE EEE EEE EE PEEE EEE EE EEE EE EEE ELE PEPE EE EE EE EEE EEE EEE E PS Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MINSTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEG CANADIAN FISHERMAN FISHERIES: In addition to the full statistics of the Fisheries which are published yearly in the Annual Report, the Department issues monthly bulletins containing statistics of the.sea fisheries and general information in regard thereto. Copies of these will be sent free to any applicant. The value of the Fisheries of Canada is now about $34,000,000.00 annually. The demand in the home markets for fresh and mildly cured fish, is expanding bi rapidly. The Department pays one-third of the express charges on less than car-load lots on all shipments of such fish from the Atlantic Coast to points as far west as the eastern boundary of Manitoba, and from the Pacific Coast, as far east as this boundary. Over 1,000 tons more fish reached Montreal for use there and distribution to other points from the Atlantic Coast, under this arrangement last year than the year before. The growth has been equally satisfactory from the Pacific Coast to the Prairie Provinces. Close Seasons for Fish in Force on December Ist, 1913 Kiad of Fish: Nova Scotia. New Brunswick. P. E. Island. Quebec. Bass (Achigan) 1 April to 15 June. Maskinonge 15 April to 15 June. Ounaniche. 1 Oct. to 30 Oys' bl Jan. to 30 Sept. bl Jan. to 30 ba bl Jan. to 30 Sept. b1 Jan. to 30 Quahaugs Oct. 1 to May 10 Oc.. 1 to May 10 and]j Oct. 1 to May 10 and July 1 to Aug 31. July 1 to Aug. 31. July 1 to Aug 31. April 15 to May 165. almon (netting) Aug 15 to March 1. Aug. 15 to March 1. Aug. 1 to a 30. | almon (angling) eAug. 16 to Jan. 31. Sept 16 to March 31. Sept. 16 to April 30. elts fApril 1 to July 1. {March 1 to June 30. Sau ast) June 1 to Jul June 1 to July 1. Oct. 1 to M Oct. 1 to Apa 30 va Br P ... | Oct. 15 to ee es tee eee ov. Sent Spec. salmon Trout. Kind of Fish: Ontario. Alberta & British Columbia. Bass (Achigan) al5 April to 15 June. Maskinonge 15 April to 15 June. Ounaniche cApril 15 to May 15. dApril 1 to'May 18." ** fnetsing ae at angling ee See regulations. gMay 15 to June 15. Salmon Smel Sept. 15 to April 30. hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. Sept. 15 to Nov. 19. iSept. 15 to Dec. 15. ilies in Lake Erie west of Pt. Pelee and around Pelee e—Except in Cape Breton Island, where close season is from Island, where close season is May 25 to July 15. Sept. 27 to May 31. — on leased areas, where close season is from 1 July to f—Bag-net fishing season Dec. 1 to Feb. 15; gill-net fishing season 31 Aug, : Oct. 15 to Feb. 15. Licenses required for bag-nets or gill- c—No close season in St. Clair River and off Lambton County. nets. d—Except in waters north of or intersected by 54th parallel north Sturgeon fishing prohibited until Jan. 1, 1916. lat. between eastern boundary of Saskatchewan, and 109th No close season in Lake Erie. é meridian and in waters intersected by or north of 55th i—Except_in waters specified in (d) where close season is from parallel n. lat. west of this meridian to western boundary of 1 Oct. to Nov. 30. Alberta, where there is no close season, For British Columbia See Regulations. A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF CANADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE FISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR 35-45 St. Alexander St. - Montreal F CANADA Toronto Office - 44-46 Lombard St. THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN SUBSCRIPTION: Canada, Great Britain and United States.............. $1.00 Blodwineee iis). 6 a Sack coin cake - SIS payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects of practical interest. If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association MONTREAL, MARCH, 1915 No. 3 _ Monday, February 15th, 1915, will become a memor- ‘able date in the records of the Canadian Fishing In- dustry, as it marks the successful inauguration of the Canadian Fisheries Association. In response to the invitation of the Committee responsible for the move- __ ment, representatives of the Fishing Industry all over Canada met in Ottawa, enthusiastic and earnest in their desire to bring the Fisheries into its rightful position in the forefront of the Dominion’s basic in- dustries. The idea was crowned with success from its incep- __tion—a truly remarkable fact when one considers the ___ wide-spread interests involved and the scattered na- ture of the trade. Representatives from the Pacific, the Great Lakes, and the Atlantic, met on common ground and were unanimous in the idea that it was time Canada’s great fishing industry was organized for the promotion and development of the fisheries up- on commercial, scientific and educational lines. _.. The fisheries of Canada have been exploited for over two hundred years—in fact, the colonization of the country is largely due to the prolific fishery resources of our waters drawing the venturesome mariners of _ Europe to our eastern shores. Though long estab- _ lished, the fisheries of Canada have remained in a state of insularity devoid of any organized effort to work __ for a common purpose for the good of the industry as a whole. Of late years, the development of the in- dustry has brought many difficult problems to light _—problems which no particular section or interest INAUGURATION OF THE CANADIAN FISHERIES : ASSOCIATION A Movement of Great Importance in the Canadian Fishing Industry Successfully Organized. could adequately deal with alone—and when the idea of an Association was promoted, the project received the cordial endorsement of every person interested in the welfare of the fisheries. The universal encouragement according the move- ment by the fishing interests of the Dominion showed conclusively that an Association was much needed, not only to stimulate and promote the growth of the in- dustry, but also as a means of bringing the varied —* of the trade together for their mutual bene- t. THE INAUGURAL MEETING. The meeting, at which the Association was formally organized, was held on the afternoon of February 15th in the Chateau Laurier, Ottawa. In spite of the short notice given and the demands of the Lenten season, an unusually representative number were in attend- ance—fish men from east and west being present to as- sist in launching the new organization. Mr. S. Y. Wilson, Halifax, N.S., took the chair, with Mr. F. W. Wallace as Acting Secretary. After a short address in which he explained the object of the gathering and the value of an Association, the Chair. man pointed out that the Canadian Fishing Industry at the present time had an annual value of $34,000, 000. ‘‘A large sum, no doubt, but nothing to what it should be. The Dominion has the greatest and most prolific fishing areas in the world, but at present, ow fisheries are in their infancy. The home consumptior 68 CANADIAN of fish food is very small and our fishery should have twice the value which it has at present. However, we have not the least doubt but what this result will come shortly, and the work of an Association such as we propose with the co-operation of all concerned in the exploitation of our fishery resources will materially inerease the value of the Dominion’s fisheries.’’ The motion to form the Asosciation was then put to the meeting by Mr. A. H. Brittain (Montreal) and seconded by Mr. W. Douglas (Winnipeg) :— ‘‘That, in the opinion of those present, an organiza- tion of the Fishing Industry, to be known as the Can- adian Fisheries Association, be formed for the purpose of promoting the conservation and development of the Fishing Industry on commercial, scientific and educa- tional lines.”’—The motion was carried unanimously. Professor E. E. Prince, Commissioner of Fisheries, expressed his approval of the move, and outlined the good work done in Great Britain by a similar organi- zation—the National Sea Fisheries Protection Associ- ation. ‘‘As a Government Official, I hail the forma- tion of the Association with delight, and I highly en- dorse it as the very thing required to encourage and develop the Industry and aid the Government in their work of bringing the Fisheries itno the front rank of Canada’s national resources.’’ The Secretary then read a large number of letters and telegrams received from individuals and firms in the trade who were unable to attend, and the meeting afterwards proceeded to discuss and amend: the Con- stitution and By-laws already drafted. A large num- ber of amendments were made to suit the require- ments of all branches and phases of the industry and the By-laws were adopted by an unanimous vote. Election of Officers. The election of officers for 1915 was the next im- portant work of the meeting, and the returns by open nomination and vote were as follows:— HONORARY PRESIDENT — Hon. John D. Hazen, Minister of Marine and Fisheries. PRESIDENT—Mr. D. J. Byrne, Leonard Bros., Ltd., Montreal. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT—Mr. S. Y. Wilson, A. Wil- son, Halifax, N.S. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT—Mr. W. H. Barker, Bri- by. Columbia Packer’s Association, Vancouver, SECRETARY-TREASURER — Mr. Frederick Wm. Wallace, Editor, Canadian Fisherman, Montreal. DIRECTORS: NOVA SCOTIA: Mr. A. Handfield Whitman, Robin, Jones & Whit- man, Ltd., Halifax, N.S. Mr. H. B. Short, Maritime Fish Corporation, Ltd., Digby, N.S. __Mr. W. P. Scott, Matthews & Scott, Queensport, N.S. KEWSRUNSWICK: Lee Mr. Walter Leonard, Leonard Bros., St. John, N.B. Mr. R. O'Leary, Richibucto, N.B. j Mr. W. 8. Loggie, W. S. Loggie & Co., Ltd., Chatham, N.B. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: re Matthew & McLean, Ltd., Souris, Mr. Chas. Longworth, Charlottetown, P.B.1. FISHERMAN March, 1915. QUEBEC: Mr. J. A. Paulhus, D. Hatton Company, Montreal. 7 Mr. A. H. Brittain, Maritime Fish Corporation, Ltd, Montreal. : 7 Mr. W. R. Spooner, National Fish Co., Ltd., Mont- real. a ONTARIO: _ Mr. F. T. James, F. T. James Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont. Mr. J. Bowman, Bowman & Co., Port Arthur, Ont. ae Mr. M. Lapointe, Ottawa, Ont. wie) MANITOBA: Mr. J. W. Simpson, Selkirk, Man. . ‘ Mr. W. Douglas, Guest Fish Co., Ltd., W Man. ALBERTA—No Nominations. ee 5 weer SASKATCHEWAN: eu Mr. H. A. Green, Aberdeen Fish Market, Saskatoc Sask. eh Mr.-W. Reid, Reid & Haddock, Regina, Sask. BRITISH COLUMBIA and YUKON: tae Mr. A. L. Hager, Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd., Van eouver, B.C. i Mr. Peter Wallace, Wallace Fisheries, Ltd., Vancou- ver, B.C. Ate: > Mr. W. Hamar Greenwood, Skeena River Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. . Oe eee Mr. H. S. Clements, M.P., Prince Rupert, B.C. = The Directors, together with the President, Vice-President and Second Vice-President, consti the Executive Committee of the Association. T Canadian Fisherman was unanimously named as official organ of the Association. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING. The Executive Committee of the Association hel their first meeting on the morning of February and the following committees were formed to « on the special work of the organization. TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.—To deal all matters pertaining to the transportation of fish, liveries and rates. Members: Mr. A. H. Britt Montreal (Chairman) ; Mr. W. Douglas, Winnipeg; Ww. Me Barker, Vancouver; Mr. W. R. Spooner, M real, td EDITORIAL and PUBLICITY COMMITTEE. To encourage the preparation of papers upon subje pertaining to the fisheries and to produce and 4d bute information of an educational nature among ducers, retailers and consumers, also to edueate public as to the value of fish foods. Members: A. Paulhus, Montreal (Chairman) ; Mr. F. J. Hi Vancouver, B.C.; Mr. F. W. Wallace, Montre J. J. Harpell, Montreal. Se GENERAL IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE. - encourage improvements in fishing methods, pac curing, and marketing of fish and fish products. bers: Mr. A. Handfield Whitman, Halifax (Chairn Mr. H. B. Short, Digby, N.S.; Hon. John Mel Souris; Mr. R. O’Leary, Richibueto; Mr. W. S. Leo ard, St. John; Mr. A. L, Hagar, Vancouver; Mr. ” Hamar Greenwood, Vancouver, B.C. a After the nomination of the above Committees, Executive moved the following resolution with gard to the new Pickled Fish Inspection Act, w: goes into effect on May Ist, 1915:— : “Mareh, 1915. CANADIAN “The Association heartily approves the action of the Fisheries Department for the principle embodied in the Pickled Fish Inspection Act which goes into ef- ect, May Ist, 1915.”’ Fishermen Members. _ With the desire to have all persons engaged in the Fishing Industry as members of the Association— fishermen, fish workers, and others actually employ- ed in the producing of fish in the various Provinces, it was thought advisable that local branches of the Can- adian Fisheries Association be formed for their bene- fit. The following resolution was accordingly passed. ‘That, in the opinion of the Executive Committee of ‘the Association, it is highly advisable that local branch- formed on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, as as at interior points, and the members of the Ex- ive from these sections are strongly advised to pro- eed, as soon as possible, to the formation of such.’’ _ With regard to the aforesaid motion, the President, ‘Mr. Byrne, pointed out the desirability of having the fishermen of Canada actively interested in the Asso- ciation. It was to the advantage of the whole industry _ FISHERMAN 69 to have producer, distributor and retailer as members and the educational policy of the Association, if fol- lowed by these branches, would not only assist in in- creasing the consumption of fish, but would material- ly increase the earnings of all. Better methods of catching fish, careful and sanitary handling, packing and curing meant a more appealing product for the consumer. Fish is a perishable and easily deteriorated article which should be carefully handled from the time it leaves the water, and in order to have palat- able and good appearing fish it is absolutely neces- sary that the fishermen themselves assist in employ- ing more up-to-date methods in catching and hand- ling. As it is to their own advantage, Mr. Byrne was of the opinion, that fishermen joining the Association and carrying out its objects would greatly aid in the work of bringing the Canadian Fishing Industry up to a higher and more profitable plane. For the purpose of having fishermen and fish work- ers as members, the Executive Committee will consider a seale of subscription fees which will come within the means of small wage earners and enable them to en- joy the privileges of the Association and its benefits in an educational way. MARCH FISH CALENDAR F925 Mon. Tues. Wed. - Thur. Fri. Sat. y oe 3 4 6 9 10 ad 13 17 1s |{19|| 20. 22 24 25 ||26|| 27 29 31 NEW BRUNSWICK FISHERIES. total value of fish caught in New Brunswick wa- ters during the fiseal year 1913-14, reached the splen- did total of $4,308,707, against $4,264,054 the pre- vious year. Herring showed an increase, the amount caught being 197,297 ewt., against 189,200 the year before. There was a falling off in sardines, the catch _ year being 141,384 barrels as against a take the vious year of 280,282 barrels. The fishery officers inclined to become a little pessimistic over the outlook, but the little fish have a habit of ng hide and seek that is a little difficult to fol- at times. The salmon catch showed a marked im- provement. The catch in Bay of Fundy waters am- ounted to 3,998 ewts., while on the northern shore of the province the catch was 3,086 cwts. greater than the year before. Inland salmon catching also shows a gratifying increase over the previous year. The to- tal marketed value of the salmon catch in New Bruns- wick was $269,775; of lobsters, $692,810; cod, $404,- 769; herring $808,910; sardines, $676,668; haddock, $25,061; hake, $88,522; pollock $76,373; mackerel, $171,806; shad, $23,360; alewives, $60,386. The total number of fishermen and others engaged in the fishing business in New Brunswick in 1914 is placed at 21,- 876. 70 CANADIAN FISHERMAN March, 1915. FIRST ANNUAL DINNER OF THE CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION The Record of an Interesting Event in the Canadian Fishing Industry Ottawa, more than any other city in the Dominion of Canada, has been the rendezvous for a large and varied assortment of gatherings and conventions, fra- ternal and otherwise, but none excited more interest or excelled in importance the Inauguration Meeting of of the Canadian Fisheries Association. The success- ful outcome of the Association’s inauguration was fitly wound up with the dinner which was held in the Cha- teau Laurier on the evening of February 15th. It was essentially a ‘‘Fish’’ Banquet with a specially prepared Menu in which fish was the piece de resist- ance. The gentlemen who sat down to the tables in the handsome Marie Antoinette banquet room, though not all ‘‘fish’’ men, were representative of the Indus- Hon. John D. Hazen Minister of the Naval Service, Honorary President try from Coast to Coast. The Fisheries representative from the Pacific exchanged notes and viewpoints with his brother from the Atlantic, while the Prairie and Great Lakes men fraternized with both, and the ideas of three thousand miles of widespread trade interests centred in the one common topic of the Association and its objects. In addition to the actual members of the industry, the Association had the pleasure of the company of sev- eral prominent Government Officials from the Marine and Fisheries Department, and equally important to the fishing interests, were representatives of the trans- portation and railroad concerns at the dinner, The Minister of Marine & Fisheries, Hon. John D. Hazen, Honorary President of the Association was the guest of the evening along with Mr. J. O. Belleisle, Inspector- General of Fisheries of the Province of Quebec, Mr. Clarence Jamieson, M.P., for Digby Co., N.S.,. and Mr. Geo. Bradbury, M.P. for Selkirk, Man. Other prom- inent Provincial officials regretted their inability to at- tend, but expressed their cordial sympathy with the Association and its objects. Mr. D. J. BYRNE, President of the Association, act- ed as Chairman, and after proposing the first toast, ““The King,’’ said :— At this inaugural dinner, on the opening of our new association, the idea, I think, was to be very informal. So informal have you gentlemen been that you elected a President without his knowledge or consent, and placed him in rather an awkward position, since he does not know why you did it, nor how he shall ex- press himself as the occasion requires. Since the dinner is very informal, we have decided also to change the formal toast list, as noted on the menu, and to limit the toasts to two. The first toast will be ‘‘The Fisheries of Canada.” And in this connection I need hardly say how proud we are to-night to have with us the Honorable Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Mr. Hazen (applause), who has taken the time, out of his very busy and very much employed day, which runs far into the night when the House is in session, to come and be with us, and therefore show his active interest. We appreciate it, and we want to assure the Honorable Minister and the Department that it will be our wish at all times to work in harmony with them, to work for the best interests of the fisheries of Canada and the fishing industry, and to do what may be necessary to further those interests. I will ask Mr. Wilson to propose the toast of ‘‘The Fisheries of Canada,’’ coupling with it the Honorable Mr. Hazen, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and also our friend Mr. Belleisle, who represents the fisheries of the Province of Quebee. ; ; In proposing the toast of ‘‘The Fisheries of Can- ada,’’? MR. S. Y. WILSON (HALIFAX) said:— Mr. President, Mr. Minister, and gentlemen,—I am glad to have the honor at this initial banquet of the Canadian Fisheries Association, and I may say the pleasure, of proposing this toast to the suceess of the fisheries, coupling with it the names of the Honorable Mr. Hazen and Mr. Belleisle. I felt when I was in Montreal a couple of weeks ago that I was making considerable sacrifice in going away from home at that time and in coming back here again after I had been home a week, just at the expiration of a week, to this — 4 initial meeting. But I feel that I have been entirely repaid for any effort on my part in regard to it. I think that we have arrived at the stage in the develop- ment of the fishing industry of the Dominion of Can- ada when we are, to use a slang expression, ‘‘sitting up and taking notice,’’ and in that respect I hope that the Honorable Minister and Mr. Belleisle likewise will sit up and take notice of this association. For sey- eral years past, according to the blue books of the a a March, 1915. CANADIAN Department, the value of the industry has been more or less stationary. The variations have not been very great; the variations have not been sufficiently great; and I think perhaps we may say, as the men who are interested in the fishing industry, both from the pro- ducers’ standpoint and that of the distributor, that we are perhaps somewhat to blame ourselves, but we also think that there are others that are to blame. And in that connection I would not like even to insinuate that the Minister is to blame, for I believe, myself, that -the Minister has devoted a great deal of time and a great deal of thought and attention to the fisheries; but the situation as we’find it to-day is at the stage where, as I have said before, we are sitting up and tak- ing notice, and I believe we have just arrived at the stage in the trade, or in the industry, where we are be- ginning to realize that we have been conducting the industry of the fisheries along lines which could not be considered in the best interests of the industry, or on scientific lines. I don’t know if many of you gentlemen here had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Hjort, of Norway, who is one of the high administrative officials of the Fisher- ies Department in Norway. I had the pleasure of hearing him on two different occasions in Halifax, in regard to the development that has taken place in the Norwegian fisheries during the last ten years, and that was brought about by an organization similar to the one that we have inaugurated to-day. I can only hope that the improvement and development in the industry during the next ten years in the Dominion of Cenada will be equal to that which took place during the last ten or twelve years in Norway, which is very much smaller, of course, than the Dominion of Canada, and is not blessed with natural resources, even in fish- ery matters, as we are in the Dominion of Canada. The value of the fisheries to-day, according to the bine book, is somewhere about $33,000,000, distributed over the different provinces of the Dominion, the great- est being in British Columbia, which, I think, is given eredit for $13,000,000, seconded by Nova Scotia with seven or eight millions, and running down to the Yu- kon Territory, with something over $50,000. Now, since we sat in here to-night the Minister made 4 remark which so coincides with my opinion that I want to congratulate him that he has arrived at that stage where he at least admits that it would be in the best interests of the industry that all regulations with regard to the fisheries should be statutory. That is one of the things that I have felt is a grievance with the ‘‘powers that be’’ for many years past. I am not a lobster packer and I am not an exporter of lobsters to any great extent; so I consider I am not really directly interested in the lobster fishery, although it is one of the largest resources of the Dominion fisheries. It is worth something over four million dollars to the Mari- time Provinces, and, as you know, we have a good deal of trouble in the Maritime Provinces with the lobster question. We have not settled it, and it is still unsettled, and one of the great grievances has been in connection with the amendment of the regula- tions in regard to the lobster fishery ; that is, the lob- ster season is set by Order-in-Council, but very often is changed by—circumstances, I suppose, perhaps would be the better word to use: I was going to use something else. However, it has been very often changed at the end of the season, for various reasons, which I think has not been in the interests of the fishery, and has not proved in the interests of the fishing, and the lobster fisheries is one of the branches FISHERMAN 71 of the industry that have been going down. It has been going down for the reason that it has not had the educational side of the industry developed. The Government has from time to time—and perhaps the better word to use there would be the Department— the Government, on the recommendation of the Depart- ment, has from time to time made regulations which it considered were at that time in the best interests of the industry. As a matter of fact, they have done what they considered was best, but what has proved not to be entirely in the interests of that particular branch of the industry, and I think that that is one of the reasons we have not made more progress in the fisheries, is the fact that all the legislation we have had has been along the lines of restriction: that is, they have shortened the season, shortened the season, Mr. D. J. Byrne, Montreal President of the Canadian Fisheries Association shortened the season, and shortened the season, which has been in the interests of the conservation of the industry, whereas a campaign of education along the lines of the conservation or preservation of the repro- ductiveness of the lobster would, in my opinion, have been the salvation of the industry. The same thing could be said in regard to the oyster industry. There is one thing in connection with the Fishing Industry that I think we all must readily admit, that publicity is a thing to which we have not given suffi- cient consideration. It is true that individuals have, perhaps, in their own particular locality done more or less advertising and publicity, but I have here a pamphlet which was given to me by a gentleman, who also comes from Nova Scotia, but who was unfortu- nately unable to attend this meeting, he having been 72 CANADIAN in Montreal a fortnight ago. It is a little difficult for people to come in from Nova Scotia, and I think for that reason we should value the fact that we have men who have come all the way from British Columbia to this meeting. (Hear, hear.) And, of course, in say- ing that, I mean to include the intervening provinces as well, but I mention those from British Columbia be- cause they have come the greatest distance. Most people use fish as a necessary evil. That is one of the things we have got to rectify. We as an association must fecognize that that is one of our duties. I feel that we ought to rectify it, and I think we can. This pamphlet is entitled ‘‘Fish as Food’’ and is published by the Boston dealers, the Fish Bureau of Boston. Boston is a fishing port, and this is booming Boston. Of course, that is all right, I believe, and perfectly jus- tifable on the part of the Boston people, but we must also admit that what we want is a pamphlet on the Dominion of Canada as a producer of fish, in the first place; then we want to educate the people to eat fish. Now, most people think that fish does not contain the food value that beef or lamb or pork does. Just listen to this table that I have here, compiled by a gentle- man who is an authority on that. The percentatge of protein in beef is given as 17.9, in blue fish 18.8. That is a fish that we do not cultivate in the Dominion of Canada, so we can leave that out of our book, but we do need to fall back on that. Beef ribs contain only 17 per cent of protein, but cod steaks contain 18.1. I'll bet a good many people, even some in this room, did not know that before—that cod steaks have 1 per cent more protein than beef ribs. And so on, going down the list. Coming up on the car, I happened to pick up the Canada Monthly and my eye dropped on a paragraph in regard to the production of wheat in the west. I am not going to say this to the detriment of the West at all, because I believe that in the western wheat belt we have one of the greatest natural resources that the country could possibly have, particularly under the present circumstances; but in the Canada Monthly it is stated that the production of wheat under cultiva- tion in Manitoba was 15 bushels to the acre; that is, the average production of wheat in Manitoba was 15 bush- els to the acre; in Saskatchewan it was 14 bushels, and in Alberta 20 bushels. Taking wheat at $1.00 a bushel on the farm—that is allowing fairly good value to the grower. Mr. BRADBURY: If you put it at $1.50, that would be better. Mr. WILSON: A dollar and a half? But is it worth that to-day? Mr. BRADBURY: Yes. Mr. WILSON: Well, allowing $1.50 a bushel, that is about $20 to $30 an acre, for all the land. Mr. Brad- bury is proud of that, but does he know that we have oyster bottoms in Nova Scotia that will produce $200 to the acre? (Applause.) I do not want to be boast- ful in the matter at all. I do not want to say that nbn production does not need to be appreciated at all. Mr. BRADBURY: You don’t put in the same labor in cultivating. Mr. WILSON: We haven’t put anything into it, that is just what I want to point out. We have got to edn- cate ourselves. What we have got to do is not simply to produce enough oysters for the Dominion of Canada, but produce more oysters than we can sell in the Do- minion of Canada. Then, at the end of the war, it FISHERMAN -Mareh 1915. ‘will not be necessary to go to the other side to buy oysters, or to use what Professor Prince sometimes calls ‘‘embalmed oysters.’’ I do not mean any reflec- tion on American oysters in that respect. I believe that the best oysters we have to-day are Cape Cods. There is no question about it. The reason for that is the fact that a lot of time and talent have been de-— voted to the Cape Cod beds and they have been de- veloping there for two or three years. They have been | bringing the oysters from outside and developing them there, until they now really pack the best oystersin the United States. That is my personal opinion. Then — again, we have any amount of table fish in the Do- — minion of Canada that we have not taken advantage of. mais However, the greater utilization of our fishery resources will come with the greater demar which we, as an Association, hope to. enco ean cultivate. . Mr. President and gentlemen, I will now ask you to drink ‘‘Suecess to the Fisheries,” and to the Honorable Mr. Hazen and Mr. Belleisle, re- presenting the Province of Quebec. i. THE PRESIDENT: I will now call upon the H able Mr. Hazen to respond to the toast. (Applause.) HON. J. D. HAZEN: Mr. President, Mr. Wilson and gentlemen,—I want to thank you, members of the Can- adian Fisheries Association, for giving me the oppor. tunity to be present at this dinner to-night, and also to extend to the gentlemen who have formed this as- sociation my very hearty congratulations upon what they have done. I shall always esteem it an honor that I have had the pleasure of being present at the first annual dinner of an association which, I believe, if properly directed, as it will be by the gentlemen form its membership, will prove to be of very great advantage in the development of the Canadian fisheries in the years that are to come. a) You have proposed a toast to the Fisheries and have done me the honor, Sir, of coupling my name with — and that of my friend from the Province of Quebee. For about three years and a half I have been presi ng over the Department of Marine and Fisheries, a De- partment which has many branches to deal wit which also includes the Department of Naval r and while the Department dealing especially with na- val matters is one which is of very great interest at the present time, and will undoubtedly be of much greater interest in the future, when, after war is over, a new arrangement is being made unde which Canada, in common with the other overseas Do- minions of the Empire to which we belong, will bear her share in the defence of the Empire, and whil the Department includes some things that are of intense in terest—tidal survey, hydrographical survey, the St. Lawrence Ship Canal, the St. Lawrence Channel, bor commissions all over this country—there is no branch of the united Departments that has been o greater interest to me, perhaps because I am a time Province man myself, than has been that part the Department which deals with the question of f eries, one of our great natural resources, and a ¢ natural resource which, as Mr. Wilson has said, is able of so much greater development, of so much g er progress in every way, than it enjoys at the pre time. And yet the advance which the fisheries of C; ada has made is not a trivial one, or an insignific one. It is not very many years since the value of adian fisheries amounted to about $15,000,000 a y During the last few years it has amounted to som thing in excess of $30,000,000 a year. That is only as yet, an insignificant proportion of what the val March, 1915. CANADIAN of those’ fisheries will amount to if the members of this association carry on an active educational cam- paign to make the pe ople of Ontario and of the Prairie Provinces of Canada understand the very great ad- vantages which fish possesses as an article of food. (Hear, hear, and applause.) The Department, of course, is subject to criticism, and very properly so. If there were no criticism of the work of the Department, I would consider that the people were taking no interest at all in the work of that Department; and the more interest the Depart- ment arouses, and the more well directed criticism that is levelled at it, the better I shall be pleased and the bet- ter, | am sure, will be those gentlemen in the De- partment who deal especially with the fisheries, like the Deputy Minister and the Superintendent of Fish- eries. Now, | think this association that has been formed to-day is a move absolutely in the right direc- tion, because I believe that the great work which this Association has to perform is to back up the Depart- ment in its efforts to enforce the fishery laws, in order that the fishery wealth of the country may be conserv- ed, and in the second place, to make the people of the country understand the value which fish possesses as a food. (Applause.) If the association directs its efforts in those two directions, I am sure its work will count and it will prove of very great value in the future. Reference has been made to-night to the regula- tions which govern the fisheries, and especially the re- gulations with regard to close seasons, and it has been pointed out that this is a matter of regulation—that the close seasons are not a matter of statute law, are not enactments passed by the Parliament of Canada, but, so far as the close seasons are concerned, they are governed by regulations that are made by the Govern- or-in-Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries for the time being. I have said, and I say it again, that I think it would lead to a better enforcement of the fisheries laws and would lead to a more strict observance of the close seasons if those close seasons were a matter of statute and if the Minister at the head of the Department did not have the opportunity of advising the Governor-in-Council, and if the Governor-in-Council did not have the op- portunity of complying from time to time with the same, that those seasons should be varied and that those seasons should be extended at the requests every year made by fishermen or others interested in fisheries throughout the country. It would make the lot of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries an easy one, because of the pressure that is brought practically every year upon the Department to extend the fishery open sea- son. It is not an easy matter to resist in some cases the opportunities, the requests, the pressure that is brought to bear; and yet I am glad to say that for several years past the Department of Marine and Fish- eries has refused to extend a single fishery season. It is my policy to continue to do so, so long as I am ag ister of Marine and Fisheries. (Applause.) Now, taking that course I want the support of the diahers of this Association. And let me say that sometimes those who are engaged in dealing in fish are the great- est possible sinners in this respect (a Voice: ‘‘That is true."’)—and this year, as has been the case in every year, requests have been made to us to extend the smelt fishing season in the Maritime Provinces, and attempts are made to bring pressure to ‘bear upon me from my own province. I have declined to extend those seasons in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this FISHERMAN 73 year—the season closes to-day—and yesterday morn- ing I was called out of bed, and a night letter was delivered to me which almost threatened me with poli- tical extinction if I did not yield to the application made by a certain firm of fish dealers in the Maritime Provinces and extend Tor five days the period for ip Yi smelt along the Miramichi and Restigouche. , however, declined. What will those people say? The . legram intimated that I was a most hard- hearted in- dividual; that I was resisting the call of people who were starving for food, and at the time when the war tax was being imposed upon the people; that it was a most improper course for me to pursue. Yet, I am sorry to say, I turned a deaf ear to that threat and de- cided, as I have decided for several years past, that MR. S. Y. WILSON, HALIFAX, First Vice-President. ae the seasons must be observed, and that the season for smelt should not be extended . (Hear, hear.) Now, I believe it is the best course in the interests of the fishermen and of all those who are engaged in the fishing industry, if the close seasons are proper sea- sons and have been fixed after enquiry among those who ought to know fishery conditions. If those sea- sons have been properly closed, it is in the interests of those handling fish, and of the dealers, that the sea- sons should be observed. While there may be in- stances where, owing to storms, the catch has not been so much, or where, in connection with the smelt in- dustry, ice has not formed so early in the rivers as usual, and that may oceur from time to time, yet I be- 74 CANADIAN lieve, taking the seasons year in and year out, if we have a closed season fixed on what is right as the average, it is in the interests of the preservation of the fish in this country, of every one engaged in the fisheries, and of the genreal public that those close sea- sons ought to be observed, and I am trying to observe them to the best of my power, and see what the effect is going to be in some districts on the electors when the time comes for their decision to be made. In the thirty years that I have been in public life, I have found that ‘the people of this country have common- sense and intelligence.’ I believe that the fisherman has as much as everybody else, and the fishermen will ap- preciate what is done and, realizing that it is in their MR. F. T. JAMES, TORONTO, Director for Ontario. interests, will appreciate that the has back-bone enough to do what it thinks is right in the Department interests of a great industry of this sort. (Applause.) [ ask you all, as men of influence in this country, as men who can largely shape public opinion, so far as the fisheries are concerned. I ask you, whether I am Minister or not, to back up the Department, and the Officials of the Department, in the effort they are mak- ing to see that the close seasons are observed and that therefore the fisheries of the country to a very great extent are protected. It is not a very easy thing strictly to enforce fishery laws in Canada, or, I presume, anywhere else, and yet the men in the Department, with whom I am associat. ed from day to day, are pleased to tell me that they FISHERMAN March, 1915. believe that from yea’ *) year the enforcement of the fishery laws is being improved. And it was a great pleasure to me this year, in talking with Commander Wakehem, whom probably most of you know, who is one of the best authorities we have on fish in Canada, and who is our chief fishery officer on the Gaspe coast— a district where fishing is so exceedingly important to the people—it was a great pleasure to me to hear from Commander Wakehem this year that he believes that last year, so far as lobster and other fisheries along the Gaspe Coast are concerned, there have been practically no violations of the law, and that up to the time of Confederation down to the present hour, the fishery laws have never been so well supported, so well en- forced, and that in his experience he had never re- ceived the same support from the Fisheries Depart- ment as he had during the past two years in enforcing the laws along that coast. It is no wonder, Sir, that the fisheries attract atten- tion, and it is quite a surprise to me that they have not attracted more attention in the past, because our Canadian fisheries are the greatest, most extensive and most valuable in the world. In the east of Canada we have over five thousand miles of sea-coast, extending to the international boundary on the St. Croix, be- tween New Brunswick and the State of Maine, around Nova Scotia, up around Prince Edward Island, on up around Quebec and up the Straits of Belle Isle. On the Pacific Coast we have nearly eight thousand miles, I think, of coast line, and in 1913, when I visited Brit- ish Columbia for the purpose of observing at first hand the fisheries there, when I had the opportunity of seeing the salmon fishing in the Fraser River at the height of the season; of going down on the American side and seeing the traps which they have built there for the purpose of catching salmon as they are going from their spawning ground in the Fraser River, of going up further north, on the Skeena River and to Prince Rupert, which I believe is destined to be the greatest fishing centre in the world—which will be the greatest fishing centre in a few years; of going ov- er to Queen Charlotte Islands, where the whale fish- ing industry is carried on, and where I had the op- portunity of inspecting the whale factory. I was im- pressed with the fact that the waters along that coast are simply teeming with fish of all sorts and that prob- ably only two sorts have so far been exploited, the sal- mon and the halibut; that there are other fish there, like herring, cod, ete., that have practically not been exploited at all, and that in the waters along that coast we have food which in years to come will be one of the greatest sources of food supply for the people living in the Prairie Provinces and for the people living in the western part of the Province of Ontario. While we have natural resources that are tremendous on our eastern coast, which we have never fully developed, yet we have, in a sense, even greater on the western coast. So it can be easily said, with truth, and I am glad to say, that Canada is the greatest fishing country in the world. That is, its wealth of fisheries is as yet scarcely known to the people. We are simply on the fringe of the fishing development, and in the years to come, if we wisely enforce our laws and see that our fishing interests are conserved, we shall have, as years go by, food for the millions of people who will crowd into our western country, there making homes for themselves and becoming the greatest producers of ag- rieultural products that the world has ever known. Now, Sir, the Department has gone along, I think, developing and, I think, improving. We have endeav- seit a ey ce a. a : . I ——7= March, 1915. CANADIAN ored to eall attention to our fishery wealth on the part of the people of Ontario and the people of the West. Ontario has most valuable fisheries in its Great Lakes. It has white fish of the highest quality, and yet it is unfortunately the case—though we are increasing the output of white fish in the Lakes by means of our hatcheries, though in the Georgian Bay, in Lake Huron and in the other lakes, the product is increasing be- eause, I think, of the hatcheries and for practically no other reason—yet the great bulk of the fish that are caught in those lakes are not consumed in Canada, not consumed in Ontario, but go across into the United States, where the quality is appreciated by the people. It is even worse in the West, where there are extensive white fish hatcheries, in Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Winnipeg, and in the north, where there are sturgeon, pickerel, white fish and salmon trout, and even yet they are scarcely appreciated by the people who live on the prairies to the extent they ought to be. Now, we have been trying to make the people of On- tario and the West understand a little more about our fisheries than they do to-day. In 1913, for the first time, my Department arranged to make an exhibit of fish at the great annual exhibition in Ontario, at To- ronto, which is the greatest annual exhibition that is held anywhere in the world. We repeated that—so successful was it that we repeated that exhibit in 1914. I did not have the pleasure of being at the exhibition in 1913, but I was there last year and I was simply delighted with the exhibit that the Department made, and I took the occasion at the Directors’ luncheon, which is held every day, to refer the peoplé of Ontario to that exhibit. The Manager of the Exhibition and the Directors sent us a gold medal for the exhibit, and wrote a letter saying it was the most successful ex- hibit in the fair. The Manager told me that at my re- quest he would arrange next year that one day should be set apart as Fish Day at the Toronto Exhibition. (Applause.) Each day during the exhibition there is a special interest represented. One day they have Educational Day. On that day some leading education- alist comes to the Directors’ lunch, which is one of the features of the fair, and at which the leading citi- zens of the country sit down and talk about the edu- cational system of the country. They have a Stock Raisers’ Day. They have a Fruit Growers’ Day. And { suggested to Mr. Oliver, the President of the Exhibi- tion, that it would be a good thing to have a Fisheries Day, and he told me that next year he would have one of those lunches devoted to Fish and serve nothing but fish to those who are guests at this luncheon. Now, that is what we have been trying for two years to do, and we have not been successful yet, but we are going to follow it out again next year, because I am going to ask Parliament for another grant for an ex- hibit at Toronto. And I will tell you the reason why. The reason is that the people of Toronto who are deal- ers in fish have told me that the result of that exhibi- tion has been that during the past two years they have largely increased their sales of fish, that they are making the city of Toronto increase its purchase of fish; that they are making importations also from the Pacific provinces. Next year we are going to endeav- or, if we can get space, ‘to have a restaurant where we will give every man, woman and child who comes along a nice piece of fish from the Atlantic or the Pacific, so that they will understand the quality of food that is produced in the waters surrounding Canada, and thus advertise our fishery wealth and our fishery products. (Hear, hear.) We would have tried it last year, but FISHERMAN 75 there were difficulties in the way; but I am sure that next year the officials in the Department, with Mr. Found, and others who have been giving a great deal of attention to this matter, in co-operation with the Directors, will be able to work it out, and that will be a still greater advertisement for the fisheries of Canada than has been the exhibit at the Toronto Ex- hibition in 19138 or 1914. The Department also has been proceeding along the lines of trying to get transportation into the interior for the fish that come from the Atlantie and the Pacific, by means of proper express cars and cold storage cars By arrangement with the railways and express com- panies we have endeavored to do that, and we have made, I think, considerable progress in that direction, MR. A. H. BRITTAIN, MONTREAL, Director for Quebec and Chairman of Transporta- tion Committee. and, Sir, we would have made still greater progress if our friend, Mr. Vickers, and some of our other gnests here to-night would only be perhaps—what shall I say’—-a little more generous in dealiug with the De- partment in the matter of rates than we have found them to be in the past. (Laughter and applause.) Let me suggest that the members of this Association point out to Mr. Vickers the great publie interests that he would be serving and the great good he would be doing to this country in the development of this great industry if he would be generous in the matter of rates and would give the Department better terms on shipments of fish from the Maritime Provinces and the Pacific Coast up to Toronto and Winnipeg and other 76 CANADIAN cities in the West. It is a matter of education. In a short time, in a few years, when the people of Ontario and the West begin to realize the tremendous advan- tages that flow from using fish as an article of food, then, Mr. Chairman, there will be no more need to enter into arrangements of this sort, because they will gladly pay the extra expense themselves in order to get that fish and have it on their table from day to day, cheaper than the meat, more wholesome than the meat, and better in every particular than the meat, for which they pay such high prices and for which the price will probably be still higher in the future. The matter of the artificial propagation of fish has been referred to here to-night. Any one who knows MR. J. A. PAULHUS, MONTREAL, Director for Quebec and Chairman of Editorial and Publicity Committee. anything about the artificial propagation of fish, knows that the cultivation of salmon and the propagation of white fish has got far beyond the experimental stage. Every fisherman on the Atlantic knows that the reason of the inerease in salmon is due to the hatcheries. There can be no question about it. Taking the white fish hatcheries up in Mr. Bradbury’s constituency, we have a hatchery there to-day that has seventy million eggs in it, practically all of which have been hatched out and put into the lakes; and we hope to continue to do this from year to year, and we believe, from the ex perience we have had in the Georgian Bay and at other points in the Great Lakes of Ontario, we believe the FISHERMAN March, 1915. result of these hatcheries has been, immeasurably al- most, to increase the catch of white fish in the Great Lakes. White fish had almost disappeared from some of those lakes when the policy of these artificial hatch- eries was introduced. Now they are increasing year by year in tremendous quantities, and it is due to arti- ficial propagation. The same thing is being done with salmon in the constituency which I represent. Although the great bulk of the voters are in the City of St. John, I yet have also certain country parishes in the County of St. John. ‘There is one fishing district where all the peo- ple practically are salmon fishers, and the salmon drift from the shore of St. John County almost across the Nova Scotia coast, and nets are used that are eight and nine hundred fathoms in length. There was a time, not so very many years ago, when every now and then there would be an off season, when comparatively few salmon would be caught. Now there is no such thing as a poor season for catching salmon. I have gone down among those people there, who are my friends. I have talked to those fishermen, and every man of them believes that the reason that to-day, year in and year out, they have such a splendid catch of salmon there in the bay is due to artificial propagation of those fish in the hatcheries that we have on the River St. John. The salmon come up along the river for spawn- ing, coming through the harbor and up the St. John River. There are about thirty tributaries of that river in which salmon used to be caught, but none are caught now, nor for the last twenty-five or thirty years. The district around Fredericton is the only spawning ground left for the propagation of salmon, among the tributaries of the St. John, because on the other tri- butaries saw mills have been built and dams construct- ed, and the salmon go to other rivers. But now all along the river they are catching salmon, even in places where it was not caught twenty-five or thirty years ago. The question whether artificial propagation of salmon is successful or not has passed the experimental stage long ago, and there is no doubt about it. There is a question about the artificial propagation of lobsters, and I freely admit it. I think that the De- partment went ahead too quickly, so far as the artificial propagation of lobsters was concerned, because we did not have scientifically tried men who were capable of taking hold and developing that industry. We are trying to overcome that difficulty. The hatching of lobsters is a success, but are we placing them in the water in the right way? That is the question. Experi- ments along that line are now being made by the Bio- logical Board, which is composed of men of high scien- tifie knowledge and skill. There is a lobster pond near Digby, in Mr. Jamieson’s constituency, where that work is progressing. We have biological stations at St. Andrews and other points, and this work is going on from year to year, and while there is a doubt yet as to whether the lobster hatchery has produced results that are commensurate with the expenditure, yet the fact remains that the lobster industry from St. John westward, through St. John County and _ through Charlotte County, the lobster product is increasing, and increasing, and increasing very appreciably year by year. And it is also a fact that last year, along the Northumberland Straits, and along the County of Kent and those counties, more and larger lobsters are caught than they have had for many years, and this is leading certain people to believe that the work of the ° lobster hatchery is beginning to have an effect. Wheth- March, 1915. CANADIAN er it is having an effect or not yet, I believe that with a little more scientific application to the work being earried on, the result will be that it will put the lobs- ter industry in a position so that it will be larger. It is a great industry and in the Maritime Provinces over 10,000 men make a living from the lobster industry; that is, so many men have bought their traps, and hoats, and other appliances; so that when the season is closed it almost takes away from those men their means of livelihood, and so the Department has to go on with care and consider the best interests of all concerned. I can see no reason why, with the applica- tion of proper scientific methods, the artificial propa- gation of the lobster cannot be as great a success as the artificial propagation of salmon and white fish and pickerel and salmon trout has proved to be, all through this country. Reference has been made to the ovster industry, and I know of no oyster in the world like the oyster that eomes from the Maritime Provinces and from Prince Edward Island—from Malpeane. Shediae and Richi- bueto. Buetouche. and other places. That oyster in- dustry was almost reaching the vanishing point. but what do we find taking place to-day? One of the troubles was the conflict of authority with regard to the oyster beds, between the Dominion and the Provin- ees. and three years ago I got legislation passed which gave me the authority to put an end to that divided authority and to hand to the provinces the right to lease those oyster bottoms. And what is the result? That to-dav a tremendous industry is being carried on. In Prince Edward Island barren bottoms are be- ing leased everywhere, companies are being formed and oysters are being planted on those barren bot- toms. The same thing is being done in New Bruns- wick and in a few years you are going to see a tre- mendous development of the oyster industry in the Maritime Provinces, because of the fact to which T alluded. and the enterprise which has been shown by. the people there. It is the same in the United States along the Delaware and other places where at one time the oyster industry was almost depleted. and where through the replenishing and restocking of the barren bottoms the industry again became a great one, and has been a source of wealth to the people engaged in it. and has been a means of supplying healthful and delicious food to a great many people throughout the country. IT have already been talking too long to-night, but there are other matters about the fisheries I would like to talk about. I would like to express my very deep regret at the fact that the treaty that was en- tered into some years ago between Canada and the United States for the purpose of making uniform fish- ery laws for those waters which are contiguous to the international boundary has unfortunately failed of achievement. That is no fault of Canada’s. When that treaty was entered into—and it was necessary to have a treaty, for this reason: In the United States the fisheries are a matter of State control. Each State controls its own fisheries. In Canada the regulations for the fisheries are made, fortunately, by the central government, and, going along the lakes in Ontario and along the rivers that connect them, you have the fact in many cases that the laws governing the fish- eries on one side of the international boundary are dif- ferent from the laws that govern them on the other side of the internatoinal boundary. Not only are they different, but often they are very many times differ- ent—if you will excuse such an expression as that— FISHERMAN 77 because you have one State where the laws differ from those of the adjoining State, and these again differ from the laws of the State that adjoins that. Taking from New York, all along the Lakes up to Michigan and further on up the Lakes, you find different laws governing the fisheries in almost every State of the Union, and the result in many eases is this, that on the Canadian side of the line, where we are attempting to enforce our fishing laws, there are seasons of the year when the Canadian fisherman would look out across the lake, and, though, he was unable to go fishing be- cause of our laws for the protection of fish, he would see his neighbor cross the lake from the American shore, casting out and fishing right up to the inter- national boundary, and catching in many cases the fish being protected in a large measure by the fishery MR. H. B. SHORT, DIGBY, Director for Nova Scotia. laws enacted in Canada and enforced on the Canadian side of the line. Now, that was a state of affairs that Canadian fishermen could not be expected to regard with complacency or contentment. On the other hand the people in the United States found that their fisher- ies were being depleted, and so, at the time when Mr. Taft, I think, was President, a treaty was entered in- to between the United States and Canada, under which it was provided that Canada would name a fishery ex- pert and the United States would name one; that they would consider the whole question, and that they would frame regulations for the government of the fish- eries in all the waters that are adjacent to the interna- tional boundary, including those of the United States as well as in Canada, and that when those regulations 78 CANADIAN were agreed to and promulgated by those two commis- sioners, then the parliament of each country would pass such legislation as was necessary to carry those regulations into effect. Professor Prince, who is here to-night, was appointed as Canadian Commissioner: Professor Starr-Jordan was appointed as a Commis- sioner on behalf of the United States. Those gentle- men took every care and great pains, made their ne- cessary investigation, and after several years of ardu- ous and thorough scientific work they named the regu- lations which they agreed to, and the Parliament of Canada, to its credit, without one dissenting voice, without discussing the merits of those, as to whether they bore harshly on Canadian fishermen or not, the Parliament of Canada passed the regulations to make those effective. That, I think I am correct in stating, MR. J. BOWMAN, PORT ARTHUR, Director for Ontario. was nearly five years ago, and up to the present hour the Congress of the United States has failed to pass them, simply because, when the matter was taken up and when the President sent his message down to Con- gress, asking them to pass the law necessary to en- force those regulations, they listened to different in- terests that came from the State of Michigan, from Wisconsin and from other places along the boundary, who felt their interests might be imperiled if those regulations were passed; and so a few months ago we had to announce to the Government of the United States that we resumed our liberty of action—as a self- respecting Government, or Parliament, we could do nothing else—that we resumed our liberty of action and withdrew from the arrangement that had been entered into, It is a deplorable fact, I think, but we FISHERMAN March, 1915. are in no way to blame for it. I believe the best gen- tlemen of the United States were very willing, were in favor of the United States passing the legislation that was necessary to put those regulations into ef- fect. In some directions, no doubt, it would have harmed certain interests; in certain directions it would bear harshly on certain interests in Canada; but. the result would have been that we would have had con- sistent protection all along those waters contiguous to the international boundary, and the result would have made for the preservation of fish lift and conser- vation of the fishing industry of this country. There are many subjects—it is marvellous how many subjects there are—in connection with this whole fishery question, and I know that this Associa- fion, Mr. President, will find lots of opportunity of dis- cussing matters not only of interest especially to you, as men interested in the fishery business of Canada, but of importance to Canada as a whole. I desire to say that the Department of Fisheries will weleome such discussion on your part. We will welcome any sug- gestions that you have to make. We will meet you on all occasions in a friendly spirit, and we believe the interests of the fisheries of Canada will be for- warded, and forwarded in very great measure, by the formation of the society which has been formed to-day and over which you, Sir, have the honor of being the first to preside. I wish you all good luck. I wish you all prosperity. I congratulate you once more on your patriotic move, and I believe it is in the interests of the conservation of the fisheries of this country. (Loud applause. ) The PRESIDENT: Honorable Minister, on behalf of the Association, it is my pleasure to thank you, not only for your presence here to-night, but for the ad- mirable address which you have given us, and the sup- port which you have promised to our Association. On our part, we also will promise that it shall be our aim and our wish at all times to work with your Depart- ment and to work in a manner which will mean only to further the best interests of the Canadian fishing industry as a whole. We appreciate—we who are connected with the fish- ing industry, appreciate very much the work done by the Marine and Fisheries Department, especially in the matter of transportation; but there are other lines along which the Department has done some good work, and among those might be mentioned—and I could not help thinking of it to-night when Mr. Wil- son quoted from the little booklet which was issued by the city of Boston, or the fish interests of the city of Boston; that brought to my mind—I am sorry I have not a copy here—a very handsome booklet which was issued by the Department of Marine and Fisheries this past summer, and, Mr. Minister, it gives me pleasure to say, without any fear of contradiction, that that pamphlet did credit to the Department. I think, if I remember rightly, the booklet was entitled ‘‘Fish and How to Cook It.’’ It was very well gotten up, and would bear inspection, as well as criticism, even from such a well-versed man as Mr. Wilson, and that is saying a good deal. Allow me again to thank you for the encouragement you have given our Association, for the very kind and undeserved remarks to myself, and to assure you that the members of our new Association will only be too happy to work with the Department and to work at all times, as we are sure your Department is anxious to work, for the best interests of the fishing industry. CANADIAN ‘Mr. J. 0. BELLEISLE, Inspector-General of Fisher- ies of the Province of Quebec, then followed with a few words, expressing his approval of the Association and the value of its objects with regard to the de- velopment of the Canadian Fisheries. Mr. J. A. PAULHUS (Montreal) followed by read- ¥ a paper outlining the aims and objects of the Can- n Fisheries Association. _ Mr. President, Mr. Hazen and gentlemen,—I will outline the object of this Association as briefly and as ‘clearly as I am capable. Our constitution might be divided into three parts, namely (1) the production of fish, (2) its distribution, and (3) the consumption of fish. I may state that the production of our fisheries is one of this country’s best assets. With this fact in view, it will be our earnest endeavor to foster the interests of fishermen—both owners and_ producers enerally, whose plants or curing establishments are located on the sea shores, or shores of inland waters and lakes. We shall teach them that the age of rou- tine and indifference in the way of putting up their gabe has passed, that a m. era of modern ideas = arisen, which will do away with obsolete methods ind lead the way to general improvements. We shall insist upon improved equipments, upon uni- form laws and restrictions, upon a standard which should be maintained to its highest efficiency, and, if _ possible, improved upon, from time to time, as condi- tions and circumstances may deem necessary. This _ will avoid lack of precaution, and do away with an in- - ferior class of goods put up any way or in any style, which practice at present is acting like a boomerang on the producer, and depreciating the value of our fish industry at large. We shall make it a duty to teach the fisherman when, and how, and in what manner, the operation of fishing should be done; the producer and packer—the best way and the best methods, in er that the consumer should find no _ fault whatever with the quality and wholesomeness of the article produced; the merchant—no fault whatever with the style and attractiveness of the ware to be offered his customers. Apart from these considera- tions, it will be the aim of the Association to see that our sources of supply should not be inconsistently de- pleted. This will apply specially to fish that comes near the sea shores during the time of reproduction, and to the fish in general in our lakes and rivers. Such - measures and regulations should be rigidly enforced, and if depletion occurs in spite of our efforts to pre- yent it, we would propose and see to the replenishment _ by artificial means, or, in other words, we should have recourse to a system of pisciculture in order to maintain our sources of production adequate to the demand. It is to be noted, however, that a system of pisci- culture will be more beneficial and more appropriate for the reproduction of the fish in our lakes and rivers. _ Very few species in the sea need protection. To illus- ate my point, I might say, that statistics prove that what we call ‘‘ground’’ fish or fish caught at a cer- tain depth in the sea, has not yet shown any appre- eiable depletion. For instance, in the North Sea, fish- ‘ing has been going on systematically for over one housand years, and the yield is still maintained. Tn this country, when Sebastian Cabot came to New- oundland, four hundred years ago, the Basques were en fishing on the famed banks; ever since, codfish has Bee caught in quantities, and no sign of depletion is e@ yet. So we see from this that here there is FISHERMAN 79 no immediate cause for alarm or anxiety as to the future, but we shall turn our efforts more particularly to our lakes and rivers, and help Nature in instances where Nature requires our assistance. As regards fish which is under the surveillance of the sportsman, we may well leave this matter to the care and activi- ties of the different Fish and Game Protective Associ- ations of the country. Still, we could be of some help to them and should co-operate with them in all mat- ters relating to the fish interests. A word might be said about new sources of produe- tion. We have ‘‘virgin soil’’ in our fisheries—waters that have never been touched by the hook or net of the fisherman. Not very long ago, a report was pub- lished from an official source stating that the Hudson Bay and all the rivers which flow into this basin, are teeming with all kinds of valuable fish species. We have also an innumerable chain of lakes in the far north of our land, which no doubt contain vast re- serves of edible fish: This dormant wealth is too far off to be exploited with profit at present, but our As- sociation should not lose sight of these resources, and be ready when the proper time comes to take advan- tage of them. I am coming now to the second point, which is the Distribution of Fish. No animal food is as delicate as fish food, or, I should say, that the flavor of fish is so delicate that a few hours of improper care is enough to impair its flavor and delicacy. | For this reason the question of transportation is essential. When I say transportation, I do not mean only the railroad or steamer service from one point to another, but I also mean transportation between the fishermen’s base of operation and the shore. Often, without any ice, with- out any protection of any kind, fish is left exposed for hours to the sun or to a high temperature at the bottoms of fishing boats, before it receives proper icing or refrigerating process, or any kind of preparation whatsoever in view of marketing. Under these condi- tions, only an inferior class of product can be expected. This should be remedied by enforcing strict rules by which every fisherman should be compelled to have supplies of ice, utensils, and proper conveyances, in order to deliver fish to his base in the best possible condition. Rapid transit from initial points to ter- minal is also of the most vital importance in the hand- ling of goods of such a perishable nature as fresh fish, particularly. For this reason our Association should leave no stone unturned until the best service has been given to the fish interests. At both initial and terminal points proper accommodation should be provided for, such as ice and refrigerator plants when necessary, and at both points ‘‘quickhandling and deliveries’’ should be the slogan. The question of rates, tolls, ete., exacted by the transportation companies should also be uniform, and clearly tabulated, so as to be simple of compre- hension and easy of interpretation. At present, these rates are so complex, so varied, that a dozen Phila- delphian lawyers could not be expected to extricate themselves without pain, from their conflicting contra- dictions. Our government has done much in the past few years towards improving transportation arrange- ments for the benefit of the fish interests, and it is to be hoped that its solicitude in this good cause will not fail our Association, but will continue its present en- deavors to ameliorate fish distribution. In England, fish trains have priority over all the traffic of the different railway companies. We might 80 CANADIAN benefit by the experience of our friends across the ocean. We have learned many a good lesson from them in the past—we shall probably learn more in the future. The fact is, they understood long ago the necessity of quick transportation of the sea products to the markets, as essential to the success of their fish- eries, and like practical business men, they set to work, and have to-day one of the best methods of fish distri- bution the world over. I have now to deal with the last point, that is, the Consumption of Fish. Not very long ago the captain of one of our principal industries, reviewing the oper- ations of his company for their fiseal year (which had not been too prosperous) said, as an incentive to raise hope in the hearts of his co-directors :—‘‘ We have the raw material, we have the plant, we have the work- -men, give us the customers.”’ Tn the fish business we have all that, and even more —we have the customer. Only this customer is apathe- tie, uninterested, and—must I say the word—ignorant. So we have decided we shall start a campaign of education. We shall teach this customer all the ad- vantages, all the comforts he will find in the fish as a food. I recollect years ago in a certain locality of the Province of Quebee (where I was living at the time) suggestion came through the press that farmers should resort to the industry of cheese making in preference to following the old way of cultivating their farms; it would pay them better it was intimated. The govern- ment sent representatives explaining the benefits that would result from the change. At first, as was ex- pected, there was reluctance to adopt the proposed system. However, after much persuasion, after much edueational reading on the matter, the change came suddenly. It came so suddenly that the people who at first objected to the introduction of cheese making were ashamed of their stubbornness and stupidity. Cheese-making is now one of the basic industries of the province. Last autumn, the government started an educational campaign on the value of the Canadian apple as a food product. It has proved a tremendous success. If the government will help our Association in the same measure as it has assisted the cheese and the Canadian apple industries, the most phenomenal success is in store for the fish interests of this country. I may be allowed to refute some objections to fish as food. The principal one is that fish is not so nutri- tious as meat. At a meeting of the Fish and Game Protective Association of the Province of Quebec, held at Montreal a few years ago, such a distinguished mem- ber as the late Lord Strathcona, speaking of his per- sonal experience, related the following :— One year, at certain posts of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, the men had to feed for months on fish exclusive- ly, when at some other posts supplies of meat alone had been available. According to his statement, the men who had been fed on fish only showed more power of endurance, less fatigue, and behaved better under physical strain than the men fed on meat food alone. From such a statement the conclusion must be that the objection to fish not being as nutritious as meat, is not apparently correct. We have even the men of seience who testify for us in this instance. What makes flesh meat so nutritious? It is a substance therein called protein. It has been discovered and recorded by the scientist that this substance—protein —is in larger quantities in most of the fish varieties than in meat. lowed the same course. There was a time when FISHERMAN March, 1915. From this it would seem that the most plausible argument against the use of fish in preference to meat is, that it is all a matter of taste and habit. ‘Taste, at its best, is only acquired. Education will change taste, and combat effectively routine or habit. Another fallacy that we shall dispel from publie opinion is that fish food is not so economical as it is advertised and preached. I will grant that certain species of fish at certain periods of the year are a costly luxury, but. — in this case, as in many others, it is not right to draw conclusions from particular to general. aes For instance, if you provide fresh Gaspe salmon in — the first days of the month of May it will cost you four, and even five, times as much as if you buy the - same fish a month later, or in the middle of June, when — the run of the fish in our rivers is at its highest. = If you buy strawberries in the month of January you will have to pay proportionately as much as for the salmon in May. Fish, according to their instinet and particular habits, migrate from the deep sea to the shores and into the rivers, and it is when accom- plishing this call of nature that they are caught and marketed. So in a general way thére are seasons for fresh fish, as there are times in the year when certain other products are abundant, and consequently avai able for food purposes at a minimum cost. In the ease of prepared or cured fish at any time of the year, their cost is on an average fully 20 per cent lower than meats, butter, cheese, eggs, ete. Sau 4 E There is another and very important considera’ which comes under the clause of education in our stitution, and which is of material importance to consumer. Has any one present at this meetin thought of the possibility of a meat famine | country? For my part, I am inclined to think | y are not far from such a calamity (if I may eall it so, under the circumstance). As an authority on this mat- ter, I have the statement of one of the most importa1 meat packers of Chicago—Mr. Armour. In an inter- view given lately to a reporter of a financial paper, he declared that for the past ten years the decrease per head of cattle raised in his country had been enor- mous, and, as a consequence, the price of meat ha been so much on the increase that he advised some means should be taken to stop this depletion, — Feeble a meat famine would be the result ve ong. ines In our own country, the production of meat has fo! Port of Montreal was busy, as long as it was open, from year to year, loading live stock for Europe. Herds of cattle patrolling the streets was one of the picturesue sights of our metropolis. This is all pa history. We cannot export any more, as we groleee hardly enough for our own requirements. When the present war shall have stopped spr devastation and ruin upon its trail, when peace will be restored again all over the world, and Mg fiers. hail the flags of the Allies, immigration will pour — again on our soil. Our fertile land, occupied at pre- sent as pasture, will be taken and tilled, and farminy will close the epoch of ranching. Will not this nar- row to the extreme the possibilities of meat raising? When this famine will be knocking at our doors, shall avert it by our constant work and effort, as — Joseph of Egypt by his dream, prevented a wheat famine in his country. THE PRESIDENT: I wish to express in your name the thanks of the Association to Mr. Paulhaus for his very able and well prepared paper, and I would re- _ March, 1915. - quest the Secretary to obtain a copy of it, and that it be kept on record in our files, and if possible, have ‘it spread on the records of the Canadian Fisheries As- - sociation. We come now to the toast of ‘‘Our Guests,’’ and gentlemen, this evening at our inaugural dinner we are signally honored by the presence not only of the Hon- orable the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, but we also have Mr. Jamieson and Mr. Bradbury, as well as connected closely with about which we have CANADIAN _ Walsh, Mr. Vickers and Mr. Hayes. In proposing the toast of ‘‘Our Guests,’’ MR. BRIT- _ TAIN said :— Mr. Chairman and gentlemen,—in looking over the ‘list of guests whom we have here to-night, | am very much impressed with the fact that there are repre- sentatives from the Atlantic Ocean, through to Sel- kirk, and when we get through that far, the trans- portation companies have them. Several gentlemen during the evening, particularly Mr. Paulhus and Mr. Wilson, have mentioned the conservation of our fish- eries. I am quite in accord with all that they have ~ said in regard to the lobster hatcheries and the oyster industry, but what I feel about the fishing industry is that we want largely, instead of conserving the fish- eries of Canada, is to develop them. By developing the fisheries I mean getting more markets in this coun- try here. I am quite safe in saying that in our At- - lantie and perhaps in our Pacific fisheries—I am not so sure in saying our Great Lakes fisheries—at the pre- gent time we have in our fisheries more fish than we really need. I am quite safe in saying that in the Atlantic, on the Atlantic Coast our fishermen to-day are throwing away thirty-five per cent of the fish (hear, hear) which they catch on the vessels, through lack of markets. I am quite safe in saying that on the Pa- cific Coast there are different varieties of fish which, through lack of markets, the fishermen are to-day un- able to place before the public. ‘I am quite safe in saying that in the Great Lakes we have fisheries to- _ day that are capable of further markets. My object and my sole endeavors in the fisheries are to increase _ the consumption of fish as a food. I fully appreciate, and I am almost enthusiastic over, what the Govern- - ment have done up to the present time in regard to the development and to the assistance of the fisheries in advertising the value of fish as a food. I believe that we can go further. And take the fishermen, whom some people say I am not particularly interested in. I figure that the fisherman is to-day part and parcel of the success of the company with which I am associated. At times it may not appear that we are sympathetic _ with them, but we figure that the employees, or those - who are associated with our business, are necessary to the success of our business. Whether he is from the Atlantic or whether he is from the Pacific, or whether he is from the Great Lakes, the fisherman is part and parcel of our business, and, I am quite safe in saying, the success of every gentleman present here this even- ‘ing. Now, to go further along the line: When the fish- ermen take the fish, it is the duty of those who are in- terested in them to find the markets. We are endeav- -oring to find the markets. The Government have, I am glad to say, assisted the fish merchants in a way with which, I believe, everybody is satisfied. I do FISHERMAN 81 not think there is a dissenting voice here to-night when I say that the Government have satisfied us as far as they have gone. (Hear, hear.) There are further de- velopments and further assistance which they can give us, and I am guite sure this Association—when we get going and when we have our views all of one ac- cord and are placing them before the Government of Canada—that we shall have a better hearing and that we shall have further assistance. There are other things which can be added to that list. What I would like to see the Government of Canada—I may be rather pessimistic, but I would like to se them spend a million dollars in the development of the fisheries for the Canadian people. We have through the Government—I will say it, I must admit it—through the assistance of Canada, we have elim- inated fish from the United States ports and we are now bringing fish from Canada to the Canadian in the inland centres, and I am safe in saying, we can de- velop it largely. But we must have further assistance, and that is from the transportation companies. ( Hear, hear.) We have with us here to-night Mr. Jamieson from Digby, who represents the Atlantic fisheries. We have with us here Mr. Bradbury, who, I understand, represents Selkirk and the Great Lakes fisheries. We also have with us here the transportation companies. We have a combination, gentlemen, of interests hard to beat. Now, we want the co-operation of all these gentlemen to help us to develop our fisheries. I am going to take a few moments—I am not going to take up much of your time, because I want to hear these gentlemen we have with us here—I am going just to refer to the express companies. I will be personal. I see we have two gentlemen here that are going to re- ply to this toast and who represent the express com- panies. And, gentlemen, I must say they have been doing a lot for us, they have been helping us, but they have got to get right down to hard tack and help us a little more. There is no doubt about it, that when we come to them in a broad-minded way and put our stories up to them, they endeavor to do what they can. But they can do more, they can do a great deal more. What we want, as far as the express companies are concerned—I won’t refer to rates, because that is, perhaps, a complex problem, which at this time it is not good form to refer to; but I will say, in regard to express cars, that if from the eastern part of Canada we could get even cool cars, cars which will bring us fish to the points of destination, at the present rates, we are going to make great development. We are bringing fish to-day in baggage cars, with heat in them. It is not the fault of the express companies, but it is the fault of the railway companies, and I know that the express companies—we have them here to-night—I know the express companies will help us, and, there- fore, I am appealing to them. I have never yet been accused of asking for lower rates. I know there are others here looking for them, and I do not want to bring that question up to-night, but I want to ask the express companies to co-operate with us here. Let us go to them. We will put our story up to them as straight as we know how. We will give them the com- parative distances on which they are carrying one line from one part of Canada to another. We will refer it to them. We will put it on a mileage basis. We will meet them on their own mileage. We will tell them exactly what they want to know, and then we will ask them to come along and give us a show and watch the business grow. They tell us at times business is not sufficient. We can give them more business. We can give them plenty of business. We can run an ex- 82 CANADIAN press train, gentlemen if we get the co-operation of the express companies. I do not want to imply for one moment that the express companies have not been help- ing us, because I know that they have. I know their heart is in the right place, and I know they are gomg to help us. I would therefore couple with this toast the names of Mr. Clarence Jamieson, M.P., Mr. George H. Brad- bury, M.P. for Selkirk, Mr. Walsh and Mr. Vieckers— and Mr. G. A. Hayes (hear, hear), Traffie Manager of the Intercolonial Railway. Replying to the toast of ‘‘Our Guests, ’’ proposed by Mr. Brittain, MR. JAMESON, member of Parliament for Digby, N.S., said: Mr. President, Mr. Minister and Gentlemen: I trust that the hosts of the evening will feel, without my giv- ing expression to formal thanks, that I am_ deeply grateful for the honor which has been afforded me of meeting, under such agreeable circumstances, with the charter. members of the Candian Fisheries Asso- ciation. And I ean assure you that it has been to me a most pleasant evening, and that I was very much pleased, indeed, to-day, upon attending the session which preceded this banquet, to find that matters were expedited so admirably in the formation of this splen- did organization, with such a gentleman as Mr. Wil- son in the chair, using that ability for which he is well known, and with so much business acumen and such breadth of view displayed by those upon the floor, it is not of course surprising that the business of the oc- casion -was despatched with every degree of prompti- tude. And I wish to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, upon your election as President, as the first President of this Association. I understand from you that the position was not one of your own seeking ; that, indeed, you were not present upon the occasion of your elec- tion.. I only wish that I could win my elections as easily. (Laughter.) But the remarks with which you opened this meeting this evening, when you said this position was one which had fallen upon your should- ers unsolicited, reminds me of an experience which I had in my own constituency on one occasion when I was asked to attend a wedding banquet—not my own, fortunately,— and the bridegroom was called upon to make a speech. He displayed that diffidence which bridegrooms are noted for, and as he rose bashfully from his seat, his bride sitting upon his left, he placed his hand upon her shoulder, looking up for imspira- tion for a moment, he said: ‘‘Friends, I don’t know exactly what to say. This thing was forced on me.”’ (Laughter.) I need not tell you, he did not get much further with his remarks. I have enjoyed, as you have enjoyed, the splendid speech of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries this evening. He.is a most charming man, and the better you come to know him the more you will appreciate it. He also has a habit, a very great aptitude, for saying most charming and delightful things, but I would warn some of you, perhaps, who may not have the same experience with him as I have had, that you should not take the will for the deed, but always be careful to get the deed. (Laughter.) Of course, there are many requests which are made of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, as of other Ministers, which it is almost impossible for him to meet. In that regard I have to sympathize with him too. I noticed to-night when he alluded to the question of what may be term- ed larger patronage of his Department, when he said he had a demand to extend the season for the fishing of smelts, I think, in his own province, with what cour- FISHERMAN March, 1915. — age and fortitude he faced the position. The situa- tion which is raised in that regard is one which appeals to every man who sits representing a constituency m any legislative body, and it reminds me of the saying of a young man whose father had departed this life, whose estate he was called upon to wind up for those who had inherited it. The young man, in an outburst one evening, exclaimed. to a friend, ‘“Sometimes have so much trouble with the estate that I almost wish father hadn’t died.’? (Laughter.) I think that the Minister sometimes is almost sorry that he is Min- ister of Marine and Fisheries. raat. We have here in this meeting, I think, an illustration of the progress which is being accomplished. I think — it was nine years ago, two others came here from the Maritime Provinces — and asked the late Government if they would not or- ganize a Fishery Advisory Board. Of course, we i not expect too much at the first application. We knew it was largely a matter of education; we knew it was largely a matter of hammering away. And it was not until some five or six years later that that was brought — about, and we have to-day, I think, very much to the credit of the Minister of Marine, and very much to the — 3 benefit and advantage of the fisheries of Canada, an — Advisory Board which, I believe, is well officered and manned. I only mention this fact to show you that — ©, those who have been in the field for some considerable - time and who have been doing what we could in our small way to advance the interests of the fisheries, have not got all that we wanted immediately, and my — friends here who were speaking of freight rates and express rates and better refrigerator cars and all sort of thing, if they take a leaf out of the book which Mr. Wilson and I wrote some years ago when we ask- ed for a Fishery Advisory Board, they will pound — away remorselessly and they will find eventually that — they will effect those things which they set out to © effect, provided their demands are reasonable, and pro- vided they are within the range of possibility. (Hear, hear.) : ; fish. I have a great deal of sympathy with the ecar- riers, the common carriers of this country. I know both of them are up against great rate problems, prob- lems which is going to take time, patience and some give-and-take upon both sides to meet, to overcome, DOF ID. wT .12 Maddock... .. .. .: per Ib; 05% .06 Market Codfish .. .. .. .. ..per Ib. .04%% .05 ' Steak Sodfish .......... ..per lb. .06% .07 »- EL hl Ss oes per 1D, .12 SS aa ne . ..per Ib. .10 Seeussopeters live.. ..... .. .. ..per Ib. .32 _ Lobsters Boiled.. .. .. .. .. ..per Ib. 35 a Frozen Fish. _ Salmon—Gaspe, large .. .. ..per Ib. .11% .12 _ Salmon—Red, Steel Heads....per lb. .11 114% Salmon—Red, Sockeyes.. .. ..per Ib. ae ae __ Salmon—Red, Cohoes or Silvers per lb. Bra r i Do. . .-per Ib. _ Salmon and headless: .. .. ..per lb. .10 .10% Salmon Pale Qualla, dressed ..per lb. .07 07% Halibut large and medium .. ..per lb. .09 091% _ Mackerel, Bloater.. .. ......per lb. .07%% .08 __Herrings, medium, 50 lb. per 100 count 2.50 _ Haddock, medium & large.. ..per lb. .04% .05 _ Market Codfish .. :. .. .. ..per Ib. .04% .05 “Steak Codfish.. .. .. ‘.per Ib. 05% .06 POMOC... Js ks ce ve cc ee oper ib. 08% .04 Tommy Cods .. <2... .. .. ..per Ib. 1.50 _ Smelts, extras 10, 20, 25 ..... per lb. 15 : per lb ll _ Smelts, medium to large .. .. Sereemelia; small... 2... ess Canadian Soles .. .. .. .. .. _ White fish, large .. .. .. .. ..per lb. .08% .09 White fish, small Tulibees .. ..per lb. .06 0614 Lake Trout, large and medium per Ib. .0814 Dore, dressed or round .. .. ..per lb. .07% .08 BR iris Bie ae per lb. 09 as per lb. .05% .06 8 ‘ Malpeque shell oysters, caraquets, per bri... 5. Sei : Pe ay A 5 FISHERMAN 87 Shad, 3 Ibs. each.. .. .. . .08 Frogs, 10 lbs. tins .. .. cae ke .20 Pickled Fish. _ Salmon, Labrador, Tierces 300 lb. .. .. .. . Salmon, Labrador, Brls. 20 Olb. .. MMINON, 0. Dra... a OR PONG TIE ag ee Oe, ee Sea Trout, half bris., halves... .. . Mackerel, N.S., Bris. 200 Ib. .. .. an a Mackerel, N.S., Hf. Bris. 100 Ib. .. .. .. .. Mackerel, N.S., Pails, 20 Ib. .. .. Herrings, Labrador, Bris... .. .. . Herrings, Nova Scotia, Bris... ....... Herrings, Nova Scotia, Half Bris. .. Lake Trout, Half Bris. .. .. . Quebec Sardines, Bris... ............. PODER So rut nig We Cc aa Ws REL cd Salt Dried & Prepared Fish. et et et BD Raqgwvacratabars SSS5SSSaSSSSSS ele em N. 1 Green Cod, large, per barrel .. .. .. 11.00 No. 1 Green Cod, medium, Brl. .. .. .. .. 10.00 No. 1 Green Cod, small, Brl. .. .. 8.50 No. 1 Green Cod, Haddock, medium, Bri. .. No. 1 Green Cod, Pollock, Medium, Brl. .. No. 1 Green Cod, Hake, medium, Brl. .. .. Quebee Eels, large, per Ib... .. .. .. .. .. Dried Codfish, med. & small 100 lb. bundle .. Dried Hake, medium & large 100 Ib. bundles Dried Pollock, medium & large 100 Ib. bund. Dressed or skinless codfish, 10 Olb. case .. Boneless Codfish, 2 lb. blocks, 20 Ib. boxes | Boneless Codfish, strips 30 lb. boxes .. .. .. Shredded Codfish, 12 lb. boxes, 24 cartons, % Heessssese lb. each, a box .. 1.75 Bulk Oysters, Clams, Ete. Best Standards, imp. gallon.. . 1.40 Solid meats, imp. gallon . Se fade 1.70 Selects, best, imp. gallon .. .. .. . 1.80 Selects, solid meats, imp. gallon 2.00 Best clams, imp. gallon .. .. 1.50 Best Scollops, imp. gallon . 2.00 Best prawns, imp. gallon . 2.00 Best Shrimps, imp. gallon... .. .. .. 2... = 2.25 Oysters pails, 14 gal. per 100.......... 1.10 Oysters pails, 4% gal. per 100... ....... .90 Oysters pails, 1-10 gal. per 100... .. .. .. .70 Sealed best standards, quart cans, each .. .. .85 Sealed best selects, quart cans, each .. .. .. .45 Oysters, Clams, Mussels = Shell Fish, Crustaceans, ite. Cape Cod shell oysters, per barrel. .. .. .. 9.50 Malpeque shell oysters, selected C.C.1., brl.. 11.00 Malpeque shell oysters, selected J.A.P., bri. 10.00 Malpeque shell oysters, ordinary, per bri. .. , Clams, per barrel .. .. . ie See Mussels, per barrel .. .. ...... .. Mr. W. Douglas, of the Guest Fish Company, Win- nipeg, complains that he is always being taken for W. L. Douglas, the Boston shoe millionaire. How- ever, as Mr. Douglas claims there are no millionaires in the fish business, he should feel flattered. It was a distinct pleasure to have Mr. Douglas at the Inaugural Meeting as the ‘‘Apostle from the West,’’ and if all the Prairie fish men are as enthusiastic as he is, the As- sociation will boast of some live members from the land of wheat and real estate agents. CANADIAN 88 FISHERMAN Mareh, 1915. WINTER FISHING THE LOG OF A HARD-LUCK HADDOCKING TRIP. By F. WILLIAM WALLACE. This story is not written for the benefit of our fish- ermen readers. Fishermen know all about these things and they experience tough weather so often that it becomes commonplace; but this yarn may prove of in- terest to other members of the Canadian fishing indus- try in as much as it portrays just what our fishermen have to go through in winter fishing. The writer is cursed with a restless spirit. A sea- faring strain in the blood breaks out every now and again and the editorial office of the ‘‘Canadian Fisher- man’’ becomes a prison at these times. The howl of a winter wind outside the building brings back mem- ories of a tumbling schooner on a cresting sea, and one lives again in fancy the wild free life of the light-heart- ed Bank fishermen. The lure of open water and a brine laden breeze becomes insistent, and there is no eure but to break away from the desk and up anchor for sea. After Christmas, the writer felt that City life and quill driving was beginning to pall. The dead of win- ter is not the best time to go seafaring, but when one has been before and knows the ropes, it has no ter- rors, so, after routing out an old sea kit, I packed my sailor’s clothes bag, and boarded a train bound for the east. On January 2nd, I landed. down in Yarmouth, N.S., and jumped aboard the Digby schooner “‘ Albert J. Lutz’’—an able 90-ton vessel manned by a erowd of old shipmates. } ; It certainly felt good to be among the boys once more: to climb into old clothes and sea boots and doss in a bunk without having to don pyjamas. And the greatest pleasure of all was to feel that one was wel-— come. Fishermen are plain spoken. If they don’t like the cut of your jib, they’ll tell you so, but if they re- gard you as a friend, they can’t do enough for you. In some of the ‘‘Lutz’s’’ gang were many with whom I had been shipmates on several trips and one and all were a bully good crowd. On January 3rd it blew a gale of wind all day and we hung to our anchor in the harbor and hugged the stove. The weather, since the haddocking season com- menced in the Fall, had been of the worst deserip- tion, and all hands were hoping for a let-up in the - continuous succession of gales with the opening of the New Year. In addition, fishing around the coast was very poor and the winter for the vessel fishing was a hard-luck story from the commencement. SCHOONER “ALBERT J. LUTZ.” - March, 1915. CANADIAN _ JANUARY 4th, MONDAY.—The gale has blown it- self out, and at 4 a.m. we rolled out of our ‘‘pews’’ in obeyance to the Skipper’s call of ‘‘Now, boys, all out and get under way!’’ It was bitter cold, but ten minutes at the mainsail halliards and a spell at wind- lass brakes soon warmed the blood and drove the sleep from the brain. It was a lovely moonlit morn- ing, star spangled from nadir to zenith, and within twenty minutes the anchor was at the bows and under mainsail, foresail, jumbo and jib, we were standing out of the harbor. Passing through the Sound by Cape Forchu we lurched into the tremendous swell kicked up by yesterday’s breeze and in this ‘‘old sea’’ we roll- _ ed and. pitched with slatting sails and jerking booms. , Captain Apt was of the opinion that the fish would be found to the eastward alongshore and to the east- ward we steered—going through the ‘‘Hospital’’— _ otherwise inside of the islands lying off the Cape Sa- ble shore. It was a fine day, frosty, but sunny and pleasant, and with a light breeze blowing, the schoon- er ambled easily along during the day, while the men overhauled their fishing gear and discussed prospects _ JANUARY 5th, TUESDAY.—Sambro Head abeam, 7 a.m. distant 8 miles. Fine, clear, cold, sea smooth, barometer falling. 9 a.m. Came to the wind for a - sound and got bottom at 55 fathoms. ‘‘We’ll make a _ dip here,’’ said the Skipper, and he sung out to the _ gang: “‘Now, boys, get three tubs up and your dories over!”’ ____-~We carried an eight dory gang—two men to a dory— and in the bright winter sunlight our decks presented an animated appearance as the crowd, oilskin clad, sea- booted and mittenned, scurried around getting the tubs of baited trawl up out of the hold and preparing the FISHERMAN 89 dories for launching. ‘‘ Away on your port dory now!”’ cried the Skipper. ‘‘Throw her over!’’ The dory tackles were hooked on and with a few lusty heaves the little boat was hove up out of the nest and over into the water. One of the men leaped in the dory and caught the three tubs of trawl which his dory-mate handed down to him, and after jumping in himself, the dory was dropped astern, towed by the schooner for a jew minutes unt. the starboard dory was ready, and then let go. Within twenty or thirty minutes we had the whole string of eight dories and sixteen men out on the sea setting their long trawl lines, while the schooner, with the Skipper, Cook and agg aboard, jogged lazily to leeward of the little eet. The breeze freshened into a good sailing wind, and a big schooner which was on the horizon at dawn came romping down to us. She,was heavily iced up all along her starboard side, having evidently been on the port tack for a long time, and as she came up on our weath- er quarter, her sheets were started and she swung down under our stern to speak to us. She was the Gloucester schooner ‘‘J. J. Flaherty’’—one of the big- gest of the American fleet—and as she bowled past, we hailed her. ‘‘Where are you from?’ “Bay of Islands, with the biggest cargo of frozen herring ever taken out of Newf’nland!’’ came the an- swer. ‘‘What’s the war news? We ain’t heard for two weeks!”’ We sung out the loss of the cruiser ‘‘Formidable’’ with 700 mer as she whirled out of huiling distance on her way to Gloucester. At noon, the sun slid into a bank of mist, and the wind began to come from the southeast, chilly and stronger. At 2 p.m. we started in picking the dories up. Fish were scaree—some 8,000 pounds of haddock and cod being all we got for eight dories on a threc tub set, and as soon as all the little craft were on GULF OF ST LAWRENCE 2600 & brim NORTH ATLANTIC By SHETCH MAP of FISHING BANKS AOJACENT 70... CANADA'S ATLANTIC ... COAST. sovnowes wn earnoms (wor onawn ro sence) Torrents jp, OCEAN 90 CANADIAN deck and nested, the men dressed the fish and stowed them away on ice in the hold. The barometer and weather showed signs of a heavy blow to come, and as our little 90 tonner was a trifle small for lying out January gales offshore, the Skip- per decided to make Halifax for a harbor until it eased up. Under the four lowers we stood in towards Che- bucto Head ere darkness caught us. The wind breezed up quickly and as we ran in to the land, the schooner lurched and dived in a tumbling sea, rolling her lee rail under.. The mainsail had a single reef in it—in facet, we had never shaken it out since we sailed—and she logged a good twelve knots running in. The night shut down ere we had Camperdown abeam and when the searchlights from the Halifax Harbor forts began to play around the horizon, the Skipper considered the advisability of running into the Har- bor in the darkness and chancing probable mines. War time regulations caused our crowd some little con- cern and not knowing whether we could run in the Harbor at night or if the buoys had been altered, the Skipper decided to come to an anchor under the lee of the land. It was black dark when we rounded to and hauled the jib off her, and standing in to the west- ‘ard of a pilot boat we ranged slowly in under Camper- down Wireless Station. The anchor was swung over the bows ind a range of chain hauled for’ard of the windlass. Aft, the leadsman was making a dip every minute or so and cursing the depth of the water. ‘‘Jumping Jupiter !’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘her bowsprit’ll be over the beach be- fore we get a bottom for anchoring.’’ At last we got about 12 fathoms and with the rocky beach close aboard, let go the hook to a fair scope. The jumbo and foresail were hauled down and rolled up and with the mainsail set and two or three kerosene torches burning on deck we lay snug with the wind blowing a stiff southeaster overhead. Over towards Halifax, the searchlights played across the rain-swept estuary. A liner passed out illuminated by the glare and the pilot boat passed in. It would be en impossibility for any craft to run into Halifax un- observed with those powerful lights sweeping the channel. All night long the schooner growled at her anchor chain and every time she surged on the windlass the mudhook dragged a foot. However, with the wind off the land she could drag a long way without danger, so we turned in with carefree minds—glad that we were at anchor and not taking a dusting outside. JANUARY 6th, WEDNESDAY.—It is still blowing hard outside, and the seud is flying overhead. Of THe FINNAN HADDIE SEASON 31 Boston Fish Pier Boston, Mass. oS ae i he coal er eee te Sa a CANADIAN FISHERMAN 95 Lolotetoqet: SEG iittt tt tittle tlie iii lit iitilil itil i iei tots FISH & OYSTERS — ; EoNARD BROS. ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled — 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, . and Prepared FISH in Season . (Near Custom House) 000000 MONTREAL OYSTERS A SPECIALTY 064990 600006 Branches: : COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES St. John, N.B. Grand River, Que. Gaspe,Que. Westport, N.S. Correspondence Invited {CHOHO) CHOHOHOHCHO CHCHOHCHCHG: CHOHCHOHOHO CHOHOHOHOHG setelotelolotetetetote CC OOOO CO OCOO COCO COO COOCO COCO OOO OOOO OOO OOOOOOOOoOOoOoooOoooOOOoooooOoooooOo Sl lal al al a i ii ii allah lil tacit “‘ Thorough Inspection Before Shipment.” F. J. HAYWARD - - FISH BROKER ; QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL ; PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only WESTERN AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., etc. CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED 912 DOMINION BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. ; q EEE EEEEEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EPEDL EE EE EEE PEPE EE EEE EEE EE EE EE EE EE 2.2. rrr Terns Sd PPS OCSC OS PSST TT s SAFETY FIRST ** S “3 ie ss pen) core. BEACON BRAND DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS imi.) We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. a 1 ) 96 CANADIAN FISHERMAN FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— 2 2 , : 2 : ; : ; 2 : Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur: James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA be oboe oo ofoofe Hoobs oe oe oo Be Bo ofo of of oo oe ook fo foofoofe Books Boeboeboebe food beebebe he beoh bbb beh bb hhh hb bbb h hb hhh hhh PhP hey PEPE S EPP hE EPP hh PPE EEE PEPE EEE PEPE PEPE SEE PEE EEE EEE EP EPEE EEE PEPE a a a a i a i i i ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes PEPE EEPE DE EEE h Sh hE PPh hh hhh hb hE Ph Hh hhh h PP PPPPPE PEPE PEEP EE PEEP EES PEP PEP ae SOHCHCHOHOHOCHOHCHOHOHO. CHOHCHOHCHOHCHOHOHOHOHO:CHOHCHOHOHOGCHOHOHOHO IO CHOHOHOHO CHOHOHOHCHO CO H OOD oo Bh Son Boa chs Ba Min Bn She Bie Bc Bn cle Be Mn Bn lds hc Bn Bo Bn Ben cll hn Bn Mn Bn Btn Bn hn Bn Be Bn Ba he Be Be Bo Ba Be Bn Be Bada Bode de ede ds ede te he heed & OR ee a a ee ee ee ee eee ee Everywhere in Canada Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies ‘7 Gateway Brand Boneless Fish CURED AND PACKED ONLY BY Gateway Brand Threaded Fish — GATEWAY FISH oi. ask fe or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. ““GATEWAY’”’ Brands of Fish feteleleicioleisicieioioisioioioieielsisisieieieieisleisleieivivieisicieloivieieieicicisieieivivioieieieivisisioisisivivivisisieieisititesisieieieisieieislelele isis is] PEEPS EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE PEPE EEE EEE PEPE EE EEE E EE EEE EEE PEPE PEPE EE THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS COQ, Ine. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited EEEEEEEE EERE EEEE EE EEE EEE EE EE EE EE PEE EEE EE EE PEEP EE EEEP EE EEE EEE PEEP PEELE EEE EEE PEEP EE EEPEEP EEEEELEE ELE EEE LEED LE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE PEE EEE PEPE EE EEE EEE EEE EE CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (Puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Fr 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. PEEL EEELEPELEE EE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE PEEP EPEE EEE ET ee ag A ee 4 q 4 d 4 . 4 4 4 ~ . ‘ . 4 PPC CSS CT TC TT TT ++ No. 1915 APRIL, MONTREAL, ‘Vol. Il. : # YF - ‘DA RLES a ae et, -—_ GEM - » ne IE CA CANA — . AGAZI a * COM qa = ) & Z ne fy : c a) = 3 i) ° o * <= a = ~ v < “2 ky c a v ~ | 5 1) v es ~~ ~ ° c S So » oo) ~ a : i) eal es CANADIAN FISHERMAN fAalatic den SMA KFOODS | Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers J and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade 3 = Wine AY ie tt i ii iS Hh : ii } hora i hs 5 f | 7 | I ; a 4 4 F E F q . ee Te eee ee a ET SS LS ae eget ee es i: : a h Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. THROUGHOUT CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. iad lta addi lata: ili BS Sta gM fa a Soy vi Gv ei hehe nl ca de bi PELE EE EE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EDEL EE EEE EE EEE EE PEE EEE EEE EEE EE PEPE EE EE PES EE Ee bh bh bh CANADIAN FISHERMAN 97 OY 6 LN LOSS LOS 0 CY @ FRO 0 GI Ce, e om TO mm mt erry wo Oo Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, and Ha Fm of Halifax County West of aj line running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, Halifax Harbour, and coinciding with 2 Fairway buoys Dec. 15 to May 30 | No size limit. From line in Halifax Harbour running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, and coinciding with Fairway buoys, eastwardly to Red Point, between Martin Polnt and Point Michaud, Cape Breton Island and including the Gut of Canso, as far as a line passing from Flat Point, Inverness County to the Lighthouse in Antigonish County : ne opposite. April 1 to June 30 size limit. From Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, around Cape North as far as Cape St. Lawrence; aso the) north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from and including Blanc Sablon, west- wardly to the head of tide, embracing the shores of the adjacent islands, including) eS. Anticosti Island May Ist to July 31 size limit. The Magdalen Islands, including Bird Rocks and Bryon Island May Ist to July 20 size limit. Waters of Northumberland Strait, between a line on the N. W. drawn from Chockfish River, N.B., to West Pt., P.E.I., and a line on the S.E. drawn from Indian Point, . . near Cape Tormentine, N.B., to Cape Traverse, P.E.1....... 02.0.0 seceeeeseevees May 25 to Aug. 10 size limit. The waters around P. E. Island except those specified in No. 8 April 26 to fuly 10 size limit. " From, but not including, Cape St. Lawrence, Cape Breton Islands, south-westwardly to Flat Point, Inverness County, and from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County op-| ite Flat Point, westwardly slong. the strait of Northumberland and coast of| ova Scotia to Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., and northwardly from Chockfish River, N.B., embracing the coast and waters of a portion of Kent County) and of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche Counties, N.B., and the coast andi . 2 waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River April 20 to July. 10 size limit. Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. ; ar lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of Marine and Fisheries is required. Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Department, — they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the markets. Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements, copies of which may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. oo Pb aS ae tae MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES _ NADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE CULTURE AND THE USE AND VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR Industrial & Educational Press, Limited St. Alexander St. - Montreal CANADA | Office - 44-46 Lombard St. Office - 912 Dominion Bdg. SUBSCRIPTION: Canada, Great Britain — United States. . ieee Rissa fob oe $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects of practical interest. If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association ‘ol. II. MONTREAL, APRIL, 1915 No. 4 nadian Fisheries Association The wide-spread interest which has been aroused ng the trade by the formation of the Canadian eries Association is evidence that the organiza- is a much needed one. The membership is mount- up daily and it is safe to assume that the Associa- will include all the enterprising members of the ig industry of Canada before many months are The Association got away to a good start and if the dly increasing membership is any criterion it will n and keep up the high standard set for it by promoters. A noticeable feature is the number of ers who are becoming identified with the move- nent—a fact which shows they are quick to realize e importance of the Association’s plans to educate public to the value of fish as a food. _ Intending members should send in their applications out delay. The sooner we can enrol a large mem- hip the quicker we can start in to carry out the ects of the Association. Conditions in Canada at sent have developed an opportune time for com- cing a publicity campaign in fish foods and the As- tion wants to be in a position to take advantage Many other problems of long standing require adjusted and every individual or firm engaged Canada’s Fishing Industry with any interest in the opment of the business should not neglect to en- as soon as possible. recent Trade Report in speaking of the develop- nt of the fish trade in Germany states: ‘‘In Ger- many, for’ instance, there has been in recent years a pronounced increase in the demand for fish—an in- crease due in no small measure to the active campaign pursued by the German Sea Fisheries Society in popu- larizing sea food. Before the war broke out the de- mand for fish was so great in Germany that English fishing craft were running their trips direct to Ger- man ports. In 1913, no less than 39,700,000 pounds of herring were landed direct from British fishing vessels at Altona and other German ports.’’ When war broke out, an exchange says, the Municipality of Berlin bought 600,000 quintals of codfish as a precaution against a shortage of food. The Municipality made the announcement that one pound of dried cod con- tains the same nutritious substance as three pounds of meat, and gave all housewives advice on ‘‘How to Cook Fish.’’ Germany has led the way in a good many things— barbarous and piratical methods of warfare included —but while we do not care to emulate their example in outrages, yet we can take a leaf from their book in the matter of organizations which have for their ob- ject the development of natural resources. What the German Sea Fisheries Society and the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association have done for the trade in Germany and Great Britain, the Canadian Fisheries Association can do the same in Canada. Using the slogan of Kitchener’s Army, we say: ‘‘En- rol now!’’ As the army is being enrolled to crush militarism, so we urge the persons engaged in Canada’s Fishing Industry to enrol now and aid in crushing prejudice, unnecessary handicaps and ignorance. 100 The Pollet the Sea Twenty-eight men is the toll of the sea in the fish- eries of Gloucester for 1914. Sixteen of them were Canadians, six hailed from Newfoundland, one was a Portuguese from Azores, and the others were Ameri- eans. In the lost fishermen of the U.S. fisheries, Can- ada and Newfoundland always figure largely in the proportion of the men lost in the fisheries. The Canadians who lost their lives on American fish- ing craft are as follows :— Louis Amero, 18 years old, single, native of Yar- mouth, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Arethusa, thrown overboard by the slat of the boom February 18 while crossing the Bay of Fundy. John Hiltz, 53 years old, married, native of Chester, N.S., one of the crew of steamer Randolph, fell over- board off Thatcher’s island, April 2, left widow and one daughter. Ben Clair Thomas, 26 years old, married, native of Cape Negro, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Lillian, thrown overboard while hooking the main boom tackle off Sable Island, May 2. Willfred Stoddart, 30 years of age, married, native of Barrington, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Gladys and Nellie, run down in his dory by the vessel in South Channel, May 8. Frank Henderson, 35 years old, single, native of Cape Breton, N.S., died on board sch. Corsair, May 8, off Cape Cod, while on a mackerel trip. John Malcolm, 40 years old, widower, native of Cari- bou Cove, N.S., and Joseph Arsenault, 35 years of age, single, native of Prince Edward Island, two of the erew of sch. Rex, went astray from their vessel on Grand Banks, June 20. Malcolm left three children. Allen J. McDonald, 24 years old, native of St. Peters, N.S., died at the Addison Gilbert hospital June 26, from pneumonia, contracted on a fishing trip. James Fitzgerald, 50 years old, single, native of Whitehead, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Squanto, died on board the oanel, July 18, at Canso, N.S. Andrew Merchant, 38 years old, single, native of Arichat, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Squanto, drowned at T wharf, Boston, August 21, while boarding his ves- sel. George S. Ross, 52 years old, married, native of Guysboro, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Preceptor, died on Grand Banks, August 28, of heart trouble, left widow and seven children. George M. Colson, 28 years old, single, native of Yarmouth County, N.S., one of the erew of sch. Clin- tonia, killed on board the vessel at Souris, P.E.L, by being struck by falling gaff. Duncan MeLain, 60 years old, single, native of Cape Breton, N.S., one of the erew of sch. Marsala, fell overboard on Brown’s Bank September 30 while wrest- ling with a shipmate, who swam to the vessel and was rescued, CANADIAN FISHERMAN “ary 21. April, 1915. Capt. Miles M. Somers, 48 years old, single, native of Tracadie, N.S., died on board sch. Hope off Pensacola, Fla., October 4 from heart disease, being found dead in his bunk. George Tibbets, 49 years old, married, native of Weymouth, N.S., one of the crew of sloop Malicia Enos, went astray from their vessel off Thacher’s Island No- vember 26. Tibbets left a widow and three children. John Sperry, 63 years old, single, native of LaHave, N.S., one of the crew of sch. Mary E. Harty, died at the Chetses Marine Hospital, December 28. The Newfoundlanders lost are as follows :— James Organ, 27 years old, single, native of Bay Indians, N.F., one ofthe crew of sch. Alice, went ay of : in his dory in a snow storm off the Cape shore Janu- : a a Wm. Morrissey, 30 years old, single, native of Pla- centia Bay, N.F., washed overboard from ch. Ce rons on Green Bank, February Af: Ambrose Griffin, 25 years of age, single, native Newfoundland, one of the crew of sch. Gladys and Nellie, went astray in his dory in South Channel, May 8. s Capt. James MeLennon 27 years old, single, 1 of Placentia, N.F., master of sch. Avalon, died hospital at Shelburne, N.S., June 16, from blood ing resulting from a wound in his finger from a _ James Hurley, 34 years of age, single native of foundland, one of the crew of sch. Ida M. Silva, found drowned in the dock at Pensacola, Fla., in June. Lawrence Williams, 45 years of age, single, n of Bay Bulls, N.F., drowned in the harbor — 29 while boarding ah. Paragon. Considering the risks which fishermen run W ing their vocation, the list is remarkably small. — whole total only five men were lost by getting from the vessel in their dories while on the I Going astray is quite a common experience, By J. W. McGRATH. The history of Newfoundland is essentially the his- tory of its fisheries. The development of most great industries has been slow and systematic, but the New- foundland fishing industry experienced no such pro- cess. Simultaneous with the discovery of the island in 1497, came the discovery that in the Newfounde- lande there was a vast dormant fishery resource, and from this moment the advent of the Devonshire, French, Portuguese, and afterwards the Spanish fishermen, is authentically recorded. Such vast proportions did the pursuit of this fish- ’ ery instantly assume and so remunerative and produc- tive did it become that Lord Bacon was able to declare in his day ‘‘The Cod fishery of Newfoundland is worth all the gold and silver mines of Peru.’’ Still, the life of this great fishery has by no means been one of un- interrupted sunshine. On the contrary, it has many gloomy pages to record. Apart from the disasters and loss to lives and ships, natural to such a work, other influences externally re- tarded its progress. The Newfoundland fishery was verily a cosmopolitan industry, and the unsettled con- dition of international relations was reflected, time and again, amongst the fishermen in these waters, but by far the most serious obstacle to the steady develop- ment of this fishery was the unwise and even high- way legislation passed by some of the early English monarchs. To speak chronologically it is necessary to go back to the year 1498—the year succeeding the discovery of Newfoundland. In the spring of this year a number of Devonshire men voyaged together across the Atlantic to establish and engage in the new fishery. These ad- venturesome spirits came, no doubt; more from their love of danger and exploration than from any serious intention to participate in the fishery; but so plenti- ful did they find the cod fish that cargoes were easily secured and they returned to England to be known henceforth as the pioneers of the Newfoundland fish- eries During the five following years the Devonshire men alone sailed their little cockle shells across the stormiest sea in the world to engage in the fishery, but so remunerative was their work that the Portuguese - in 1501 abandoned fishing on the Irish coast and turn- ed their prows across the Atlantic to continue their -avocation in the new waters. Following the example of the English and Portuguese, the great majority of French fishermen engaged in the work, in 1504. Despite the Anglo-Franco hostility, it is admirable that amongst the fishermen of these respective na- tions, most amicable and cordial relations existed, and each succeeding year, despite wars and rumors of wars at home, the fishing fleets of the different coun- tries formed a junction and together traversed the At- lantic. When the fishing bank was reached the fleet divided itself into two parts; one part remained where it was and fished; the other division sailed to some har- bor on the coast and in turn divided itself according to nationality into squads of five ships each. Each of these companies prosecuted the fishery along the coast, till the end of the voyage, the last of August, when all returned to St. John’s, and having joined the Bank fleet with their harvest they set sail homeward. With the French and Portuguese the crews received wages, but the English captains gave to their crews the value of one-third of the catch. In the beginning the size of the vessels averaged about seventy tons each, but they soon showed themselves totally unsuited for the work. In 1520 a much larger vessel and one more adapted to the work began to appear, firmly construct- ed, but devoid of gracefulness ‘‘a beast of burden ra- ther than a bird of passage.’’ The arrival of the Spanish fishermen did not take place till about 1540. In this year the French had about sixty vessels fishing here. The following twenty years were a quiet period of development, but on the aecession of Elizabeth to the English throne, the fol- lowing Constitution was drawn up for the English navy. ‘‘For the increases of the provision of fish ; be it further enacted that every Wednesday throughout the year shall hereafter be ob- served a fish day. Every person offending shall for- feit three pounds . . . .” Till 1520 the island was regarded as a vessel moored in the middle of the Atlantic for the convenience of European fishermen. About this time, however, at- tempts at founding settlements were made. These co- lonists were men, part of fishing crews who remained behind in the winter, to cut timber and build boats. The condition of the country in Elizabeth’s reign is well deseribed in a letter dated November 13th, 1578. It says :—‘‘I have made four voyages to Newfoundland, searched harbors and creeks. . There are more than 100 Spaniards taking cod, from 20 to 30 killing. whales, fifty sail of Portuguese, one hundred and fift sail of French and Bretons . . . but of English only fifty sail. Nevertheless, the English are commonly lords of the harbors where they fish. . ae Sir Walter Raleigh, who himself made a voyage to Newfoundland, conceived the seale to which this in- exhaustable mine of wealth was potential of develop- ment, and induced the home government to interest themselves in the Newfoundland fishery. Through’his instrumentality the Newfoundland fishermen secured a monopoly of supplying the English navy at the price of 20 shillings per one hundred pounds, when the market price was but 10 shillings. The following is an official parliamentary record of the same: ‘‘ An inden- ture of bargain whereby the commissioner at Chester takes up for Her Majesty’s service in Ireland 20,000 Newfoundland fish at 20s per one hundred Ibs.’’ Nor did Raleigh’s great service end here. Some years la- ter he became Governor of Jersey, and while there so glowingly did he advertise the Newfoundland fisheries that thousands of Jersey men were soon fishing in New- foundland. But already a great blight was upon the fisheries of the island. The prologue to the drama of the Spanish Armada was enacted even here. In 1585, Drake, with men-of-war, entered St. John’s, seized all the Spanish fishing craft and merchant men and brought six hun- dred Spanish fishermen to England as prisoners, as well as confiscating both cargoes and ships. Two years later came the Armada, and as ‘‘the wind blew and they seattered, so the fleet of one hundred and fifty 118 Spanish cod and whaling vessels disappeared for ever from Newfoundland. And just as the defeat of the Armada struck the death blow to Spain’s Newfoundland fishing fleet, so it gave an impetus to the English fishermen, and from this time forward West country men began to come to Newfoundland in greater numbers, so much so that in 1600 the English fishing fleet numbered more ships than the fleets of all the other nations combined. The reign of James I. has become known as_ the ‘‘fishing admiral period.’’ Bands of Devonshire men who had always been amongst the floating population, settled down permanently along the eastern coast. In 1610, John Guy obtained a charter from the Eng- lish sovereign to found fishing settlements, but the ob- jeet of the charter was perverted to a fish trading company. Lord Bacon was the prime mover in this coneern. The company bought fish and oil from the fishermen, and, by making it unnecessary for them to market their catch themselves in European markets, indirectly encouraged the forming of colonies. Per- haps the greatest anomaly of that time was the ap- pointment of fishing admirals to rule the island. The captain of the first English fishing ship, arriving on the coast in the spring, was admiral for that year. The ignorant men, vested with absolute authority, dictated their arbitary measures from the cabins of their fishing craft. Being themselves above the law, they became half pirates and were, in reality Mon- archs of all they surveyed.’’ All during this reign, companies, many of them bogus, sliced up the whole sea coast between them and then made an attempt to prevent fishing craft from entering ports included in territory granted to them without forfeiting sums of money for each entrance. To justify these illegalities the home government dispatched ‘‘a ship who had a commission to be admiral to restrain inter- lopers and such fishing ships as came to fish and trade without a license but he could do no good . . . . for they were too strong for him and he found ye fishermen to be stubern fellows.’’ To prove the legitimacy of this monstrous monopoly of the sea coast, the companies brought the case to be tried be- fore the House of Commons. The great lawyer Coke spoke thus: ‘‘Your patent contains many particnlars contrary to law and liberty of the subject; it is a monopoly, and the ends of private gain are concealed under the color of planting a colony. To prevent our fishermen from visiting the sea coast for fishing is to make a monopoly upon the seas, which are wont to be- free, and if you alone are to pack and dry fish, you attempt a monopoly of the wind and sun.’’ With the ascent of the unfortunate Charles I. to the English throne the question. was again debated. A bill for the maintainance of the fishing in Newfound- land was unanimously acceded to by the commons, but the court party, which was a tool of the state, rejected the Bill. Significantly enough this was the prime difference between Charles and his people, and nndoubtedly was the cause of his downfall. At the beginning of this reign, English vessels en- gaged in Newfoundland fisheries numbered about two hundred and fifty sail. That the English had ousted their competitors here is shown by an act which ex- tended permission to the French to cure fish on the coast, if they paid 5 per cent of the value of their cateh to Fngland All througn the reign affairs in Newfoundland were but a reflex of the character of the iingheh King himself. CANADIAN FISHERMAN April, 1915. Absolute and injudicial patents were extended, which not ony adversely affected fishing operations, but even nullified previous grants of other English sovereigns. The attempt to prevent fishermen from settling along the coast was a complete failure. For cne rea- son or another wealthy families having interests in New- foundland anticipated that it would be detrimental to tlieir interests if this colony became permet. ttiy set- tled: and to pacificate ihoze, move than for any other reason, Charles I. passed laws to forbid people set- tling in Newfoundland, which failed. Towards the end of this reign the first fish trade relations with New England began. and cattle. The downfall of the monarehy fnrnished another oc a casion to disorganize fish trade, and was a powerful impediment to vessels coming here to fish, so much so that in one season the number of ovr craft fishing here — dwindled from three hundred to one hundred. The paralysis to fishing operations that the war had brought about, vanished as soon as the conflict ended. __ The new ruler recognizing the value of the Newfound- land fisheries, extended admirable facilities to the men in fishing whilst the marketing of the catch was done, accompanied by three armed navy ships as a convoy. Ship building on a new and extensive scale was adopt- ed, and received every encouragement. The land known -— as the isle of ‘‘fish and fog’’ had now, for the first time, began to come forth from the fogs of ignor- ance that for one hundred and fifty years surrounded her and retarded her industrial progress. TO SECURE MODUS VIVENDI PRIVILEGE FOR U.S. AUXILIARY FISHING CRAFT Mayor Curley, of Boston, Mass., is interesting him-_ self in an effort to secure the privileges of the Can- adian modus vivendi license for American fishing craft equipped with auxiliary power. os Under the terms of the Modus Vivendi agreement, American auxiliary propelled fishing crafts are inelig- ible to fishing licenses in Nova Seotia waters, while — in Newfoundland, except on the treaty coast, licenses are denied entirely. To-day, a large percentage of the fresh fishing fish is equipped with engines, the — result being that only sailing crafts without motive — power can avail themselves of the privilege of taking out a license at Nova Scotia. Ae As to Newfoundland, the fishermen hope not only ee to secure license privileges, but baiting concessions as well. Mayor Curley became interested in the ease, while a member of Congress. The mayor has promised his best endeavors in behalf of the fishermen. HIGH LINE HALIBUT TRIP. The American Schr. Monitor, Captain George Marr, stocked $4,045 on a recent Atlantic halibut trip. The crew shared $102 clear. The high dory shared $137, and the eook $200. CAPE NORTH SHACKERS FITTING OUT. The American Cape Northers expect to get away about April 15th. Ice reports indicate that the Mag- . dalens will be free earlier this year than last season, © and prospects are good for early baitings there. About the same number of vessels will go north. Fish and oil were bartered for corn —__ zg : Wholesale Fish Prices, Montreal Markets (Quoted by D. Hatton Company.) Demand for fish of all kinds up to the present has been on the increase in general, only during month of _ January on account of mild weather frozen fish was neglected and accumulation was such that when Lent season was on in spite of the good demand, it was not absorbed freely enough and as a ¢onsequence prices were knocked down to the lowest level known for quite along time. » THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) of railways and the treatment we receive, we feel that we do not get listened to as well as our Atlantic friends. I do not think that I am far out when I say that the railways running from Pacific terminals (and I have to include the American terminals owing to the data avail- able) draw well over the quarter of a million dollars in freight alone. This amount is quite exclusive of can- ned salmon and sait lish, being based upon statistics showing the movement of fresh and frozen fish in ear- lots only. Taking the proportion from British Colum- bia to be one quarter (and this well on the safe side, I think) the Canadian 1a.:ways do not do so badly out of the fisheries of British Columbia. They can afford to make some concessions either in rates or rapid tran- sport. Then again there is the feeling that British Colum- bia does not get the attention it should in proportion to the size of the industry from the Government of Can- ada. This may be partly due to lack of sufficient rep- resentation. We have not sufficient representation to press our demands, nor have we the representation sufficient to obtain us the necessary assistance requir- ered to develope these fisheries. We have been heard from so far. The day is not far distant when we shall be “‘it’’ in the fishing world. We have the goods right here to do it with. These few words may tend to show the need of the assistance of the Canad/an Fisheries Association, and to show the work it has cut out for it as applied to Brit- ish Columbia. Owing to distance from coast to coast, a long arm is needed to permit handshaking. Let the Canadian Fisheries Association be the arm wanted. General Notes. Lent is on us, but ail the fishing trade of Vancouver seem to know about this season, is that in Eastern Can- ada, dealers look to Lent as the best season of their year. Lent’makes ne difference with us here. No more fish is eaten in this season than in any other. Conse- quently local sales have not been very bright, and deal- ers have found that the slack times all round have even effected them. There was some grumbling over the fact that the training camps of the 2nd. and 3rd. Contingents were supplied with no fish. One has heard of a ton of hal- ibut being bought for the camp at Hastings Park by the concern who has the meat contract. A ton of fish will not go very far amongst that number of men in camp there. It may be that the letter of the law is complied with, and that fish has been served to the men. But we want to see fish being given them reg- ularly and in variety. Goodness knows there is no lack of supply. Speculation is rife as to what effect the order-in- council which allows foreign vessels to land their catch. ~ es and sell to Canadian dealers, will have on Vancouv- 124 er. It is acknowledged that this will be the makings of Prince Rupert. Indirectly it might be a benefit to the small dealer in Vancouver, but we shall have to wait to see what will happen. Smoked Fish. Eastern Finnan Haddies are advanced a little. The supply on hand is smaller than usual. There are many factors to attribute this scarcity to, one being the fact that a few ears got ‘‘let up’’ coming through, and an- other being the apparent scarcity in the East. Other smoked fish is in good supply. The past win- ter has seen some close prices on Kippers and other lines. This sort of thing is shortsighted to say the least of it. It spoils the market and makes the buyers too insistent upon close buying. Pickled Fish. One notices a new departure in Vancouver. The Jackson Fish Company have opened a premises in the wholesale district, stocking Atlantic fish entirely. One sees the old-time Digby Chicks, salt herring, soft cured Pollock and Cod. With the heavy freight rates and with the dumping going on from Seattle and other centres of Pacific Cod, Vancouver seems to be losing her demand for Atlantic cured fish. She can only re- main faithful to Finnan Haddies, and this is not from choice. Salmon. A few Springs are showing in the Fraser and are fetching good prices. Another few weeks and these will be along in good supply. Meanwhile owing to the irregular supply, dealers are working off stocks of froz- en fish with good success. Canneries are beginning to come to life again after the long winter lay off. Crews are being shipped to the different stations, and the vast preparations made to take care of the runs when they occur. The fishermen are speculating as to what prices the canners will offer for different fish. Halibut. Fresh Halibut has been in fairly steady supply, most of it arriving from the Northern points. The small boat ‘‘Trapp’’ landed a few days ago one of the best looking fish seen here for some time. The trip was quickly bought by the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co. Ltd. The boats report stormy weather on the banks, and at least one ‘‘lame duck’’ has been reported. The ‘‘Banks”’ of the Atlantic have no lien on dirty winter weather. Some of the Pacific Halibut banks ean equal anything they have to offer. Mild Cure Salmon. It is reported that owing to the fact that Germany i is closed to trade now, that the pack of mild eured salmon both on the Sound ‘and in Alaska will be limited. This may tend to make the pack of Canned Spring Salmon larger. It is only when oceasions like these arrive that one sees the far reaching effects that a closed market will have. Coopers will be without orders for the large tierces used; supply stores will have a limited sale of the ‘‘salmon’’ hook and so on. By the way most of the salmon used for mild curing is of the Spring variety. These are caught by trolling, and the hook used is one that has been adapted from the hand-made hook of the Coast Indians. Other Fish, German Carp, Soles, Smelts, Oolichans ete. are in good supply. Herring are fairly plentiful but small and full of milt and roe as usual at this time. Cod is plentiful and almost more is offering than the trade can take care of. CANADIAN FISHERMAN -same time the fish brought down by the regular April, 1915. PRINCE RUPERT'S BRIGHT FUTURE. That Seattle and other Puget Sound American cities fear lest Prince Rupert will take away a great part of their trade, is now manifested by a movement started in those centres to try to offset such an happening. Officials are considering the matter, and also a dele- gation has been sent to Washington, D.C., to confer with the Government of the matter. : Word was received in Vancouver a few days ago that an Order-in-Council had been signed as follows :— ‘* Order-in-Couneil passed and signed to-day by Gover- nor-General which permits all foreign bottoms to sell their fish in Prince Rupert or other British Colum! ports to Canadian fish dealers, who will, of course, have to assume the bonding regulations. Said fo boats will be permitted to purchase all supplies and sign on crews. The customs will be notified of th re gulations as to those purchasing fish.’’ ; The above means a very great deal to Prites pert. Hitherto the only permission allowed Pees) the landing of fish in British Columbia ports, called for the fish being landed and shipped in bond. meant that only those vessels that could land | lots were able to use the Canadian ports. The tages of even this have been so marked that Seat taken notice and feels that her interests are t ed. Prince Rupert being within a few hours of the hali- but banks as against Puget Sound being two days so, a saving of at least four days on a trip is thus fected. But when we come to consider the effect new order-in-council will have on the smaller bo: we have something indeed to feel pleased over. the small independent boats that will benefit. _ In 1914 the Puget Sound Halibut Fleet landed at Seattle and other Sound ports no less than 35,520,400 pounds of Halibut. Out of this total 22, pounds came from the independent boats, the 1 ing company boats. (These figures are gleaned the Year Book of the Pacific Fisherman, a com that I would commend to every man in © ested in the fisheries). In addition to the above 175 pounds of Halibut was landed from the freighters. A Now, this is a lot of fish. It also stands’ v7 eas¢ that out of this quantity there will be a considerable amount of second-grade fish owing to the fact. boats had that long run to their home ports, and at the al steamers had a certain amount of handling tha’ avoided, would help the fish. By going into Prince Rupert, the fish will be handled quicker and shipped te the consumer quicker. It will also mean that the small- er boats can make more trips and have less lay-offs. : What the operators in Seattle and Tacoma 1 remains to be seen. There are all sorts of 1 flying around, but so far we have heard nothing de inite of their intentions. But one thing that we pf ar and that is, that now onwards a very great os the independent boats will run their trips into ce Ri pert. They will save at least four days, they can a their ice either there or from Ketchikan in ! which is not far away, and then get their provisions ete. at Prince Rupert. One notices in the above order-in-council the ot MBM He as permit all foreign bottoms to their fish in Prinee Rupert or other British Columbi ports to CANADIAN fish dealers. . .”’ is on that word Canadian. The operators in Seattle and other Puget Sound points draw a very great deal of their supplies from the independent boats. If these Bais run into Prince Rupert to discharge, then these operators will be compelled to do either one of two things. _ They will either operate in Prince Rupert or other British Columbia ports, and to do this will register, as ‘a Canadian company operating under Canadian laws. This has been done for many years by a large Boston company. The other course open to them will be to operate their own vessels entirely. _ This latter course will have its disadvantages. There and bound to be smaller boats and independent boats, and if these run into Prince Rupert, they will have a ery materially reduced cost of operation, and so al- ow the fish to be sold cheaper. For the next two years at least whilst Canada can ship her fresh fish into the ‘United States duty free, Seattle operators will be hand- ieapped in favour of the Canadian operators. The Grand Trunk Pacific claims to have a shorter haul and to be able to deliver the goods quicker than any other railway running to the coast. This together with the fresher fish, cheaper cost and other factors that have to be taken into consideration, will influence the _ American markets in favour of the Prince Rupert pack- ers. Even if the duty is imposed again, I think that ce Rupert will still have the advantage. So whichever way one looks at the question, it seems - that the dreams of Prince Rupert are materialising. She aims to be the largest fishing port in America. I do not think that anything can stop her. Now that this new _order-in-council is ratified, she will be a busy place. ‘Hand in hand with the fishing industry go supplies and _ even factories. Oil fuel, provisions, nets, lines, hooks, es, machinists, carpenters, grocery and other stores all be needed. This will mean a certain influx of Eee alation, and a producing population that will have apay-roll. I would not even be surprised to see a large number of Puget Sound families settle in the North- British Columbia port. - Finally I may say that I do not own any lots in Prince Rupert that I want to sell to intending sett- ers. But I cannot but see that Prince Rupert will be _ materially advanced in her ambitions by the action of Ottawa of late. WHOLESALE FISH PRICES, VANCOUVER, B. C. (Quoted by London Fish Co.) Smoked Fish. ‘Finnan Haddies, Atlantic 15s and 30s 10c-11e Ib. Fillets. 1le; bloaters 6¢; kippers 7¢; salmon 12¢-15e; halibut 12c ; black cod 12¢. Frozen Fish. Biimon Steelheads 7e, halibut 6¢; aa black cod; ete. 8c. Salmon Red Springs 11le-14e; white springs 5c; hal- - ibut 7e; cod 5¢e; smelts 6c; herring 5c; soles and whot- ing 5c; skate 3e; perch 6¢; rock cod 6c; red cod 3c; bass 6c; black cod 8e¢; shad 8c. Pickled Fish. Acadia 12-2s and 24-2s, 14¢; Strips 1314c; tablets _ 14e; bluenose, 1s and 2s 914; pilot 844c; Nova Scotia turkey Ze; Pacific Boneless 8c; pacifie whole cod 6e. Shell Fish. Crabs $1.00-1.20 doz.; shrimps 12c-18¢; prawns 20¢; clams 2s; shelled $1.25 ‘gal. ; oysters eastern shells 25¢ — doz. shelled $2.85 gal. Olympia shelled $3.25 gal. ; Canned Salmon. Most of the Northern canneries have sent up their men for the opening of the season. Of course the fish CANADIAN FISHERMAN 125 will not be along for some time, but there are all sorts of preparations to make, and arrangements to be comp- :eted. When the fish start to come in, everything has to be in readiness, and each individual joins in the rush. The possibility of machinery breaking down is one to be guarded against, as such a happening might hang up the whole operations for the season. This means that each machine has to be gone over minut- ely. Then again, as each cannery is a little city in itself, and operated by the cannery are stores, mess-rooms, sleeping quarters, and in fact everything that the in- dustry embraces, it is easily seen that there is plenty of work for all connected. Friday, March 12th. was Canned Salmon day in the U.S. A. All the railways operating from Washington State made a point of featuring the commodity on their menus. The Canadian Pacifie Railway Company also had suitable souvenir menus for distribution. Such a movement is well worth imitating. The advertisement alone does vast good to the industry. Canada might well follow suit, and at the same time enlarge on the idea, and through the auspices of the Canadian Fisher- ies Association, might induce the railways and hotels of the Dominion to feature other fish, such as Finnan Haddies, Cod, Halibut, ete‘, ete. The market is steady as regards sales. The next two seasons as far as Sockeyes are concerned, will see comparatively small packs. Humps or Pinks are due for a big run, but no low prices are anticipated, as shortage in other lines, will tend to steady up the price. The European Governments have been buying some of the cheaper grades of late, and so stocks are running low. The Sockeyes are about cleaned up, and the mark- ets wil be ready for the new pack as soon as ready. Prices: Sockeyes. Talls $8.25; flats $8.75, half flats $10.25. Cohoes :—Talls $4.75; flats $4.75; half flats $6.25. Pinks :—Talls $3.50; flats $2.75. Chums :—Talls $2.75; flats $2.75. Owing to the fact that there are several species of Salmon on the Pacific, it may not be amiss to give par- ticulars regarding the differences. To the average _ mind all salmon is alike; and in Eastern Canada Sal- mon is looked on as only salmon. We have five dist- inet species in British Columbia waters as follows :— : Spring. This is the largest of all, averaging 22 pounds, but going up as far as over the 100 pound mark. These fish have other names than the Spring. In America where they are known also as the Chinook, King, and Quin- nat. The Spring Salmon are to be caught in British Columbia waters practically the whole year round, the ‘‘runs’’ occurring between April and July. The body is silvery, the back, dorsal fin and caudal fin having round black spots. On the sides of the head are seen a metallic lustre. Sockeye. In Alaskan waters this fish is known as the Red Salmon, south of British Columbia, a smaller species be- ing called Bluebacks. The average weight is about five pounds, the ‘‘run’’ appearing in July and Aug- ust. This is the fish over which there is such speculat- ion as the why it should appear in its largest ‘‘run’’ every four years, the year being that after the leap year. But so far it has not failed to appear in vast quantities every fourth year. In colour the fish is clear bright blue on top, and silvery below. Later on in the season when it leaves the sea, the belly changes 126 CANADIAN FISHERMAN April, 1915. from a dark red to dirty white. We are all familiar with the headlong rush this fish makes up the rivers to the spawning grounds, many dying on the way up; and the balance after spawning. Cohoe. This is also called the Silver on account of its colour. The upper parts are greenish with faint black spots. In the fall this fish becomes a dirty red. Qualla. This species is also known as the Fall, Chum or Dog. Its average weight is eight pounds. Early in the run it is of dirty silvery colour sprinkled with small black spots, dusky fins, and traces of gridiron-like bars on the sides. Its flesh is pink, and the fish is specially good for freezing, smoking and salting. (These details are from the Year Book of the ‘‘Pa- cific Fisherman. ’’) PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS P. GC. PARKHURST Commission Dealer in Salt F | S H* ake Pickled Canad Office and Wharf : 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. Correspondence Solicited (GG SE GG a W. Irving Atwood, Prest. N. D. Freeman, Treas. W. Elmer Atwood, Vice-Prest. BRANO IIE IEIE —6) =¢ a To t h e Let us do your Printing. We have one of * the finest and best equipped plants in Mon- ey treal. Our men are experts in all kinds of job F 1S h Tra d e work — Price Lists, Catalogues, Hand-bills, : Letter Heads, etc. © Our staff is experienced in setting up matter relating to the Fishing Industry and we can take care of your work with a guarantee of fl correctness, neatness, and despatch. ® ESI Let us give you an estimate on your next printing job. — ® Industrial & Educational Press, Ltd. | en (PUBLISHERS OF THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN) 35-45 St. Alexander Street -- MONTREAL (OE mm || [2] [seeeemenaencnmnee | [1] | nemmewemernnn — ———— 1) CANADIAN FISHERMAN [2 Saee feteleolololotoivisiciciololeieieicicleloleleieielelel ole ete] «joj 0 jaj aj | Long Distance Telephones P.O. Box 1425 FISH & OYSTERS ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled . and Prepared FISH in Season ~ OOOO OYSTERS A SPECIALTY LEONARD BROS. 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, (Near Custom House) MONTREAL 909000 $0000 COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES Branches: St. John, N.B. Grand River, Que. Gaspe, Que. Westport, N.S. Correspondence Invited DOO COO COCOCOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OC COOO OOOO OOOO OOO OOOO OOO OOOO OO OOOO OOOOOO Oooo 1 | | | Fi A Inspection Before Shipment.” ei i + + : F. J. HAYWARD FISH BROKER : 3 QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL : : PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only : + WESTERN AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED + + ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., etc. 5 CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED ; : 912 DOMINION BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. : s 8 = 8 > * BEACON BRAND DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. s 8 3 > - 128 CANADIAN FISHERMAN 4 LEE bea aE EE EEE EEE ELE EEE EERE EE EEE ERED E DEE ELE EDE LEED EE EL EDEL EEE EDEL ERE EE EL ER FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EERE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE SE EE peoeesooeccorcooserrrsoresereconesesesoersereereer ee SBOE EPR OEP Es Ee OEP Ee Ee EE Ee OE OEP Ee ge Ee ge eae ge ge ae es eee ee ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MontreaL } _ Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes PEEPEE EEE EE PEPE PEEP LLP PLE PEELE EEL EEE LEE PPLE PEPE PL PEEP EPL PEE EL EE PEPE EL PEE PEPE EE Dich . Od re ee ee en ee ee re HEPES EO eEe Ee Es eae eRe eg ge EP OEP Ee Ee eRe ge Ee OEP eRe ge ge ene ge eg eye ge eg eye E very where in Canada Grade ‘ A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies Gateway Brand Boneless Fish ee Gateway Brand Threaded Fish ONLY BY GATEWAY FISH CO. ask for Gateway Brand Pickled Cod Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. | coos, GATEWAY?” Brands of Fish” EE PEEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE PEPE EE PE EEE PEE EE EEE PEELE PEPE EE PEPE EE PEE THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO. Ing Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited EE EEEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE PEEP PE PEED EEE PES PEELE EE EE PEEL EE EE PEEP PEERED EEEEEL EEE EEE FEEEEE EE EEDE PEELE EE EE EEE PEPE EEE EEE EE EE PEELE E PEE EEE PEPE EE EE CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS euroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. LEEEEEEEEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE PEPE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE PELE EE EEEEEE EEE EEE EEE EEL POPP PSP ST TT TT 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 . 4 Il. MONTREAL, MAY, 1915 : No. 5 Be MAGAZINE SACANADY'S COMMERIGIALSFISHERIES. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association 7 CANADIAN FISHERMAN a ee 6 Se FOODS | Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers 7 and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade q Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation — LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. THROUGHOUT CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. | ca dh dl th a ail a lin an a da aii li nel a al af lil Dale ai et Be EREVEEEEEEEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EEE PEE PEPE EEE EPE EE EE PEPE EE EEE EEE — ee —- _ oe SA eee ene SOGOC KOO oe oO MSS SSeS. SSS == SOO OOS OOOO OOOO OOOO CANADIAN FISHERMAN Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which isthe only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MIMOTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES OF ThE PROVINGE OF QUEBEC CANADIAN FISHERMAN LOBSTER FISHERY FISHING SEASONS IN FORCE ON DECEMBER Ist, 1913 Department of Marine and Fisheries Flat Point, Inverness biter and from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County op- ite Flat Point, westwardly along the strait of Northumberland and coast of) ova Scotia to Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., and northwardly from| Chockfish River, N.B., embracing the coast and waters of a portion of Kent County and of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche Counties, N.B., and the coast and/ waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River........ April 20 to July 10 Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. __ : at lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of Marine and Fisheries | is required, ( Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Department, | is) ego they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the v markets. Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. , copies of which — a “im aa ye S28 go8 LIMITS Fishing Season os 2 2A £2) St. John jand ‘Charlotte-... 02 Mackerel, N.S., Pails, 20: Ib. ..-.:-.4 3p ae Herrings, Labrador, Bris...°3:s..° +. 3 ee Herrings, Nova Scotia, Bris. dias: eto aan Herrings, Nova Scotia, Half Bris... . Lake Trout, Half Bris. Chics Quebee Sardines, Bris. Turbot, brs. eo sooraboBs seeeceees: HER 388 Herrings, imported, Hf. Bris. vet ee 00 — Herrings, imported, kegs, each .. . . eS Salt Dried & Prepared Fish, ape 5 No. 1 Green Cod, large, per barrel .. .. .. 8.00 — No. 1 Green Cod, medium, Brl. Migiere yy) No. 1 Green Cod, small, Brl. .. .. —-6.00— No. 1 Green Cod, Haddock, medium, Brl.. — 6.00 No. 1 Green Cod, Polloek, ‘medium, Brl. GOO No. 1 Green Cod, Hake, medium, Brl. 6.00 | Quebee Eels, large, per lb.. ef Dried Codfish, med. & small 100 Ib. bundle .. 7.00 Dried Hake, medium & large 100 lb. bundles 6.00 Dried Pollock, medium & large 100 Ib. bund. 6.00 Dressed or skinless codfish, 100 lbs. ease .. 7.00— Boneless Codfish, 2 lb. blocks, 20 lb. boxes .08 Boneless Codfish, strips 30 lb. boxes... .... .11- Shredded Codfish, 12 |b. bean 24 cartons, 4% eC lb. each, a bak as es Bulk Oysters, ‘Clams, 3 Ete, Best Standards, imp. gallon .. .. .. ra hoa | Solid meats, imp. gallon .. .. . i Best clams, imp. gallon .. es ..° ie 15 sass ee Best Scollops, imp. gallon . ck See Best prawns, imp. gallon 2... .°<. 40% ee Best Shrimps, imp. gallon ..:.. s.' 4. Ve... oe Sealed best standards, quart cans, each .. .. * Sealed best selects, quart cans, each .. Oysters, Clams, Mussels and Shell Fish Best Seollops, imp. gallon .. .. . Cape Cod shell oysters, per barrel . Malpeque shell oysters, selected, C.C.L, bri. Malpeque shell oysters, seleeted, J.A.P., bri. Clams, per barrel . eehiges : Mussels, per barrel . esr oe Winkles, per bus. .. ‘S8888SSS pf SRRSaSSS ee ed DIGBY, N.S. (Special Correspondence. ) During the past month the shore fishing has been _ gradually improving; but most of the fishermen still insist that fish are not as plentiful as they have been in previous years. The run of halibut along the shore . ~ is about over, while the haddock are striking in small quantities along with pollock and cod which seem to be fairly plentiful. Hake have been reported coming up the Bay and some good catches were secured by a few of the Tiverton and Westport boats. : During the past month the shackers have landed here as follows:—Schooner Dorothy G. Snow, 100,162 : “4 Ibs.; Lilia Boutilier, 124,802 lbs.; Grace Darling, 85,648 _ Ibs.; Cora Gertie, 23,597 lbs. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. (Special Correspondence). Although the lobster season was legally open this 3 year on April 26th, for all the waters around the Is- land excepting the section of Northumberland Strait extending from West Cape to Cape Traverse, it was 4 not until three weeks later, that fishing became gen- E eral. This delay was owing to the ice remaining around the coast longer than was known for many seasons. Some of the factories in the vicinity of Mal- - peque Bay began work around the tenth of May. Their pack was well up to the average of last year, both as to size and numbers. The more unfortunate fisher- men along other sections of the north side, and along the south ard east, had to wait patiently until the ice jam moved off before they dared run their lines. The straits were blocked even so late as the 8th of the month that the winter steamers were still plying be- tween Charlottetown and Pictou, and one day they were over seven hours making the fifty mile trip. The catch of herring which the lobster fishermen have mainly to depend upon bait, has up to the time of writing been below that of last year, but a larger supply is expected later, when all the ice has moved off. Several steam- ers bound down the straits from New Brunswick got caught, and one of the Island ice breakers had to go to their assistance. Some of the ice encountered so late this season was unusually heavy, and in places in the form of bergs which grounded on the flats. Owing to the delay in starting operations, and also to the fact that the season was shortened by the Government five days this year, there is a demand from every quarter for an extension. Although under ordinary cireum- stances the fishermen as a whole do not ask for an ex- tension, it is generally conceded that the Government would be justified in granting one this year. The drop in price, too, is another argument in favor of the ex- tension. ‘There are two hatcheries at present in operation on the Island, one at Georgetown, the other at Char- CANADIAN FISHERMAN "y wet / Ip Cat THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES lottetown. When the Dominion Royal Commission was here last August, evidence was taken as to the results of this artificial propagation. It was stated by wit- nesses that it was difficult to guage these results, as the opinion deposited in certain localities floats rourd to other parts. It was also contended that any lengthen- ing of the present legal season (unless for some extra- ordinary delay in opening to unfavorable conditions) would deplete the supply. Stricter enforcement of the regulations so as to prevent illegal fishing was em- phasized. One witness advocated a fisheries police, or- ganized somewhat along the same lines as the North- West Mounted Police, who would move from point to point along the coast. The question of using some land locked bay as a na- tural spawning ground, instead of depositing the leb- ster fry out at sea was also touched on. Whatever might have been discussed before the Commission, it is evident that the industry will be conducted along about the same lires as last year. Charlottetown has hed lobsters in the shell for sale in the city market, and by several restaurant keepers for about a week. The retail price opened at 15 cents per lb. With the exception of herring. lobsters are the only fish taken in our coastal waters, so far this season. The bait season opened on April Ist, fishing being mainly confined to the rivers. Cold, wet weather has interfered considerably with angling. NEW BRUNSWICK’S FISHERIES. The total value of the fish wealth of Canada last year amounted to $33,207,748, of which $4,308,707, came from New Brunswick. The value of the catch in St. John and Charlotte Counties was $1,539,629, a de- crease of $72,970, over the previous year. There was a great falling off in sardines, the take in 1914 being 141,384 barrels, against 280,282 the previous season. The herring catch was 197,297 ewt. against 189,200 ewts. previous year. Decreases took place in lobsters and hake. For the rest of the Province, the catch of sea fish was valued at $2,694,640, an increase of $83,- 307. The inland fisheries of New Brunswick yielded $41,948, against $40,132 the last season. YARMOUTH, N.S. (Special Correspondence) The month of May, so far, has been a busy one in fishing circles. There has been considerable activity in all branches. The catch of lobsters has been excep- tionally large and several almost record shipments have been made to the Boston market. Good weather has favored the fishermen and there has been very little time lost during the last few weeks. Through the ef- forts of J. F. Masters and other officials of the Boston and Yarmouth Steamship Company, too, permission has been obtained and arrangements made for the 182 discharge of live lobsters and fresh fish upon the ar- rival of the Yarmouth steamer at Boston on Sundays. This both equalizes the shipments and keeps the prices on a better level. Formerly this perishable freight had to remain in the steamer over Sunday and when it was discharged on Monday it had deteriorated con- siderably, the loss in lobsters being particularly heavy. The fishermen knew this and arranged the bulk of their stock on Thursday and causing the market to go up and down like a see-saw. So the new arrangement came into effect the shipments on Wednesday have fallen off a little while the Saturday shipments have correspon- dingly increased. Heavy as have the shipments of lobsters by steam- er been this year they do not, by any means, represent the total catch. American well smacks in large num- CANADIAN FISHERMAN June, 1915. Crates Value December, 1914020) 2 ae 1,692 $ 35,148 January, AILS: v aac 3,674 $109,415 February, 2915; 5 civ 2,486 $ 79,925 March, 191b.230 30 53.52 cae 3,729 $ 86,165 April 1916. seo aoe ee 7,837 $123,138 19,418 $433,786 Another feature of the May fishing is the opening of the mackeral season. It was a few days earlier this season than last the first fish being taken on the 10th by the Calf Island weir. This is unusual as the first fish is usually taken just off the main land a little to the west of Yarmouth but this year the traps, owing to a little blowy weather, did not have the twine on until after that. At the first pursing of the Cranberry Head Lunenburg Harbor, N.S., showing some of the Fishing Fleet at Anchor. bers are in these waters carrying live lobsters to Bos- ton and Maine in tens of thousands. The first trip to arrive at Portland reached there about April 20, in the Chester A. Kennedy. She had 5,700 secured at Sandford and Abbott’s Harbor, for the F. S. Willard Company. This company must be caleulating on large numbers from these waters as they have had built six immense cars will be used in storing the crustaceans as they arrive from the provinces. A few days later three more of the smacks arrived at Boston in one day followed by two more the day following the five land- ing a total of 53,000. Another smack, the Little Ruth, with 11,000 lobsters from Woods Harbor to Boston, went ashore on Seal Island on the 15th, but was floated next day, very little damaged and proceeded to her destination. The lobster season closes at the end of this month and in the next Yarmouth letter a comparative state- ment of the shipments this year and last will be given. In the meantime the following table to the end of April may be of interest: trap on the 15th one large fish was taken and possibly if they had been ready earlier fish would have been caught as the prevailing winds have been in their favor this spring. As soon as the traps were ready a school of pollock was on the coast and mackerel and pollock do not go well together. In consequence the traps, al- though pursing every day, took but a few mackerel. The Cranberry Head trap, though, took twelve tons of pollock in a week. On the 22nd pollock fell off and the traps made the first decent stop of mackerel, Cranberry Head taking eleven barrels, Sandfordten. A few also have been taken at Green Island and at Calf Island. No doubt they will be striking in soon. There have been a few casualties this month two men losing their lives and several others having narrow es- capes. The two who were drowned were not fishermen although they were drowned while off fishing. They were Aubrey Muise and William Smith, two of the employes of the cotton mill, who went off on a fishing trip in a dory on Sunday, the 16th. They left about 5 o’clock in the morning and were seen in the after- me: 1915. a short listance west of Chebogue Point. They id not get home, however, and the next day the dory is picked up bottom up. LEactly what happened never be known. Moses G. Smith, one of the Seal fishermen was badly hurt when he beeame en- zled in a gasoline engine used at the Island for haul- boats up on the beach. He was hurled around times during which a shoulder was broken, his cut open and he was generally broken up but is ering. Again two of the Bar fishermen—Ray- id and Lincoln Abbott — got into the breakers t to their assistance and got them out just in time. wo well-known Micmac guides—two of the most sue- ful guides to the inland fisheries in the province, p also passed away. One of them, Abram Toney, und dead on the road a few miles from Yarmouth evidently died of heart trouble; the other, iam Carty, disappeared from his home on the of the Great Pubnico Lake three months ago on an expedition attending to his traps. His was found floating in the lake a few days ago. Shelburne County, too, two young men in Clark’s , lobster fishermen, were drowned by the upset- f their boat. board of trade took an important step this th when they endorsed the action of the Halifax d of trade in asking that motor driven fishing els registered in the United States be allowed the privileges as sailing vessels under the Modus di. This privilege, it was pointed out, had been dd to American vessels on the British Columbia t and it was felt that the same privileges should extended to the vessels on the Atlantic coast. iy last letter there was a paragraph referring to ne curiosity which was on exhibition and which arousing much interest. Mr. E. Chesley Allen, ple of the South End School, who is a nature stu- of considerable ability has made an examination curiosity and he has made the following report : € marine curiosity exhibited last week in L. C. dner’s window was, in fact, a small managerie, enting at least three different forms of animal It consisted, however, of a cluster or colony of acles, differing from the common. small white cles of our shore by their larger size and by the sion of stalks for attaching themselves to rocks, ers or ships’ bottoms. These larger barnacles are commonly called ‘‘Ship- eles,’’ or ‘‘goose-barnacles,’’ from the’ fancied blance that the shells bear to eggs, and the still st er notion found in the old natural histories that young geese actually developed from them. “the complicated shell which surrounds each indiv- can be opened or closed at will, and when ed the fan-like feet of the creature within are ruded and by their waving motion keep a current ater setting into the mouth, carrying with it any | animals that may serve the barnacles for food. Covering part of the surface of this particular oup of barnacles was a species of sponge. This was t necessary to the colony, but was growing upon *m, as it might upon any other marine object. Again, down in a crevice of the colony were two creatures known as actiniats, ‘‘Sea-anemones,”’ ale rosecolored, and having dozens of arms or ten- es outstretched awaiting any tempting bit that came cir way, when the arms would close over it and draw into the mouth.”’ The exports for the month have been as follows: CANADIAN FISHERMAN ugh their engine stopping. The McGray brothers - 183 live lobsters 7,329 erates, fresh halibult 177 cases: mackerel 2 barrels, salmon 104 eases, periwinkles 9 barrels, ells 6 barrels, boneless fish 2,215 boxes, salt herring 23 barrels, fish clipping 6 barrels, pickled cod 13 cases, pickled fish 138 cases, canned lobster 470 cases, fish waste 222 barrels, boneless cod 926 boxes, finnen haddies 30 boxes, fish scraps 17 barrels, fish skins 5 barrels, salt cod 826 drums, fresh shad 1 barrel, fresh cod 1 case, scallops 19 half-barrels, fresh fish 74 cases, smelts 19 boxes, clams 14 barrels. To Porto Rico, 100 tierees and 157 drums dry salt cod; to Havana 275 drums do.; to England 2,959 eases canned lobster ; to France 15 cases do. ; to Denmark, 100 cases do. UNMARKETABLE FISH AS FOOD. In consequence of the partial closing of the North Sea to fishermen, says The Fishing News, we are con- fronted with the prospect of a fish famine in the near future. The far-reaching effects of such a famine are as difficult to forsee as they are disquieting to -con- template. Certainly a rich harvest of fish is obtained. from other British fishing grounds, but none of them compare in productivity-with the North Sea banks. In any case the price of fish is likely to increase greatly. Already it is well-nigh prohibitive to a large section of the community among whom it forms a staple article of diet. It may be opportune therefore to deal with some of the more neglected sources of food supplies off our coasts, as these may perforce have to be utilised soon. “ Dogfish Quite Palatable. “Tt is not generally appreciated (writes ‘‘Zoolo- gist’’ in ‘‘The Milford Gazette’’) that the flesh of the two common species of Dogfish (Syellium eanicula and catulus) is useful as food, with the possible ex ception of the liver. Among fishermen it is frequently esteemed above all other fish, and in parts of Devon- shire and Cornwall it is in some demand for the mak- ing of soup. In France and elsewhere there is much less prejudice against the use of dogfish as food. Many of the nearly related Rays and Skates also form nutritious and even palatable fare, and more use might be made of their flesh than heretofore. It is quite a mistaken idea to reject all but the smaller in- dividuals, because the moderately-sized fish are usually less tough than these. Rays should not be eaten when too fresh. Among the edible species we may enumer- ate Raja batis, the ‘‘True Skate,’’ the White Skate (also known as the May or Burnton Skate), Fuller’s Ray, the Thornback, the Spotted Ray, the Cuckoo or Sandy Ray, and sometimes the Whip or Eagle Ray. Some of these species are in great demand by the French and others, who purchase quantities of Eng: lish-caught fish for the Continental markets. The Rockings (Motella mustela and M. tricerrata), are smallish-shore-haunting fishes, distinguished by the possession of more or fewer barbules around the mouth. They are found in some abundance near rocky coasts. Rocklings were formerly in great demand for the tables of the wealthy, and when fresh they are reputed to be of exceedingly delicate flavor. Wolf Fish a Delicious Food. Some of the Blenniaae are of economic value. The large and ferocious Wolf-fish of our northern waters, which sometimes attains a length of 6 feet, is known to be a delicious food. Owing to the repulsive ap- pearance of the fish, however, its flesh is very general- ly rejected. The Gattoruginous Blenny has sometimes been prepared for human consumption. 184 The Greater Weaver (Trachinus draco) is consid- ered a dainty by those who have partaken of its flesh. This fish needs very careful handling on account of its venomous fin-ray. Some of the Wrasses (rock fishes) attain a consid- erable size, and when properly prepared their flesh forms a very appetising food. There is also much wholesome food material to be gathered between tide-marks with a minimum of labor. There limpets and winkles are to be found in abund- ance. The periwinkle (littorina littoret) is, m fact, al- ways in great demand among the poorer classes. It is suggested that the cockle and mussel industry of our shores might be controlled more efficiently and the distribution of these edible molluses effected with greater economy. Edible Crabs. Several of the commoner crabs are edible, but owing to mere unreasoned prejudice these are not utilised to any great extent. Such are the spider crab, the green or shore crab, and the fierce, hairy, red-eyed velvet fid- dler. The iast-named species’is the subject of special legislation in Guernsey, where it finds a ready market. The shore crab is consumed in large quantities by the thrifty Brezon fishermen. Gosee records having eaten cooked sea-anemones (Actinia) such as are found on every coast. His heroic example is not likely to be followed by the many. Among our native seaweeds are included many edible species. When prepared correctly they form palatable and nutritious foods. The most frequently consumed are the purple and green lavers. The Car- agheen moss is made into a jelly in some localities. The advent of the tripper to many of the West Coast towns and villages has led to the neglect, total or partial of the inshore fisheries. A very considerable amount of fresh fish might be obtained from such sources. This summer may witness a partial return of the fishermen to their old occupation, which should prove more lnecrative than heretofore. FISHERIES STATISTICS FOR MARCH, 1915. The month of March was generally bright but very windy on the Atlantie coast, and as a consequence fish- ing operations, where these were being carried on, were considerably interrupted. There was little or no fish- ing to the eastward of Halifax, except at the Port of Canso where the unusual sight was witnessed of quite large landings of haddock being made. months of February and March these landings, with the exception of a few hundredweights which were taken by line-boats, were made by a steam trawler which continued working all through the winter months. ; A heavy gale during the last days of the month de- stroyed much lobster gear and damaged several fishing boats on those parts of the coast where lobster fishing is proceeding. It is reported from Digby County that, owing to con- tinued windy weather during the month, the landings of vessels fell short of those for the same month last year; while on the other hand the total landings of lobsters during March this year shows an increase of 1,087 ewts. over that for March in the year before. Fishermen report a greater proportion of large lobs. ters in the catches this year. CANADIAN FISHERMAN During the’ June, 1915. Since the opening of the present lobster season on the — 15th of November last till the end of the month of — March, there were 7,824 cases packed, while the total — shipment in shell was 30,206 ewts. During the corres- ponding period in the preceding year there were 10,532 — cases packed and 24,305 ewts. shipped in shell. a The weather in British Columbia during March was — warm and favorable for the prosecution of the fisher- ies. It is worthy of note that the catch of herring landed it, British Columbia during the month und review was 58,000 ewts. greater than that landed ing March in the preceding year. One fisherman was lost from a Lunenburg vessel on the Atlantic banks, while two Halifax fishermen were drowned in the Prince Rubert District of British lumbia during the month. ; The catches in the following counties being co: ed to a few kinds, they have not been given in the u tabular form :— “ete Nova Scotia. Victoria County :—Cod, 1 ewt. landed, value © : Smelts, 1 ewt, landed, value $3. All used fresh. Value of all fish landed, $6. : re Inverness County :—Cod, 1,500 ewts. landed, $2,250; used fresh, 500 ewts., smoked, 500 ewts. H dock 6,000 ewts. landed, value $9,000; used fresh, 500 ewts.; smoked, 2,250 ewts. (These were ea during November, December, and January). Sme 250 ewts. landed, value $1,250; used fresh. Val een landed, $12,500. a ; umberland County :—Smelts, 11 ewts. landed, va- lue, $80; used fresh. . ai ie New Brunswick. St. John County :—Lobsters, 69 ewts. ea $964; shipped in shell. Cod, 90 ewts. lar $185; used fresh. Alewives, 725 ewts. lai ai $1,700; used fresh. Value of all fish landed, $2, Kent County :—Oysters, 400 brs. landed, value 600; used fresh. ei Prince Edward Island. Kings County :—Smelts, 110 ewts. landed, $550; used fresh. (Caught in February). No catch has been reported for Cape Breton, © ter, Pictou, Antigonish, Hants and Kings Coun’ S.; Albert, Westmorland, Northumberland, Gloucest and Restigouche Counties, N.B.; nor for the Provir of Quebee and Prince Edward Island. é ' . TRAWLER’S EXTRAORDINRY FATE. A German floating mine has wrecked the G steam trawler Uxbridge and injured three member the crew. The Uxbridge was fishing in the North | on Monday afternon, and the net was being haulec when it was discovered that a mine had become en- tangled in it. As the net reached the ship’s si he mine burst, with disastrous effect, the wheelhouse bridge, being wrecked and the trawler’s hull stove The chief engineer, who was on duty below, h legs badly injured, but managed to erawl to the All nine hands suffered from shock, but they suceeed- ed in launching their small boat and getting clear o the Uxbridge, which sank ten minutes after th. plosion. The Uxbridge was a steel built vessel tons register, owned by the Consolidated Steam ing Company, Ltd., Grimsby—Fishing News. we General Notes. Trade has been somewhat quieter than usual through- out British Columbia, mainly owing to short supplies on e hand, and on the,other smaller markets available. A recent visit to Seattle, Wash., seems to give one the impression that the much feared and talked about competition from Prince Rupert will not have to be taken into consideration for some time. The fact that _ American fish has to be shipped in bond from Canada into the U.S.A. and re-shipped back into Canada and duty paid thereon, means that the long rail haul from Prince Rupert to the border and back will not allow mueh of the American caught fish to be consumed in Canada. American buyers naturally do not encourage the arrival of American boats by sending buyers to Prince Rupert, for they have too much capital tied up in plants in Seattle. It therefore stands to reason that boats will not go to the northern British Colum- bia port unless buyers are at hand. I am informed that this past week two Seattle inde- ndent boats made the experiment of going to Prince ert, but that they found considerable difficulty in getting buyers. When they did get clear of their catch, I am told that they proceeded immediately to the nearest Alaskan port of Ketchikan, and there bought their ice and supplies. Let us hope that this is not a criterion, for this will not benefit Prince Ru- pert or Canada much. Still we cannot blame Seattle and American ports if they make a fight to retain their old established business. The preparations on Puget Sound exceed all other _ years as far as canned salmon is concerned. -Humps or _ Pinks are expected to ‘‘run’’ in very large quantities. CANADIAN FISHERMAN “ie WOW oe pny SSS ¥ wt f — f~+s I Zz —— = THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence. ) Canners are expecting to put up over a million and a quarter cases of these Pinks. When one takes into consideration the fact that a case contains 48 one- pound cans, a million and a quarter cases meang ‘a tremendous quantity of fish. Putting everything into large pack of barreled fish will be considerably eur- tailed, and consequently opening prices are very much higher than any former year. Out here in Western Canada we have not been fav- ored with many war contracts or orders contingent on such. Of course, we are very lacking in manufactures, and this seems to be the main cause. But we still eling to the opinion that there is an unlimited field for ean- ned salmon in these contracts, and that some should be given. We fail to see why other governments, and some of our Allies also, can use these goods to good advantage, and our own Governments cannot. We hope that as time goes on, the advantage will be seen of placing a can of salmon in the kit of every soldier. The soldiers themselves will appreciate such an action. The president of the British Columbia Manufacturers’ Association was on a mission to England to try to get some interest worked up in our products, but not neces- sarily only canned salmon. This gentleman was one of the victims of the sinking of the ‘‘ Lusitania.’’ A little excitement was occasioned in the trade by the rumors of a 200-ton order for salt codfish, which was supposed to be required. Very little definite in- formation can be obtained as to the source of the en- quiry, but we all hope for the good of the trade that there will be such an order placed shortly. Smoked Fish. A few herrings are now on the market again, so fresh 5S 5 SEINING SALMON 186 kippers are for sale. Finnan Haddie is still in good demand, and fetching good prices on account of short supplies. White Spring Salmon is on the market. This is used largely for kippering purposes. When our friends in the East get a good taste of kippered salmon, this branch of the industry will be a very large one. Pickled Fish. Owing to very large pack of Pink Salmon antici- pated on Puget Sound, a very small pack of pickled pinks is looked for. Alaska will not be able to offer much, as all the pinks offering there will be put into cans. Two years ago the opening price of pickel pinks was about $6.00 per barrel, and they sold as low as $5.00, losing money at this price. As a rule San Fran- cisco sets the price on pickled pinks, but this year no indications of the market price have yet come from her. The impression on Puget Sound is that the open- ing price will be about $7.50 per barrel, and in fact orders are being booked at this price. This looks to CANADIAN FISHERMAN June, 1915. ing. We all appreciate that much has been done to show fishermen how to pack right and what fish are wanted. But I think that many will agree with me that it is an almost impossibility to get indivual fisher- men to take the care and to produce the uniformity that is required. The money to be spent could be used to better advantage by having a form of subsidy. What form this would take would have to be decided upon after careful thought. But I think that a subsidy or some other encouragement to packing companies would fill the want. This would allow the fisherman to sell his fish to the packers and not have to pack himself in inferior packages. He would get probably more in the long run for his fish, and cash at that. Stations built at the most favorable points could be established as in Great Britain. In these days of rapid transport all over the coast, every fisherman, no matter how far he lives from centres, is able to deliver his fish fresh. I shall have something more to say on this head at a la- ter date, as such a movement seems to be the desire of many with the welfare of the industry at heart. A BUSY DAY AT A B. C. SALMON CANNERY. be about right. British Columbia has to get a little more for her pack, owing to the fact that her fish cost her more. This should be a good year for Pickled Herring all over Canada. The Pickled Fish Inspection Act is now in force, and together with the impossibility of getting the usual European goods, Canada ought to be able to get a hold on the American market. It seems to be a reproach to her, that the U. S. have had to go to Hu- rope for her herring and mackerel. The right goods are to be had if the right method of packing is fol- lowed out. But until the individuals cease to put up small seattered lots, the trade will never advance. We must stick to uniform packing as much as pos- sible, and be content to sell the fish to those who will take care to pack them properly. There are men com- petent to put up this style of fish all over Canada. It has been suggested that the Department at Ottawa in charge of the industry offer inducements to this pack- A certain quantity of mild cured has already been packed, and it is reported that a market for most of it has been found in New York. This method of curing will be on a very small seale for some seasons to come owing to the big user being Germany. Salmon. Spring salmon supplies have fallen off on the Fra- ser a little of late, and the prices are back to what they were a month ago. A few Bluebacks are still on the markets, and these seem to find a ready sale. They are a nice handy sized fish for a small family. It will be some weeks yet before salmon in any quantity will be on the markets. Express shipments to New York have fallen off owing to low prices being obtained there. New York is now getting carloads from the Co- lumbia river, and also fish is to be had on Puget Sound. The springs or chinooks seem to be a bit early on the Columbia river, and this has meant a short season for British Columbia to ship at a profit. June 1915. Halibut. About all the fish on the market seems to be coming from the northern collecting stations, the boats fishing t of Vancouver arriving with very small catches. dently halibut change their haunts, for the Seattle ats are reaping a very large harvest. The first two days of this week a million and a quarter pounds ar- i ved at Seattle. Prices kept up well, notwithstanding the large arrivals. Two Seattle boats took advantage _ of the new order that permits landing in British Co- lum bia. These vessels sold to local buyers about 200,- 000 Ibs. for shipment in bond to Eastern American : in ts. It seems that the American boats have discovered e new banks right off their own coast. One thing _ is certain, and that is of late Seattle boats seem to be _ able to fill up in a very short time. Other Fish. Supplies of cod, soles, bass, oolichans, ete., seem to be plentiful. One has noticed that oolichans are being smoked and packed like the eaplin of the Atlantic. _ Whilst I have not tasted the smoked oolichans, the ap- ip ce of the smoked article is very like that of ; ee smoked eaplin. I see by a recent British trade report that frozen lemon soles from Africa made a good impression in England. If these are marketable, now is the time get all the markets of the world can handle. We ve them in unlimited quantities and only wish that. could dispose of half of what get in our nets. Canned Salmon. Canned salmon is considered to be somewhat of a ble this season. This is from a buyer’s point of at least. Whilst the packers will open with a e that will pay them and hold on to this price, still me lots may be let go by small American packers that will affect the markets. A salmon packer usually ts his money back and considerably more. But a _ buyer no matter how careful he is and how experi- enced, is apt to be caught napping. Canned salmon from a large buyer’s point of view is an uncertain ar- tiele. The very uncertainty of the business is what makes it attractive. pet Price are about the same as usual, the quotations be. ; as follows :— Sockeye—Talls, 8.25; flats, 8.75; half-flats, 10.25. ‘Cohoes—Talls, 4.75; flats, 4.75; half-flats, 6.25. Pinks—Talls, 4.75; flats, 4.75; half-flats, 6.25. ‘Chums—Talls, 2.75; flats, 2.75. Wholesale Fish Prices—Vancouver, B. C. SMOKED FISH.—Finnan haddies, 15s and 30s, 10¢ 12e; fillets, lle; bloaters, 6c; kippers, 7c; salmon, le to 15e; halibut, 12¢; black cod, 12e. FROZEN FISH.—Steelheads, 7c; halibut, 6c; smelts, black cod, ete., 8e. FRESH FISH.—Salmon red springs, 9¢ to 12¢; white springs, 5c; halibut, 6¢ to 8¢; cod, 4¢; smelts 6c; Se es, 6c; whiting, 4c; skate, 3c; perch, 5c; rock cod, red cod, 4c; bass, 5¢; black cod, 6e. ICKLED FISH.—Acadia 12-2s and 24-2s, 14c; strips se; tablets, 14¢; Bluenose, 1s and 2s, 914; pilot, 8%4c; Nova Scotia turkey, 7c; Pacifie boneless, 8¢; acifie whole cod, 6e. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 187 SHELL FISH.—Crabs, $1.00 to $1.20 doz. ; shrimps, 12¢ to 16c; prawns, 20c; clams, 2c; shelled $1.25 gal.; Eastern oysters, $2.85 gal.; Olympia oysters, $3.25 gal. Government has decided that the California ‘‘sar- dine’’ is not a sardine, and has no right to take that name; that the fish is a ‘‘stolephorus,’’ but the defin- tion leaves one in doubt of its good faith. THE REAL CAUSE OF THE WAR. According to Mr. Hugh A. Green, of Saskatoon, the real cause of the war is embodied in the following ori- ginal verses, which are well worth passong on :— It’s fine to have a blowout from a dish that you can eat, It seems to make the comfort of home life more com- plete. To wake up in the morning with an appetite to. sate, And find some ‘‘Scoteh Cured Herrings’’ steaming on your plate. You’ll swear the shores to heaven are close to Aber- deen, And angels ship the dainty fare you bought from Hughie Green. It’s great in times of stringency to know that you can buy ‘ A dandy dish of wholesome fish that toast or broil or fry, All other stores may close their doors, you’ll never be bereft Whilst Hughie Green -frae Aberdeen has ‘‘Wee Me- Gregors’’ left, You save the cost of cooking, save trouble for the wife, And eat the very best of fare you ever had in life. This was the only reason why the Kaiser went to war, His chef prepared a high-toned dish he’d never had before, They tasted so delicious he scanned the menu ecard, Then with his mailed fist he hit the table good and hard, At last, he eried, I’ve found a cause, the finest ever seen, To get such fare I’ll war declare and capture Aberdeen. BOOK FOR ANGLERS. The Dominion Parks Branch, Ottawa, has recently issued a publication which is noteworthy on account of the attractive form in which it is printed and the interesting matter it contains. The ‘‘Classified Guide to Fish and Their Habitat, Rocky Mountains Park,”’ is written for the sportsman and naturalist rather than the scientist. It is a compilation of first-hand infor- mation for anglers by one who has fished in all the principal waters of the Park. It takes up each locality, describes the best means of reaching it, the different varieties of fish which can be secured, and the best bait to use. The game fish of the Rockies includes 5 species of trout, one of which—the Lake Minnewanka trout—has been known to run as high as 50 lbs. The Grayling, the Dolly Varden and the Cut Throat trout are found in many of the lakes and streams of the Park and a fish hatchery has recently been established at Banff for the purpose of re-stocking those which have become depleted. 188 CANADIAN FISHERMAN June, 1915. THE LOBSTER AND LOBSTER FISHERY REGULATIONS» The following bulletin has been issued by the De- partment :— ' As the time'is approaching when lobster fishing will be going on along the greater portion of the Coast, the Department takes this means to earnestly request the fishermen and canners to co-operate with it in af- fording the fishery reasonable protection by carrying on their operations in strict conformity with the regu- lations. Obviously, it is only when those engaged in the industry co-operate with the Department, that the best results can be achieved. The Department notes with satisfaction that every year the number of those who wish to have the regu- lations respected, is rapidly increasing. It has no doubt that those who still will undertake to fish or ean, illegally, do not stop to consider that in addition to breaking the law, and thus rendering themselves liable to the penalty involved, they are, to put it mild- ly, not only acting most unfairly and unjustly to their brother fishermen or canners, as the case may be, but they are seriously injuring their own future prospects and those of others engaged in the industry as well. It sometimes appears as if those engaged in different branches of the fishing industry, look upon the regu- lations as framed by unsympathetic minds merely to hamper and restrict their work and their earnings. Nothing could be farther from the fact. The guiding principle in framing all regulations, is to impose the least possible restriction upon those engaging in the industry, compatible with preventing depletion of the fishery. The existing Lobster Fishery Regulations were adopted only after the most careful consideration and investigation into the conditions and requirements of the fishery along the different portions of the Coast and it must be conceded that they do not impose great- er restriction on the fishery than its maintenance in a flourishing condition requires. The Department is, however, strongly of opinion that no one who has a clear understanding of the natural history of the lobster, and consequently, a knowledge of the care that is necessary to prevent the fishery from being depleted, will engage in illegal fishing or can- ning. It is, therefore, proposed to give in a brief, clear and non-technical way, a description of such history, and it is hoped that the newspapers circulating along the Coast will do their part in bringing such to the knowledge of those mainly interested. To start with, the lobster is not a fish in the ordinary sense of the word. Its spawning habits are quite dif- ferent. Unlike free-swimming fish, lobsters mate and the eggs are fertilized when, or rather, as they are ex- truded from the mother lobster, and they remain at- tached to her body, where they are kept properly aerat- ed by the motion of the swimmerets until they are hatched. Eggs are usually extruded during midsum- mer, and are so carried by the mother lobster for ten or eleven months. The mother lobster will, if left in the sea, hatch every hatchable egg, and under natural conditions where the chances are normal for the young lobster coming to maturity. If the eggs are removed by a fisherman and thrown back into the sea, even if they are near the time of hatching, they will perish for want of aeration. They will simply smother. Hence, the primary importance of fishermen carefully remov- ing from their traps any berried lobsters that may be taken by them and returning them uninjured to the water, unless they can be handed over to a lobster hatchery. It is now conceded by practically all those who have made a close study of the habits of the lobster, that spawning takes place only once in two years, so that only half the female lobsters will have eggs attach- ed in any one season. Hence, the number of eggs ex- — 4 truded in any year is small as compared with the number of lobsters in the sea. This emphasizes the urgent necessity for the liberation of all berried lobs- ters that the fishermen may find in their traps. The bigger the lobster, the greater the number of eggs it will produce. For instance, if an 8-ineh lob- ster will yield 5,000 eggs, a 10-inch lobster will yield 10,000 eggs and a 12 inch lobster 20,000 eggs, ete. Hence, the bigger the lobster,—and consequently the greater the temptation to the fishermen to retain it,— the greater is the importance for liberating it, if the future supply is to be kept up. ae Many seem to think that owing to the relatively large number of eggs that a lobster extrudes hatches there is no danger of sufficient young not be- ing hatched each year to keep up the supply, even if the berried lobsters that are taken in the traps are retained. This might be the case if it were not that the proportion of lobsters hatched that reach maturity _ is very small indeed. As the lobsters are hatched they become free-swim- ming larvae and ascend to the surface of the sea, about which they swim or are carried about by the tides and 4 currents for the first few weeks of their lives. this time, multitudes of them fall a prey to surface feed- ; Peat ee ee Us Be ing fish. Also, during this period the tiny lobster sheds its shell four or five times—each time becoming more like the adult lobster,—when it becomes a lobster- ling and goes to the bottom where it is exposed to few- er dangers, to take up the ordinary life and habits of the lobster. The process of shedding the shell so many — times in such a short period, is an exceedingly trying — one and comparatively few survive the experience. — It is estimated by those who have made a close study — of the matter, that not more than at the outside, two lobsters in ten thousand hatched reach the lobsterling stage. When this is realized, the absolute necessity for adequately protecting the berried lobster will be ap- — preciated, - A thorough scientific survey of the Canadian fishing | grounds on the Atlantic is being made this summer by Dr. Johan Hjort, Director of the Norwegian Fisher- ies, who is working under the auspices of the Cana- g dian Government. tigations from the Government steamer ‘‘ Thirty-three” and will experiment in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with — the drift net gear used largely by European fisher- : min in their work. There is no doubt whatever that — Dr. Hjorts’s report will be of great value to the fisher- — men and the fishing industry of this country. Dr. Hjort will conduct his inves- — CANADIAN FISHERMAN wll he 189 GREAT LAKES FISHERIES (Special Correspondence. ) _ The fishing has opened up on the lakes fully ten days earlier this year than last. This is always a good fea- ture, as it spreads out the production of trout, which is the feature on all the lakes, except Erie, and greatly assists the fishermen to market their catch. There is always a heavy run the first of the season, and this is no exception. As intimated in these columns nearly a year ago, there has been a decided cut in the prices paid fisher- men for trout by practically all the dealers. The big- gest cause contributing to this action was the fact that nearly every large dealer in lake trout was left with a large quantity of last year’s frozen trout on their hands, and the others who were so lucky as to clear up had to do so at a large loss. As things stand at pre- sent, the market for trout is in a much healthier condi- tion for all concerned with the exception of the pro- ducer. The whole trouble from the producer’s stand- point is that it costs too much to produce the fish and on the other hand the public are turning more and more to the consumption of cheaper fish which has naturally forced down the price of trout. Lake Erie has produced large quantities of white- _ fish, blue pickerel, perch and mixed fish. Much of this stock goes to United States points where it finds a ready market that will consume what they can pro- duce. Moreover, the American dealers pay high prices for this stock, as April is a very slack month in fresh lake fish and Lake Erie is the only one of the Great Lakes that caters successfully to this early demand. There was the usual heavy supply of suckers during April, and the violent fluctuations that take place on the prices for them. The greater part of these fish are used by the Jewish trade, and when stock is scarce they will pay high prices. Fishermen are paying very much higher at the pre- sent time for their gilling nets. Most of them of course are made in Scotland from Belgian or Russian flax, and the war has naturally interfered with the raw ma- terial. On the other hand, fishermen using cotton pond nets are buying at very reasonable prices. It is early yet to predict with any degree of cer- tainty what degree of success the lakes fishermen will have during the season, but given any luck they should do at least as well as a year ago. COD LIVER OIL SUPPLIES. A drug, says the ‘‘Lancet,’’ which is affected by the war in a curious way is cod liver oil; in ordinary times a good yield from the Norwegian fishing industry gen- erally means low prices, for the demand from year to year is much the same. Up to now, the present season’s fishing has undoubtedly been good, but the quotations have advanced rapidly since the beginning of the sea- son, until at the time of writing they are about double those quoted when the season commenced about two months or so ago. To some extent this advance is due partly to the inereased cost of freight and insurance, but the main cause is the excessive buying by the Germans on ac- count of the scarcity in Germany of industrial oils; TS TWO SEK Peo \AKE Trovt ALLEN G3 uh) A ag Oy oc’ * SASKATCHEWAN LAKE TROUT WEIGHING 44 LBS. SOME FISH! it is also suspected that the Germans may be using cod liver oil as a food, but for whatever purpose it is required the fact is established that enormous quan- tities of the oil are going to Germany, with the result that available supplies for the rest of the world’s re- quirements are substantially reduced and prie¢es high- er in consequence. 190 CANADIAN HALIBUT, AND HOW TO COOK IT. Canadians eat 10,000 tons of halibut every year. The total catch is about 12,000 tons and of this about 2,000 tons are shipped to the United States and to Great Britain. Most of the supply comes from the Pacific Coast. Nova Scotia fishermen catch almost all the quantity marketed in Eastern Canada. Fifty years ago only the fins of this fish were made use of, and the hali- but was considered a pest by the fishermen, on whose vocabulary it had the eloquent influence that the dog- fish exercises at the present time. To-day the halibut fishery is worth about one and one-half million dollars yearly to the Canadian fishermen. The value of the fish has, of course, in recent years been greatly en- hanced by means of improved facilities for transport- ing it to the inland centres of population. Halibut are shipped in a fresh state to all the towns and cities of Canada as well as to the United States. The halibut is found as a rule wherever the cod is met with. It is the largest of all the flat-fish, with a smooth brown upper surface and the under surface smooth and white. The fish attains a great size. Speci- mens have been caught weighing fully 500 pounds. The writer spent an afternoon with an old Nova Sco- tian fisherman who lives alone and prides himself on his ability to cook a halibut steak. ‘‘I often hear peo- ple say,’’ said he, as he reached for his frying pan, ‘that halibut is very dry and of small flavor. That shows all they know about it. I will cook you a steak, and let you judge for yourself.”’ He cut a couple of slices about an inch thick from a piece of a freshly caught halibut. Over the slices he sprinkled a little salt and pepper. The frying pan was FISHERMAN in the meantime on the fire, and a little butter was melting therein. He allowed the slices to fry in the butter for about twenty minutes, then rolled the steaks in flour and broiled them over a clear fire. The writer ate that halibut steak with enthusiasm, and so far as the toothsomeness of properly cooked halibut is concerned he is of the same mind with that old fisherman. In this issue we publish a condensed summary of the Otter Trawl Fishing investigation conducted by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. The subject is of vital interest to Canadian fishermen as the recommen- dations of the U. S. Bureau are likely to form the bas- is for any Canadian legislation in the matter. THE CANADIAN FISH & Wholesale Dealers, No order too large COLD STORAGE Capacity --7000. tons. LEECH LSSe SSeS S SALES ee eee FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT and CANNED FISH CORRESPONDENCE INVITED PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. “RUPERT” BRAND COLD STORAGE CO. LTD. Chicago, Ill, U. s A. G6 98 BG BE 86 GB G8 GF BE G8 GE Be G8 BE G8 G8 G6 OF Gd FR G8 G8 G8 GH Be Fe Bi Ge 8 Gi G8 Gb G8 Ge G8 Ge Ge Be Be Ge i i Packers and Shippers OF r & cs None too small = : BRANCHES x Vancoucuea & ancouver, B. * & ® i W. Irving Atwood, Prest. W. Elmer Atwood, Vice-Prest. WACHUSET BRANO = FINNAN HADD Dia ee ah. dea al 31 Boston Fish Pier N. D. Freeman, Treas. ALL VARIETIES Or THe - SEASON Boston, Mass. a ec q E PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS : & : P.C. PARKHURST j . Commission Dealer in - * & = Salt cates H ‘ AND 3 ® Pickled Canned ; : Office and Wharf : . : 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. : * Correspondence Solicited xe 7 ww a 0 EE EW Ba Be ao ee en ae ae ee a ee ae eee pe a a eS i ee ee ee ae eee ae ee oer 4 — Se er, aa =“ — se a Tae ASHES VRAD ap Oh NS ETS et NS. rN CANADIAN FISHERMAN 191 onooooooDoOoonoOOOoOooOoOoOOoOOOOOoOooKoOoOoOoOOoooKoOoooooooooooooOoOoOooEOOOS FISH & OYSTERS Long Distance Telephones : P.O. Box 1425 : bias LEONARD BROS. | | Fresh, ara ed Dried, Pickled 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, . and Prepared FISH in Season .° (Near Custom House) 000006 MONTREAL 8 OYSTERS A SPECIALTY ; 000000 9 Se St Soke, NR. Greed ives Qua. Geaps, Que.:: Weslpert, N.S. 3 COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES Ort ee ae. 8 eee £ - Pisroagh Dcissetlen: Malote Shipment.” t + + + + + + : F. J. HAYWARD - - FISH BROKER : ; QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL ; : PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only ; t WESTERN AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED + z ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., etc. * ; CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED ; + 912 DOMINION BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. + : = ; = = ” * BEACON BRAND DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE a e The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. = | . 6 = 2 CANADIAN FISHERMAN PEP aE PE bbb heh bebe bb bbb hb hE PEELE EEEEEEEEPEPE LEP E EE PE PEPE ESE FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA bbb bbb ht bb bbb bh bbb bbehb hh bbb hhh hhh hb bh bp hhh hhh hh Ph ohhh Phe E PEEP PEP EES EE PHS PEPE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EP EEE PEE EP EEE LEE EEE EEE EEE PEE EEE EEE PEEP EEE EEE SE EPR ER EOE ERE ae a Ee eee eae ee ge eee ege eg ge eee ege ara aaa a ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes a 3 d by PEPE Ee eEe ae ees OR eee ge eee MEP eee eye eee ge ge eae eee ge eae ge ge ge ge ego og ogee ee Sia Wy io oy ee Te ee LEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE ED THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Ince. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited PRES EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EP EE EEE EEE EP EES PEEEEEEEEEE EEE EE EE PEPE EEE EE EE PEEP EE EEE EEE PEPE EEE EP EEE EP EEE EEE PE t CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEL EEE EE EE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EES Vik. Cah 1 Every where in Canada Grade ‘ A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies | 3 * Gateway Brand Boneless Fish 4 CURED AND PACKED % ONLY BY Gateway Brand Threaded Fish Y FISH KI ask fi or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod F 8 GATEWA ' Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish 4 LIMITED E & | YARMOUTH, N.S. : 3 66 99 4 GATEWAY’”’ Brands of |Fish 3 oooooooooooooCoOooOoooOOOOOOOOOOROOOOOOOOOOeONOOOoooOOOoOOoOD e FSSSS 444555555 PRC CPST TT TTT FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTEXKS Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oyaters) ; 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. EERE EEE EERE EERE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE eee Vol. II. MONTREAL, JULY, 1915 No. 7 a fifi A ARAYVANRA VZINT CANADIAN: FISHERMAN iieee Se FOODS Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade = 3s oBe ale ake nat OE? Oe Es Oe OEP ene ee mr OEe OEP ee Ee ge eRe ote ge ege ope eae oye ee ee eye oye ee eae ge eee eke eee eae ae eg ge ee Ree eg eee ee ee ee ee ee ee Cie oe ; ; b b + . ; : H » 4 Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. * + e,° ® 8 : aritime IIs orporation : 3 + LIMITED ¢ = Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices a z DIGBY, N.S. \ THROUGHOUT mae t CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. § + i a z PEELE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EEEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE CANADIAN FISHERMAN 198 - BEOO OOS OORLOOS BOOS OO IIOOS Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is.the only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MINISTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FIOHERIES OF THE PROVINGE OF QUEBEG LOSS OON OOOO OOOO OOS OO SSO OOO GOS POOSOO OO OOY t 194 WOANADIAN FISHERMAN LOBSTER FISHERY FISHING SEASONS IN FORCE ON DECEMBER Ist, 1913 LIMITS Fishing Season Size St Journ aud Chanotte Cotinties, N-Be 5 6cc/sc os 15 ces oc cdot dace ss bee eekean ee wey eee Nov. 15 to June 15 | 42” carapace — ’ Albert County, N.B. and Kings and Annapolis Counties, N.S...........0000ceecceeces Jan. 15 to June 29 No size limit. SRRUY ROUND so C56 ae 0a Wao ee Nad EN UES Ware ed walbO pinld sities ons mae ee Jan. 6 to June 15 No size limit. Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, and that portion of Halifax County West of i line running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, Halifax Harbour, and coinciding with i i POWAY DUGIRS Wi ccc cl is vi bins oA ties Bad Le hooks VCE eae es nee Dec. 15 ‘to May 30 | No size limit From line in Halifax Harbour running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, and coincidin with Fairway buoys, eastwardly to Red Point, between Martin Point and Point) Michaud, Cape Breton Island and including the Gut of Canso, as far as a line passing from Flat Point, Inverness County to the Lighthouse in Antigonish County! c AB! DIME ois io sup bos Bae ee eK Ge coNE s oeeiels'v Up av Coe LOE das See OREO ENS Con eee April 1 to June 30 | No size limit From_Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, along the eastern coast on Cape Breton Island, around Cape North as far as Cape St. Lawrence; also the| north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from and including Blanc Sablon, west- y wardly to the head of tide, embracing the shores of the adjacent islands, including} an 5 ABGURt STR SN ess esis e ek ee a a LPN es Pe May Ist to July 31 | No size limic. The Magdalen Islands, including Bird Rocks and Bryon Island............ceeececeeece May Ist to July 20 | No size limit, Waters of Northumberland Strait, between a line on the N. W. drawn from Chockfish River, N.B., to West Pt., P.E.I., and a line on the S.E. drawn from Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., to Cape Traverse, P. Bin cevii ca os vena vere ae May 25 to Aug. 10 Popa tea te aheemer gi ne April 26 to July 10 | No size limi From, but not including, Cape St. Lawrence, Cape Breton Islands, south-westwardly to| Flat Point, Inverness County, and from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County op-| ite Flat Point, westwardly along the strait of Northumberland and coast of ova Scotia to Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., and northwardly from Chockfish River, N.B., embracing the coast and waters of a portion of Kent County) and of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche Counties, N.B., and the coast and waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River........ April 20 to July 10 The waters around P. E. Island except those specified in No. 8 Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. seat Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. Before lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of Marine and Fisheries is required. Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Departmen es they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the markets. Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements, copies of which may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. ' Peete titel ttt te) TH _ MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED COMMERCIAL FISHERIES NADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE ISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND _- VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - _F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR The Industrial & Educational Press, Limited 35-45 St. Alexander St. - Montreal caaet CANADA Toronto Offic - 44-46 Lombard St. E CANADIAN FISHERMAN SUBSCRIPTION: Canada and Great Britain $1.00 United States and Elsewhere... $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects of practical interest. If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association MONTREAL, JULY, 1915 Now e!:Z FISH FOR THE SOLDIERS. The Canadian Fisheries Association have taken up the matter of having fish listed as a permanent ration in the Military menu. Several of the Association Di- Tectors have made individual representations to the partment of Militia in this respect and concerted ac- _ tion has been taken by President Byrne and Vice-Pre- sident 8. Y. Wilson. In reply to Mr. Byrne, the Deputy Minister of the Naval Service wrote as follows :— _ “*T have your letter of the 26th ultimo, in which you solicit the assistance of this Department in making an effort to have fish embodied as part of the rations of the troops located in barracks and concentration camps. ‘his matter was taken up with the Department of Militia last winter, and on the 7th February ultimo the Department was advised that authority had been grant- ed for fish to be issued in lieu of beef or bacon, when requested by the officers commanding units. The De- partment has been endeavoring to have fish used as a _ staple article of diet by the Royal North West Mount- ed Police, and in the different penitentiaries. The Department is in full accord with the view of the Association that it would be in the interests of economy, and of the general health of the soldiers if fish in good condition were regularly served to them, and the matter is being further taken up with the Department of Militia. a Yours truly, (Signed) G. J. DESBARATS, Deputy Minister of the Naval Service.’’ The President of the Association acknowledged the Deputy Minister’s communication as follows :— June 9, 1915. G. J. Desbarats, Esq., Deputy Minister, Dept. of Naval Service, Ottawa, Ont. Dear Sir,—Acknowledging yours dated June 8th. I am pleased to learn that the question of having fish embodied in the regular rations for troops in training, as well as for the concentration camps, will have the active assistance of your department, also to learn that you are in full accord with our views in this connection. There would be no difficulty in procuring supplies of suitable fish at the various points where troops are now being trained in camp or in barracks and, as you are aware, fish would be an excellent substitute for high- priced meats, while at the same time having the ad- vantage of variety in the food supplied to our soldiers. The question of economy may well be put forward also, especially in connection with the concentration camps where large numbers of men are being fed at the ex- pense of the Government. An effort is being made to have an Order-in-Council passed whereby fish will be supplied to the troops every week, and we are now assured of active support from the Prime Minister in this connection, since Sir Robert Borden states that he is favorably impressed with the idea, Any assistance which your department ean lend in attaining the object in view will be appreciat- 196 ed, not only by our association, but also by those en- gaged in the fishing industry throughout Canada. Yours sincerely, (Signed) D. J. BYRNE, - President. The Vice-President, Mr. S. Y. Wilson, has made strong representations to the Nova Scotia Government and Premier Borden on behalf of the fishing industry, and we are able to state that it is the intention of Premier Borden to support a measure to have an Order- in-Council promulgated at the next Council whereby fish will be installed as a food item in the Militia Regu- lations. The Association has procured the prices at which fish of all kinds can be supplied the troops stationed at the various barracks and camps throughout Canada and this memorandum will be duly presented to the Government. The economy and value of a fish ration will be clearly illustrated, and the placing of fish upon the soldier’s menu will prove no inconsiderable bene- fit to the fishing industry of Canada. Pioneer work of this nature is necessarily tardy, but the Association will take up the numerous problems in- cidental to the fish trade, and keep plugging away at them until the desired end is accomplished. Like mod- ern warfare, we have to go slow and advance in inches and not in miles. IMPROVED FREIGHT SERVICE FROM MARITIME PROVINCES. Largely through the efforts of the newly-organized Canadian Fisheries Association, the Department of Fisheries at Ottawa have arranged with the Canadian Government Railways, the LC.R., to inaugurate and improve freight services, for the carrying of fresh fish from the Maritime Provinces to Montreal. We have been furnished the following information, by Mr. A. H. Brittain, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Canadian Fisheries Association :— A fast freight refrigerator car will leave Mulgrave Monday, Thursday and Saturday on train No. 25, ar- riving at Montreal, Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday of each week. Shipments from Halifax and other points leave at 1.20 a.m. on train No. 13, which will be consolidated at Truro with the through fast freight from Mulgrave. The cars which leave Monday and Thursday will be iced at shipping point and in transit, through an arrangement made by the Department of Fisheries with the I. C. R. To encourage the further development of this service shippers are requested to try and get shipments of at least 10,000 pounds, for these different days, but if the cars do not contain 10,000 pounds, they will be for- warded just the same, Special attention should be drawn to the fact, that the ear which leaves Saturday from Mulgrave, and the CANADIAN FISHERMAN connections from Halifax, will be shipped in a refrig- erator car when necessary, but the icing charges" on. these Saturday shipments will have to be taken eare of, either by the shipper or the consignee. The icing charges on L. C. L. shipments leaving Saturday will be 10 per cent of the freight rate, and if full carloads are sent forward, the icing charges will be at the r of $2.50 per ton.”’ It is however to be regretted, that those inte in the fish business have been unable to influence Intercolonial Railway to carry the express refri car, which was shipped last season on Saturday, tached to the passenger train reaching Montreal Sunday night. This service did a great deal to d the fresh fish business from the Maritime Pro but the authorities state, that the special tesight vice inaugurated should answer the purpose however believe that this express refrigerator vice should also be inaugurated, as it certainly a great deal to help the sale of Atlantic sea Ss the Province of Quebec, and particularly in vince of Ontario. | The Members of the Canadian Fisheries A are asked to co-operate with the Railway Ce to try and develop the service inaugurated a1 able us to apply to the railways for a daily se: when the business offers. CONSTRUCTION OF BARRELS FOR PAC Equal in importance to the quality of the quality of the package, and we would eal tion of packers and coopers to the requi Pickled Fish Inspection Act. Poor packing ill-coopered barrels have done more to give packed fish a bad name than anything else. in the shape of a barrel—whether it would pickle or not—seemed to many careless pa enough to pack fish. Those who purchased thes enly packed shipments became wise by expe! remembered Canadian packed fish to its d The Act will give us a chance to name. Let us start now with a clean ( up to the recommendations of the Act so adian packed fish will take its place in t markets with the first class products of § way and Sweden. requirements of the act with regard to b tion, we print them at length:— 1.—The staves and heading of every barrel barrel shall be composed of well seasoned close gr wood of good quality and capable of retaining 2.—In course of construction, every barrel and barrel shall be well fired so as to admit of the s being bent to the requisite extent, and the staves not be cracked, broken or patched. 3.—The staves of every barrel, when comp be not less than five-eighths of an inch, and the ling not less than three-fourths of an inch in thick- ; and the staves of every half-barrel when com- d, shall be not less than nine-sixteenths of an inch the heading not less than five-eighths of an inch eKness. —The staves of every barrel and half-barrel shall exceed five inches, and shall not be less than two s and one-half inch in breadth at the bilge. —The heads of barrels and half-barrels shall be posed of not less than three pieces and shall be ely fastened with either hardwood or iron dowels. heads shall be bevelled one-third outside and two- ls inside, and shall fit properly in a clean-cut croze, hth of an inch deep. | -The chimes shall be one inch in length from the to the croze. —Every barrel and half-barrel shall be hooped in ie of the three following ways, viz.:: ) entirely with wooden hoops; (b) partly with wooden hoops and partly with iron hoops; (e) entirely with iron hoops. Every barrel hooped entirely with wooden hoops be full-bound on both ends, that is, from the to the end. Every barrel hooped partly with wooden hoops partly with iron hoops shall have an iron hoop h end, two inches wide of wire gauge No. 16 if iron and No. 17 if of galvanized iron, and shall ot less than three good wooden hoops on each ‘Every barrel hooped entirely with iron hoops ve an iron hoop on each end as defined in Clause shall have two iron hoops black or galvanized on uarter, one and one-fourth inches wide of wire No. 18, and there shall be one and one-half inch- een the upper and lower quarter hoops on each -Every half-barrel hooped partly with wooden and partly with iron shall have an iron hoop on end one and one-half inches wide of wire gauge 17 if of black iron and No. 18 if of galvanized iron, shall have three good wooden hoops on each -Every half-barrel hooped entirely with iron shall have an iron hoop on each end as defined in ‘11, and shall have two iron hoops, black or gal- one inch wide of wire gauge No. 18 on each r, and there shall be one and one-quarter inches een the upper and lower hoops on each quarter. -Every barrel shall have a space of ten inches, every half-barrel a space of nine inches across bilge between the quarter hoops. -The wooden hoops on every barrel and half- el shall be of sound hardwood, and be not less | three-fourths of an inch for barrels, and _five- s of an inch for half-barrels in breadth at the CANADIAN FISHERMAN 197 small end; and each hoop shall be properly notched, perfectly fitted and firmly driven to its place. 15.—Every barrel and half-barrel shall be made per- fectly tight and before they leave the maker’s hands he shall bore a hole three-eighths of an inch in diameter, through the head of every barrel and half-barrel, and by blowing into them test their air-tightness. A half pint of weak pickle should be poured into every barrel and half-barrel before the head is put in, to assist in the detection of leaks. 16.—The staves of every barrel, intended to be filled with cured herring or alewives shall be twenty inches in diameter at the bilge, outside measurement, and be capable of containing not less than twenty-two gal- lons imperial measure. 17.—The staves of every half-barrel intended to be filled with cured herring or alewives shall be twenty- two inches in length, and the heads fourteen inches in diameter, i.e., a fourteen inch cut head; and every such half-barrel shall be 17 inches in diameter at the bilge, outside measurement; and be capable of conatining not less than eleven gallons imperial measure. 18.—The staves of every barrel, intended to be fill- ed with cured mackerel or salmon, shall be twenty-nine inches in length and the heads seventeen inches in di- ameter at the bilge, outside measurement, and be cap- able of containing not less than twenty-six gallons im- perial measure. 19.—The staves of every half-barrel intended to be filled with cured mackerel or salmon shall be twenty- four inches in length, and the heads fourteen inches in diameter, i.e., a fourteen-inch cut head; and every such half-barrel shall be eighteen inches in diameter at the bilge, outside measurement, and every such half- barrel shall be capable of containing not less than thirteen gallons imperial measure. 20.—The heads of every barrel and half-barrel shall be planed on the outside. 21.—On every barrel and half-barrel the name of the maker and the place of making shall be stamped in small but legible letters in the space between the upper quarter hoop and the end hoop, on quarter-hoop- ed barrels, and close to the lower hoop on full bound barrels. SPECIAL EDITION OF THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN. The September issue of the CANADIAN FISHER- MAN will be a special double number illustrative of the Fishing Industry of Canada. Numerous photo- graphs of fishing scenes and views of Canadian plants with biographical sketches of leading firms engaged in the Industry will be a feature of the edition and every effort will be made to make the special number a real souvenir of the vast fishery resources of the Dominion. We want to show the world just what we have and what we can do in this country when it comes to fish 198 and fishing, and we trust that the members of the trade will assist us in getting up a really creditable number and one which will be kept in the book-case for future reference. The special edition will be published while the Can- adian National Exhibition at Toronto is being held. At the Exhibition, there will be a notable Fisheries Exhibit on a seale larger than in previous years. The Executive Meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Associa- tion will probably be held in Toronto while the Ex- hibition is on and the month of September offers many opportunities for Fisheries publicity. Why not make it a ‘‘Fish Month’’? = KULTUR AND THE FISH TRADE The large consumption of fish in Germany is due to the doctrine of German ‘‘Kultur”’ according to ‘‘Sat- urday Night,’’ Toronto, which says: ‘‘The idea of Ger- man ‘‘kultur’’ has been to sweat the laborer, skilled or unskilled, to the last ounce of his endurance, and to feed him on the coarsest food as a reward for his ef- forts. In recognition of his virtues he has the honor of being kicked into the gutter by swaggering sergeants —perfecting their candidacy for the Iron Cross. When he craved for meat, there was always horseflesh if he had the money to pay for it, and in some parts of Ger- many the flesh of dogs. A highly educated German, from Hesse-Darmstadt, told the writer two years ago that if it was not for the cheapness of fish in Germany the working classes could not survive. We hear much of the German frugality. How could the German be other than frugal under such conditions?”’ TOLL OF THE SEA “‘Peace hath her horrors no less than War!’’ While Canada has lost many of her sons in the trenches of Flanders, yet the last few weeks have claimed an un- usual number of lives in the Canadian Atlantic fish- eries. In a heavy blow on May 27th, four men of the Lunen- burg fleet were drowned while fishing in the North Bay. They were caught out in their dories and it is presumed that they capsized in the heavy sea common to the locality in an easterly breeze. The lost men all belonged to Lunenburg County and the loss is keen- ly felt. In a summer gale in the Bay of Fundy during the saine period the fishing schooner ‘‘Elmer’’ of Port Wade, N.S., was caught on a lee shore off Parker’s Cove, N.S. The vessel started to drag her anchor and while abandoning the doomed eraft in a dory, four men were drowned while another had a narrow escape. About the same time, a fisherman belonging to the schooner ‘‘Lila Boutilier’’ of Digby, N.S., was drowned through the capsizing of a dory on the fishing grounds. Nine men from the Nova Scotia fleet within a few CANADIAN FISHERMAN July, 1915. days is a heavy toll and in the rural communities where the men hailed from, the accidents have had a depress- ing effect. The CANADIAN FISHERMAN extends its sympathy to the relatives of those who died while — prosecuting their vocation upon the waters. THE UNITED STATES TARIFF AND ‘‘BONELESS”’ CODFISH. A question has arisen across the border over whole salted codfish, which is in a green salted state, q split and with a portion of the backbone removed. : Numerous shipments of a similar nature have go from Canada in the past and have been admitted ix the United States free of duty under the terms of the Underwood Tariff, but latterly a shipment from Nova Scotia consigned to the large fish firm of Cunningham and Thompson, Gloucester, Mass., has been held up by the U.S. Customs and appraised by them as ‘‘boneless fish subject to a duty of 3-4 cents per pound. The signees paid the duty under protest and have ref the matter to the authorities at Washington. — It seems to us that the United States Customs peor are hair spliting in this case and seeking an exeuse to place a tariff upon a largely imported article. | body in the fish trade knows that this fish is not ‘ less’’ in the accepted sense of the term, nor is it as boneless fish. If such quibbling is to be fi up, the so-called ‘‘Free Fish’’ is liable to become t D1 an empty phrase. We are glad to note that the large fish interests Gloucester are taking the matter up with their Govern- ment and a ruling upon the question should be shortly. PISCATORIAL PARAGRAPHS. Captain Howard Anderson of Digby, N.S., and tain H. F. Robinson of Canso, N.S., were in Mi recently. ; * * * The Grimsby steam trawler Titania will ‘fish off Janadian coast this summer. ih Mr. W. M. Hodge, President of the Lockeport Cold Storage Co., Ltd., Lockeport, N.S., was in Montreal cently. Mr. H. B. Short of Digby has returned home after a pleasant trip to the Pacific coast, and the P. ma-Pacifie Exhibition. Vessels in search of herring cargoes at the Magdalen Islands report unsuecessful trips. The Gulf ice stayed — around the Islands so late that when it went out herring had all gone. The trawlers, however, m to secure their Magdalen baitings, though with aifti- culty, owing to abnormal ice conditions. , 1915. CANADIAN - The Pickled Fish Inspection Act is now in opera- tion. All fishermen and packers putting up their own _ fish should procure a copy of the Act, which can be had on applying to the Department of Naval Service, Ottawa. _ Mackerel, as we predicted some time ago, has struck - our coasts in great numbers this year. Let us again pass the word to the packers—‘‘Follow out the re- commendations of the Pickled Fish Inspection Act and - look to your barrels!”’ *. * . In this issue we reproduce an article from the Fore- east Magazine upon the New York Globe’s cheap fish ee While we do not altogether agree with all writer says upon the undue profits made by whole- salers and retailers, yet the article is sure to be of in- terest to those engaged in the Canadian fishing indus- ‘The Annual Convention of the Oyster Growers and a ers Association of North America was held in ashington on June 15th and 16th. Mr. D. J. Bryne, ident of the Canadian Fisheries Association, is a tor of the Oysters Growers Association and was resent at the Convention which is one of the biggest affairs of its kind in the fish world. _ Some big halibut trips have been landed by American halibuters coming out of the Gulf grounds. Uaptain Peter Dunsky in the ‘‘Teazer’’ landed in Gloucester on June 3rd with 60,000 fresh and 15,000 pounds of flitehed halibut. The price paid was 9 cents for white and 5 cents per pound for gray. The ‘‘Georgiana,”’ Capt. Gourlay Anderson, on June 6th, brought in a FISHERMAN 199 trip of 40,000 pounds of fresh halibut. Both vessels fished the Gulf and Anticosti.grounds The halibuter **Aloha’’ caught fire on June 4th off Ellis Bay, Anti- costi and was burned to the water’s edge. The crew made Ellis Bay and Gaspe in the dories. ‘Canadian halibuters at present in the Gulf are the Digby schoo- ers ‘‘Albert J. Lutz’’ and Dorothy M. Smart’’ and schooner ‘‘Kernwood.’’ It is reported that the ‘‘Smart’’ and ‘‘Lutz’’ have struck hard luck with bait and that the ‘‘Smart’’ had left for her home port without bait or fish of any kind. The ‘‘Lutz’’ was over on the Lab- rador looking for bait. Ice blockade at the Magdalens has been responsible for the scarcity. TRADE ENQUIRIES. Mr. Georges D’Antalis, Le Piree, Greece, desires to act as agent for Canadian firms handling sardines, libsters, crabs, salmon, tuna and every other kind of salted and preserved and conserved. Commission ac- cording to the custom of the market. Samples and con- ditois solicited. Correspondence in French and English. CANNED SALMON IN PERU. A certain amount of preserved fish is imported into Peru which includes canned salmon. The bulk of the salmon comes direct from the United States, but there is no reason why it should not also be supplied from British Columbian ports. The chief difficulty is that all the large importing houses have their agents in the United States, and have been accustomed for some years to follow along certain trade lines. The busi- ness can never be an important one for the reason that the bulk of the population in Peru is too poor to pur- chase any large quantity of canned salmon. 20 27 1915 JULY FISH DAY CALENDAR 1915 Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. Sat. ‘ a a 1 Zz 3 21 28 22 {123 29 |130 200 FISH, THE FISHERMAN, AND THE CONSUMER — IS THE PRICE PAID THE FISHERMAN UNREASONABLY LOW, AND THAT PAID BY THE CONSUMER UNREASONABLY HIGH? Address Delivered Before the Canadian Fisheries Association by CLARENCE JAMESON, | for Digby, Nova Scotia, and Chairman of the Marine and Fisheries Committee of the House of Commons. Mr. President and Gentlemen: During the late session of Parliament I placed on the order paper the following resolution which, owing to the exigencies of the business before the House, was not reached: ‘‘Whereas, fish is a highly nutritious and palatable article of food, of which abundant supplies are con- tinually available at low prices at the sea coast and inland waters of Canada; and, Whereas, in order that an increased demand for fish might be speedily de- veloped in the interior markets of the country by hay- ing the same placed thereon in prime condition and at moderate prices, the Government has been and is assisting the industry, under certain conditions, by pay- ing a portion of the express charges, and providing more adequate transportation facilities ; notwithstand- ing which, the prices at which fish can be purchased in such interior markets seems unreasonably high, as compared with those received by the producer, which condition is militating against the ends in view. ‘“‘Therefore, be it resolved, That in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that an inquiry should be made to determine if possible the cause or causes of the great discrepancy between the price of fish at the places of production and that charged on the interior markets. ‘* And it is further resolved, That this resolution be yeferred to the Committee on Marine and Fisheries with instructions to consider the subject matter there- of and make such inquiry.’’ Had the subject come up for discussion, a number of members from different parts of Canada were pre- pared to participate in the debate, and my opinion is that the discussion and any subsequent inquiry by the Marine and Fisheries Committee, would have been pro- ductive of good results. The press of Canada has evinced an interest in the subject which is most encouraging. With the great assistance which it can lend by fair discussion of the problems involved. TI believe that much can be ac- complished towards overcoming, in time, the obstacles which stand in the way of affording the people of Can- ada a constant supply of fish, in prime condition, and at fair prices, stimulating thereby, at the same time, the industry in all its branches. Tt will, I think, be admitted that in computing the annual value of the food products of Canada, too lit- tle importance, from a national and economic stand- point has, heretofore, been attached to the harvest won by our fishermen from lake and sea. A quarter of a century ago this was valued at less than eighteen millions of dollars, while last year it totalled over thirty-three millions. Of this, about 50 per cent was consumed in Canada in 1914, either in a fresh state or lightly eured. Some two and a half million dollars worth of fish and fish products were imported, oysters representing a sub- stantial part, while our fish as exported was valued at $20,698,849. CANADIAN FISHERMAN zi daly, 5 Table 1. Let me give the value of the fisheries of the ent provinces of the Dominion for the year 1913- Sea Fish Green State. Nova Scotia . New Brunswick :— Sea Fisheries. Green State. Marketed. $2,945,577 $4,266,759 Tnland T’ Marketed. Prince Edward Island . Quebee :— Sea Fisheries. Green State. Marketed. $1,190,492 $1,736,581 Ontario... oi ise ee ee Manitoba . Saskatchewan . Albertesicncccs Yukon Territory. Sea Fis at Green State. British Columbia .. . $9,647,348 _ Total marketed value Canadian Fisheries. Table 2. The amount invested in fisheries in 1914 sions: was— } Atlantic Division (consisting of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Gulf Division of Quebee).. Inland Division (consisting of Inland Que- bee, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Yukon) . ao Pacifie Division n (Consisting of British Co- lumbia) . be Reese Table 3, The number of persons employed in the fis’ in 1914, was :— ee In Fish-h Fishermen. Freezers, Atlantie Division .. .. 49,769 17 179. Inland Division .. 10, 691 323 Pacifie Division. .. 11,316 aoe. 1915. number of fishermen . = 71,776 number in fish-houses .. .. 26,893 g and preparing fish for market.. .. .. 98,669 The fish marketed from the Atlantic Division, con- principally of cod, halibut, cusk, pollock, herring, erel, sardines, smelts and haddock, from which er the standard finnan haddies are produced. To should be added lobsters, which are chiefly tinned, shipped fresh to the American market, where the nand is fairly regular, and to which from certain icts the means of transportation assures quick de- ry, which is imperative. e fish marketed from the Pacifie Division consist y of salmon and halibut, while the Inland waters whitefish, trout, pickerel, bass and pike. Food fishes caught by the Canadian fishermen con- te a nutritious and palatable article of food. landers. ‘‘Tars,’’ ‘‘Doaters,’’ and ‘‘Gunwails,’’ and many others breed upon the rocks in summer, and may be called natives; but these make but little part of the fishery; our dependence rests upon ‘‘Harps’’ and ‘‘Bedlamers,’’ which are driven by ice from the north- east seas. The Harp in its prime will yield from ten to sixteen gallons of oil, and the Bedlamer, from three — to seven. The entire catch at Bonavista may be es- timated at ten thousand, two thirds of which are Harps. The Harps yield thirty shillings each, and the Bedlamers, seven shillings and sixpence. The Tars, Doaters and Gurwails mentioned in this report, are simply varieties of the ‘‘phoca vitulina,’’ sea-calf, or Harbor Seal; the Bedlamers are, presum- ably, Hoods. A net fishery is still carried by fishermen in the Modern Steel Sealing Steamer. twine are required to make a net, and each net is about forty fathoms in length, and nearly three in depth. Four or five men constitute a crew to attend about twenty nets, but in brisk sealing, the number of nets will require a double crew, in separate boats. The seals bolt into the nets while ranging at the bottom in quest of food, which makes it necessary to keep the nets to the ground, where they are made to stand on their legs, as the phrase is, by means of cork fastened at equal distances along the head-ropes. The net is extended at the bottom by a mooring and killock fixed to each end, and it is frequently placed in forty fath- oms of water. To each end of the head-rope is fixed a pole standing erect in the water to guide the sealer to his net, and when these poles are torn away by the ice, they are directed by land-marks, and find their nets with creepers. On the Labrador coast, the seal fishery begins about the beginning of November and lasts till Christmas. The seals upon this coast are of many species; and they are classed by names known only to Newfound- ‘‘Florizel’’ in the Ice. Straits of Belle Isle; but is somewhat different from the method described in the above excerpt. Robinson | (‘‘Iee-Riding Pinnipeds’’) has an interesting para-_ graph which discusses this fishery, which is worth re- producing :— a ‘‘When the Breton fishermen came here (Straits of Belle Isle) they were surprised to find — the young seals minutely examining everything on the — surface and below the water; they found that they had an ear for music, and would rise to a whistle, so they called them ‘‘badiner de la mer’’ (‘‘sea sports’’). It was a fatal curiosity that incited these fishermen to contrive something, not only to amuse, but to entra the simple ‘‘phoque’’ (seal). This oblong network — box, moored to the bottom, is supported on the sur- face by four small casks and five or seven bladders; it~ has no cover; but the network door at the end, stretch- ed on a wooden frame, is connected to the shore by a long rope led to a capstan, so that the door can be closed as soon as the seals are inside. It requires skill - and constant watching, but large numbers of seals used — lantie coastline from Labrador to Cape Hatteras. ‘July, 1916. to be taken in the seal net. The Harp seal generally becomes dazed by his awkward position, and is usual- ly ‘‘meshed”’ in his endeavors to extricate himself be- _ low. The Hood seal, however, is not so easily caught, and often jumps the head- -rope, and so escapes. . . In 1763 the English, Irish, and the Jerseymen sueceed- ed the French, and adopted the seal-nets and the ideas of the seal, and also a portion of his language, for _ they curtailed his pet expression into a ‘‘bad-la-mer,”’ and the natural transition to ‘‘Bedlamer’’ quickly fol- lowed. . This is the present name for a young seal until its fifth year.’’ With all due deference to Commander Robinson’s poetic explanation of the word ‘‘bedlamer,’’ I think the word is actually derived from ‘‘bete-de-la-mer’’ and those who are conversant with French expressive- ness know the multitudinous application of ‘‘bete’’. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 215 five to seven feet in length, with an indigo blue back, fading into grey, and a white belly. The face is dark grey, with a near black muzzle and long whiskers. The eyes are liquid brown and very beautiful. The nails of the claws are a neutral tint with a blue shade. They produce an immature ‘‘white coat’’ towards the end of February, or early in March, which changes its coat on the ice, in about twenty-five days, to pearl grey with brown spots, when it takes to the water. The young Harps continue to be spotted until they are five years old, when the grey assumes the deep blue color seen in the “‘prime’’? Harp. The Scotch sealers called them ‘‘saddle-backs.’’ The ‘‘pup”’ of the Harp weighs from 7 to 9 pounds, and measures from 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches, It has a small V shaped slit on the tip of its tongue. It is quite helpless, and often drowns. It remains for 12 or 14 days in the position Crews Dragging Seal Pelts to the Ships. We have really little accurate scientific knowledge of the natural history of the seals which are found in northern waters; our information is largely deductive. The following data have been derived from the experi- ences of sealing captains who have observed the habits of the seals for many years. The Square Flippers float down the Labrador coast _in pairs, or singly; they are not gregarious. They pro- duce one cub at a birth, in June. They have little commercial value, as the skin is too thick, and the oil is not so good as that of the Harp or Hood. The Common, or Harbor Seals aré ubiquitous, but not mi- _ gratory, and frequent the bays and arms of the At- They produce their young in quiet nooks, generally upon flat, smooth rocks, or shingle- beaches up the brooks. : They often produce two at a birth, which are marked in golden buff and brown a few hours after they are ‘*‘pupped.’’ Occasionally, they are found on the ice _ with the breeding Harps, but nearly always alone. The Harps are the most highly prized members of the great ‘‘phocidae’’ family. They measure from in which it was born, and increases in weight from 114 to 3 pounds daily. ““The solicitude of the mother seal’’ (writes Mr. Eng- lish, editor of the ‘‘ Mail and Advoeate,’’ who has made an exhaustive study of local marine life) ‘‘for her helpless little one is very touching. I have noticed mothers coaxing the little pups away by every possible maternal wile,—first with an apprehensive look to- wards the approaching steamer, then with a yearning, anxious glance at her baby, she would come near and put her muzzle gently to that of her young one, who would extend her nose to receive the fond mother’s caress. Just for a moment would their noses meet, only long enough for the mother to give her little one assurance of her care. Then she would move away a few yards, and turning, she would go back to the struggling youngster, if it was not following. If she found it floundering on, she would just wait awhile for it to come closer. The young seal is like an infant learning to walk, and soon tires. When too tired to go forward, it will stop and roll over on its back to rest. Then the mother returns to dally beside her pup, every 216 now and then rearing up to gaze anxiously at the com- ing terror—the sealing steamer. Hoods are somewhat larger than Harps, and have different characteristics. They pup about the same time as the latter; but the young Hood is grey, cover- ed with blotches. They are wilder and fiercer than Harps, which may be said to be gentle, and even affec- tionate in captivity. Young Hoods come into the world fitted for life’s struggle, but requiring growth and seasoning; yet, in all probability, they are cap- able of taking to the water shortly after birth. At least in a well authenticated case, the mother snatched up the infant, born only a few hours, in her paws, and plunged into the water. Yet they usually remain on the ice from twenty to twenty-six days. The seal fishery in vessels began somewhere about the year 1803; and in 1804, 70,000 seals were captured. In 1815 the seal fishery had passed the hundred thous- and mark, and in 1820 it had a harvest of more than 215,000. During the next quarter of a century the sealing industry assumed immense proportions, and ship-building became an institution throughout New- foundland. In 1857 there were 400 sailing vessels, of from 70 to 200 tons, engaged in the seal fishery; their crews numbering 13,000 men. The annual average va- lue of the fishery at this period approximated $1,250,- 000. In those days, Twillingate, Fogo, Greenspond, Trinity, Hants Harbor, Carbonear, Harbor Grace, and Brigus were great centres of the sealing industry. Steam vessels were first employed in the seul fishery in 1863; and with their introduction, came a decline in the number of men employed. At the present time there are no sailing vessels engaged in the fishery, and wooden sealing steamers have given place to steel ships of great power and large tonnage, one of them, the ‘‘Stephano,’’ being over 3,000 tons register. In former days (during the boyhood of the writer) getting a ‘‘berth’’ or signing for the seal fishery (call- ed ‘‘swilin’ ’’ in local vernacular) was one of the great annual events, and the day set apart for this important ,unction was December 26th—St. Stephen’s Day. Hundreds of fishermen might then be seen lounging around the premises of the local skippers looking for a berth. At signing time each man received what was known as the ‘“‘crop’’—an advance of goods to the va- lue of twelve dollars, consisting of a pair of skin boots, tobacco, small stores, and occasionally a bot- tle of rosy liquid (the last-mentioned was carefully stowed away for emergencies during the voyage to the ice-fields) . Towards the end of February, the sealers poured into the shipping ports, behind them on small improvis- sed sleds their clothing and fishing accessories. Then there was a busy scene as the vessels (Schooners known as ‘‘Beaver Hats,’’ and Brigs, and Brigantines) were being made ready for the quest. On March 1, the fleet began to move; then quiet reigned in town till the home-coming. But ‘‘tempora mutantur,’’ such things are no longer existent, and the departure of the steel sealing fleet is as prosaic as a Quaker’s funeral. Steel ships now leave port on March 13th, with an equipment of 270 men (the number is settled by the owners), and the experiences of the voyage are in- fluenced by the ever-shifting condition of the ice-floe and direction of the winds. The aim of the captains is to reach the ‘‘whelping grounds’’ of the Harp, while they are still in their oleaginous babyhood. The posi tion of the seals is uncertain, being dependent on the movements of the ice during the months of January CANADIAN FISHERMAN July, 1915. and February. If the ships are lucky they ‘‘strike’’ the seals within a few days after leaving port; and a load may be secured within ten days. But, should they fail to find the ‘‘pateh,’’ they return (as they did some weeks ago’ ‘‘clean.’’ This year will go down in his- tory as the worst sealing voyage within memory, the total catch being under 40,000 pelts. When the ship enters the patch, excitement among — the crew grows intense. Soon the work of destruction — begins: The seal is killed by a blow on the head from a gaff, and ‘‘scupped’’ (this means the removal of the pelt from the carcass, which is left on the ice). When — the sealer has secured a ‘‘tow’’ (four to six pelts) he — hauls them to the ship, should she be close by, but — ‘“‘pans’’ them if she is distant. When the panning is — completed, the ship picks up the pans, and if the num- ber panned is sufficient for a load, she bears up for the home port, as soon as the pelts are stowed away. On a arrival at St. John’s or Harbor Grace (now the only manufacturing centres), the pelts are ‘‘discharged,”’? — and the skinners remove the pelt from the fat by means of large knives. The fat is then transferred to grinders, whence it passes into huge tanks and there converted into oil. The skins are salted and kept in bulk till sold. Formerly sealers received one-half the | catch as their share of the voyage, but nowadays they receive but one-third. a Notwithstanding the risky nature of the seal fishery, — casualties are comparatively rare. The greatest seal- ing tragedies in our annuals occurred in 1914; and the year will be ever memorable as the ‘‘Spring of Disas- _ 3 ters.’’ During the season, 119 of the crew of the es ‘‘Newfoundland,’’ commanded by Captain Westbury : = erp: Kean, were caught out in a blizzard on Mareh 31, and April 1, and 77 of them were frozen to death. On April 4, the ‘‘Bellaventure,’’ Captain Randall, arrived in port with 69 frozen bodies, the other eight were not recovered. The ‘‘Southern Cross,’’ Captain George Clarke, returning from the Gulf, with about 18,000 seals on board, is supposed to have gone down in the vicinity of Cape Pine on March 31, with her entire crew of 173 men. Not a vestige of wrekage was dis- covered. oO The outlook for the seal fishery in Newfoundland is _ by no means roseate ; and the seal, like the whale, seems _ doomed to extermination. A local writer opines that “‘the disappearance of the seal from the ice-floes and _ waters of Newfoundland is only a matter of time. _ Possibly the middle of the present century will witness the end of it.” Whilst we do not share the pessimis- tic opinions of the writer, we are forced to admit that’ = naa is a gloomy outlook for one of our greatest in- | ustries. ee FISHING IN GALILEE (From Seribner’s Magazine.) Most of the fish that abound in the sea of Galilee nowadays, as they did 2000 years ago, are a species of bream and chub. A canning factory, I am told, is now _ in process of erection on the shore not far from Caper- naum. These fish were formerly taken almost wholly in nets, though fishhooks seem to have been known _ and used more or less throughout the East from very early times. Wilkinson tell us that angling was a fay- orite pursuit of the wealthy in Egypt as well as the poor who could not afford a net. Something like our modern wires were also in vogue, but in Gennesaret they were expressly forbidden by law, in Bible times. _ Fly fishing was unknown until a comparatively re- cent period. E n “ff if i} ai R= _ The most welcome news has arrived in Vancouver that the Canadian Fisheries Association is interest- itself in getting an order-in-council passed that will allow fish to be placed on the army food list. If successful, the efforts of the Association will be more n appreciated both by those interested in the fish- ing industry and also by the soldiers in the training ~ camps. _ The West has felt the effects of the war far more an the East. Eastern Canada with its huge war con- acts is able to employ many men who would other- wise be out of work owing to their former employers haying to curtail. But out here considerable curtail- ng has had to be done unfortunately. Our laboring depend on railway construction, street improve- ments, lumbering camps, etc. In new countries there is always a vast amount of initial work such as rail- ‘ay construction, and when this ceases before the country is populated and its industries started on a large enough seale to take care of the population, the ‘shutting down as is now required works a very great hardship all around. Many fishermen have drifted out to British Columbia y to find that her fisheries are spasmodic. During *‘runs’’ of the salmon there is plenty of work. The other great branch of the industry, the Halibut fish- eries, is necessarily a deep water operation and as such confined to large boats, and so is out of the reach the shore fisherman. British Columbia’s waters swarm with other fish, commonly called ‘ small fish’, such as herring, smelts, soles, ete. But the market for ' uch encouragement to follow these ‘small fish’’. P acain, the rice arrived fisherman found that with the building up of a new country, he can make more money at other trades. The Canadian and Newfound- land fisherman is essentially a‘handy man,’ so that big wages offered in building and such trades, drew him away from his original occupation. Real estate with its tempting opportunities also spread its lure over the fisherman. But now that he finds owing to onomic conditions, that he has to fall back on his old -ealling, he finds that his field is very limited. If the Canadian Fisheries Association is successful in its endeavours, such men as these will benefit greatly —take for instance the Camp at Vernon, B. C. There ‘are some thousands of troops in training there. Give ‘these men at Vernon fish (and many have stated that ‘they would appreciate a change of diet) and it would mean that a good many tons of fish will be utilized. 1 am not going into the matter whether fish is of i ficient nourishment to work men on. This has been covered often enough. But we all know what the Jap- -_anese nation did in their last war with Russia. The sole CANADIAN FISHERMAN THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) ese at present is so limited that the fisherman has: 27 diet of the troops consisted of fish and rice. It will also not be out of the way to point out the stamina and lasting powers of the Newfoundland fishermen who spends the summer on the Labrador. Fish forms a very great part of his diet. It has also been pointed out that fish will be difficult to feed to troops on the firing line. This is granted; but each man has a certain time behind the lines at the base. The digestive or- gans require a rest as well as the other part of the body. What is better than fish to rest the stomach on and at the same time keep up the stamina? There are others than the troops who would ap- preciate fish as a change of diet. I refer to the in- terned citizens of those nations with whom we are at war. We do not want to pamper these men at all, for they are being treated so well that their former rulers consider us foolish for so doing. What we want to do is to help the fishing industry of Canada. These for- eigners are the main users of smoked and salted fish. Many of them will take this article of food in pre- ference to meat. This then seems to me to be an out- let for our fish. When the sea offers us fish in such quantities that we are not able to take care of for fresh purposes, we would be enabled to use the sur- plus for the feeding of these interned prisoners. The labour and preparing of this smoked and salted fish would give work to many who now need it. In war times every expenditure whether it be by government or by private citizen, has to be seriously considered. Meat is one of the most expensive items of food these days. If we have at hand an unlimited substitute for meat, and this substitute besides being of great stamina giving powers, is also on the average half the price of meat, surely if money may be saved this way it ought to be saved. It is a well known fact that a great part of the meat supply of Canada is imported from foreign countries. A nation that utilizes as much as possible of her own re- sources is always wealthier than the one that imports produets to the neglect of her own. Canada has no need to import fish of any description. Let us all hope that the Association will have the success it deserves for taking this matter right to head quarters. Let us also hope that the concession asked for will be granted without delay. GENERAL NOTES. HALIBUT—Supplies coming into Vancouver are still more or less limited to coastal shipments. Seattle boats are finding a market here owing to the new order- in-council allowing the landing of fish in Canada. But this fish has to be landed in bond and to be shipped in bond into the United States again. This and the fact 218 that-the other boats trading from Vancouver are Amer- ican owned and so subject to the same rules, makes Hali- but an article none too plentiful. Puget Sound boat owners and packers | were very much upset when first it appeared that Prince Rupert was allowed to handle American fish. But a ‘Joker’ appeared that they were not counting on. It is all very well to be able to land one’s fish, but a buyer is a very necessary adjunct to the completion of the transaction. Buyers are very scarce in British Col- umbia who are in a position to buy a trip of Halibut and export it ‘in toto’. If the order-in-council allowed the fish to be landed and duty paid right off, it would be a different matter. Seattle and the Puget Sound centres would have then something to fear indeed, for the extra duty paid would make up for the time saved in going into Puget Sound. ‘This year the fish seems to be found considerably to the South of the usual summer banks. Trips have been landed caught almost within sight of the Columbia river, which forms the boundary between Oregon and Washington. It is also reported that Ketchikan in Alaska, the nearest American port to Prince Rupert has applied to the Grand Trunk Pacific for terminal rates. They may or may not get this concession, The chances are that they will not, for the railway has too much in- terest in Prince Rupert to allow this. It would mean that where she gained by getting freight that now goes by the American lines from Seattle, she would lose by not getting the vessels to call at Prince Rupert which is greatly to the interest of all connected with Prince Rupert. SALMON—Bluebacks are still offering in fair quan- tities, and the run has lasted considerably longer than other years. Springs are a little cheaper, but will not be any more so as the canners are reported to be paying as much as seven cents per pound for these fish. Many reports have appeared in various papers stat- ing that Great Britain is a good market for frozen salmon. Of late there have been many enquiries, but at the prices offered, the fish would have to sell f. o. b. the coast for about three cents a pound to allow any profit. The cost of transportation is too excessive these days. In time it is expected that England will get away with more and more frozen fish. At present when one buys salmon in that country, one looks to pay a big price. Customers there have the idea that sal- mon is a luxury, and so it was at about fifty cents per pound. Once that they are educated to the fact that good frozen British Columbia salmon may be had for about seventeen cents per pound, and once that the old prejudice against cold storage goods is safely com- batted, then the trade will be a large one. CODFISH—The ban was placed lately on the much discussed trick of the Japanese fishermen of keeping cod in pens at the wharf if the market was overloaded and prices low. When prices bettered, they sold the fish as live cod. Some of this fish was kept in small pens and in water not of the cleanest for almost a week. The consequence was that the fish deteriorated and without means of getting their proper food, lost weight. It was also a question of sanitation. Starved fish is not healthy by any means. This ban will also tend to break up a so-called ‘eod-fish trust’, said to be worked amongst the Japanese fishermen and controll- ed by means of these pens. It is reported that a man well known in the sealing and whaling business in Victoria, proposes to go into CANADIAN FISHERMAN the Berhing Sea codfish business. A company is stated to have been formed with a capital of $100,- 060.00 and vessels will be purchased, which were for- merly used in the fur-seal trade, now prohibited. There are still large stocks of last year’s fish held by the American companies on the Pacific. When first the war broke out Atlantic packers sold to mar kets that the Pacific packers always relied upon. It was — a case of getting in out of the wet. As reports now go, it looks as if the Atlantic packers lost considerably by getting ‘cold feet’. Atlantic cod is reported to be fetching record prices. Fa HERRING—Herring are showing up nicely around Point Grey. On other parts of the coast they have not been so plentiful. On the Queen Charlotte Islands the fishery was a practical blank, and a company tha set up a camp for the packing of dry salt herring fo China, had to shut down. : With conditions as they are in Europe, many are under the impression that herring will be at a premium — —One hears of all sorts of packs under way by people who think that they know all about the trade. Whilst the American buyers will probably be in the market for a considerable quantity, still we have to give them the packs that their market wants. They utterly refuse to even look at the goods that usually are offered them. This is where there is liable to be trouble. One man will take pains to put up good stuff properly cured, whilst another will take no trouble at all to follo out instructions laid down by the Pickled Fish Inspee- tion Act. These are the sorts of things that prohibit expansion of trade. i SMALL FISH—On the Coast we class such fish as seles, smelts, perch, skate and such like as ‘‘small fish,” There are always good supplies of these offering on « markets, but the trade is somewhat limited, so pri hardly vary at all. Smelts are still around, but they are smaller than the Atlantic species. (ate CANNED SALMON—As stated before, canners are paying good prices for springs and so far this is about all that has been packed. The American packers on Columbia have shipped a few ears of fish that corres- ponds to this grade. Buyers from England have about placed their orders for the coming pack at firm prices, and all that is doing at present consists of small se tered lots. The carry-over will be small, some lines being about cleaned out, especially Cohoes. The war is making no great difference in prices for they are holding firm and the prospects are that they will stif fen somewhat. Several buying orders are in the hands of local brokers, but these sales will not be consumat- ed until prices are announced by packers about the middle of August. : Prices quoted by packers: Sockeye Talls $8.25, flats $8.75, half-flats $10.25; Cohoes Talls $4.75, flats $4.75, half-flats $6.25; Pinks oe $3.75, flats $4.25, half-flats $4.50; Chums Talls $2.75. SMOKED FISH—Herrings are now in such condition that they make very good kippers. Our Coast kipper are practically mild cured, and only packed for early consumption, The manager of one of the largest salt fish houses of New York told the writer a few days ago that our kippers were about the best he had ever tas- ted. Hastern connoiseurs please note. ae _ With the summer months on us now grocers are find- ing a ready sale for cooked fish such as kippered sal mon, black eod, ete. These may be used cold or heated up, and when one is arranging a meal with the least king possible, one cannot do better than use some our kippered fish. SALT COD—Sales on this have been less than other years owing to the shutting down of most of the rail- > eonstruction and lumber camps. The sales of t fish in Western Canada outside of boneless cod- and Eastern herring are practically limited to winter months amongst users other than camps. ith a plentiful supply of Pink salmon this year, the ea prevails that if the right parties were approached, ‘many of the European Governments would place large erders for this fish in barrels. It would be a cheap ‘and nourishing food for refugees and interned prison- ers, costing not more than 6¢. at European points of ‘distribution. We think that some efforts on the part ‘of the Department of Trade and Commerce would ’ z good results. OLESALE FISH PRICES—VANCOUVER, B. C. OKED FISH— ‘Finnan Haddies 15s and 30s, 10%c.; fillets le. ; ppers 7c.; bloaters 6c.; salmon 1le.—14e.; halibut Ie. ; black cod 12c. RESH FISH— Salmon, redsprings 8¢.—10c.; white spring 5c. ; hali- Ge.; cod 5c.; smelts 6e.; soles 6¢.; whiting 4c.; cate 3c; perch 5¢; rock cod 4c; red cod 4c4; bass 5e; ek cod 6e. : CKLED FISH— eadia 12\2s and 25/2s 14c.; strips 134c.; tablets ; brick cod 8c. to 914c.; whole cod 6e. to 8c. rE) FISH— _ Crabs (Boundary Bay) $1.00 to $1.20; shrimps 12¢.— 16e.; prawns 20c.; clams 2c¢., clams shelled $1.25 gal.; ia oysters $3.25 gal. FOR FROZEN FISH IN GREAT BRITAIN. - Although such fish as have been shipped from Ca- nada to the United Kingdom arrive in a frozen econdi- tion, and, as has been frequently reported, frozen fish 1as so far never been popular in this market. opportu- has been taken to carefully follow the situation and to keep in touch with leading fish salesmen in case the impossibility of obtaining sufficient quantities of fresh fish might create an uniquely favourable oppor- tunity for the introduction of the frozen variety to make up the deficiency. While theoretically the moment would seem favour- able for such a movement, it is found that marked di- vergence of opinion in the trade is held on the subject, and indeed the majority of the principal fish salesmen consulted do not consider that any profitable opening be created for considerable quantities of frozen h, even under the present exceptional conditions. _ As has been pointed out upon previous occasions, there never has been any definite demand for frozen fish in the United Kingdom, mainly owing to the fact that practically unlimited supplies of fresh fish have lways been available, and the majority of consumers CANADIAN FISHERMAN 219 prefer to give up fish altogether rather than to buy it in a frozen state. During the past few years considerable quantities of frozen salmon have been imported from Canada and elsewhere, but these shipments have been bought up slowly and at disappointing prices. Prior to the war the market was glutted with accu- mulated stocks, and while these supplies are now being decreased at a better rate, business is not particularly active, because the demand is curtailed and prices kept low by the exceptional cheapness of fresh salmon, un- usual quantities of which are being thrown on to this market owing to the closing of the usual Continental outlets. Concerning frozen halibut, while the prospects are considered as more favourable, particularly for small fish weighing from 4 to 10 pounds, salesmen who have handled the article report serious deterioration in the quality after thawing, and the receipt of numerous complaints by retailers to whom customers have fre- quently returned the halibut because of its flabby, pulpy condition. It is also held that the heavy incidental expenses of carriage and cold storage decrease profits. At the same time there are firms who hold quite dif- ferent views, and upon the ‘‘Hobson’s choice’’ prinei- ple, argue that if customers are deprived of the usual supplies of fish, they must perforce accept what they can get, and upon this basis, they consider, more par- ticularly if the war continues for any length of time, that there must be a shortage of staples like herrings, cod and haddock, and that Canadian fish firms who are prepared to take up the business in a practical man- ner, would be well advised to keep their eye on the course of events, and in the meantime get into close touch with reliable firms of fish dealers in this country in order to thoroughly investigate prospects. — Trade and Commerce Bulletin. FISH FOR THE GERMAN ARMY. It is announced in the newspapers, says the Fish Trades Gazette, that the German Government, in the scarcity of ordinary victuals which is threatened, is about to introduce a fish dietary for the soldiers. A number of them, including those in the firing line, have to be provided with fish rations instead of meat, and the fish will be partly fresh, partly dried, and partly salted. Special cooks are going to the Front to show the men how to prepare the fish, while food experts will in- vestigate the results and report to Berlin. Long ago, however, the German military authorities introduced a fish dietary into the army, though on a small scale, the fish meals being given only at intervals. It was found that the preserved fish, especially tinned fish, were preferred by the soldiers, and the South Germans, as the Bavarians, showed little partiality for fish of any kind. Sausages suited them better. Belgium also tried an experiment in feeding her soldiers on fish, by which a saving of about 12,000 frances a week was effected. The use of fish in this way was not agreeable to the agricultural interests, and not always to the soldiers themselves. The objection of the men was not to the fish as fish, but to the way in which they were cooked, and the paucity of sauce. They believed in an old Flemish saying that a fish should swim thrice—once in the water, once in the sauce, and once in the stomach. Last summer Alfred W. McCann, of the New York ‘“Globe’’, went to the wilds of Cape Cod for a rest — to Provincetown, to be exact — and while there he absorbed the germ of an idea that has developed into a campaign for cheap, fresh fish for the city of New York and has resulted in the sale of hundreds of thou- sands of pounds of good, wholesome food at phenom- enally low prices. While Mr. McCann was recuperating on the Mas- sachusetts coast, he was much impressed by the appal- ing waste of food fish in the little villages of Province- town vicinity. He saw fishing boats come in loaded with beautiful freshly caught fish, saw the wholesale dealers refuse to buy them because, according to their ideas of the fish business, there was already an over- supply on the markets, notwithstanding the fact that poor people were unable to purchase either fish or meat, because of prohibitive prices produced by their so-called searcity. Mr. MeCann came back to New York filled with bitter memories of the great stretches of beach strewed with decaying fish that found no purchaser, of boat- loads thrown into the sea, of wasteful fish dealers and disgruntled fishermen. With his characteristic fight- ing spirit he determined that there was going to be a change in the fish situation, at least as far as New York was concerned. He began his campaign by telling the people of New York of the criminal waste of valuable food that was going on at the New England fishing towns because of the shortsightedness and greed of the wholesale dealers and their representatives. He told them of the nutritive value of fish; how it supplied the body with body-building substances and sources of energy and fat; he told them how they were eating cold-storage fish when fresh fish was being thrown away by the boatload; he told them that they were paying three or four or five times as much for stale fish as they should be paying for fresh fish. He did this through the columns of the New York ‘‘Globe’’, in which news- paper he had for more than two years been conduct- ing an active pure food campaign. Telling people of the waste of this valuable food was, however, simply a beginning. He had to show them that fresh fish could be marketed at a low price and yet yield a profit for all concerned. And on September 16, 1914, the ‘‘Globe Fish Stations’’ were opened to the people of New York. Fresh fish purchased by Mr. MeCann himself were brought to New York, distributed to a number of retail fish and provision stores throughout the city and sold at ‘‘five cents a pound!’’ Naturally the fish went like hot cakes. Housewives thronged the stations. Thirty thousand pounds of fish were sold the first morning and hundreds of angry and disappointed women who came too late to get any of the fish nearly necessitated the services of the police. During the first three days two hundred and sixty- three thousand pounds of fish were sold at the ‘‘Globe Stations’’ — all at the unheard-of price of five cents a pound! Housewives served fish as never before, and express- ed themselves as never having tasted such delicious CANADIAN FISHERMAN SEPARATING FISH FROM FRIDAY The New York Globe’s Campaign For Cheap Fish By JOHN L. BOYD. (In Forecast Magazine.) July, 191 fish. Being used to the stale, cold-storage variet they were delighted with the fresh article provided b Mr. McCann. Naturally there were many difficultic encountered in organizing this original enterpris Many of the proprietors of the stores which had be designated as fish stations, overwhelmed by the mand for the fresh fish, substituted stale fish ‘“Globe’’ varieties when the supply of the latter out. Many dealers used the ‘‘Globe’s”’ free a ing to boost their own inferior stuff, with the that some consumers cried ‘‘fake’’. The fish | confronted with the situation of the loss of the ness, began counter-moves against Mr. McCann the ‘‘Globe’’. They raised their offers to the fi men in the hope of. cutting off Mr. MeCann fro supply, but so much fish was offered to them at prices that the bottom fell out of their attempt at taliation. ems Mr. McCann, however, was not to be deterred work of giving the people fresh fish. The ‘‘G@lobe chartered a fishing boat to provide its stations fish ‘‘from the sea to the consumer direct’’, am January 18th the steam trawler ‘‘Heroine’’ came in New York laden with 50,000 pounds of cod and ha caught by her own men for the ‘‘Globe Stations The *‘Globe’’ paid the fishermen decent wages, fi anced the fishing trips and was able to make a pro! of half a cent per pound on all fish sold at five e pound. The proprietors of the fish stations also n a profit and avery body was entirely satisfied with arrangement — everybody, of course, but the disn wholesalers of fish. Pee The consumers’ demand was so great that a boat was chartered — the trawler ‘‘Long Island’’. Th second fishing boat did not, however, remain long — service. The fish she brought in were not up be’’ quality, and on one trip seven thousand were condemned by Mr. MeCann as unfit for investigation resulted in the discovery that so on the boat had allowed a stream of live steam - through the catch while it was being brough York. Her captain was told to remedy the d failed to do so. rls On her next trip 120,000 pounds were eon¢ for the same reason and her services were at pensed with. ‘‘Globe’’ quality was an ideal tha McCann cherished and this standard had to be tained, regardless of consequences. ene : hae Trouble with the Retailers, The campaign ran into all kinds of snags. ; tailers refused to live up to the ideals of Mr. Me and trouble ensued. Stale fish were palmed off on consumers as ‘‘Globe’’ quality, and Mr. Me his hands full attending to the complaints that in from disgusted purchasers. For a time the s stopped and then early in April a new plan was in urated, which at present seems to have elimi most of the difficulties. On April 6th, Mr. MeCann announced that from that day forward he intended to inspect personally all the that were placed on sale and also to inspect the tions to see that nothing was sold as ‘‘Globe’’ fish cept the real article. “ ‘Since the beginning of this new system, there has en little to criticise in the ‘‘Globe’’ fish campaign. day the variety of fish that is to be sold as obe’’ fish is advertised in that paper. The selling is also given and if any station deviates a hair’s dth from the regulations as to price and quality ned by Mr. McCann, that station is discontinued. Most of the ‘‘Globe’’ fish is sold at five cents a pound, but some varieties, such as mackerel, cod and alibut, range from nine to sixteen cents a pound. A »w days ago, while porgies, weakfish and flounders vere selling at the ‘‘Globe’’ stations at five cents a ound, other fish dealers in New York were asking wenty-five cents for porgies, twenty-four for weakfish and twenty-two for flounders. While beautiful fresh erel were selling at the ‘‘Globe’’ stations for nine $ a pound, other stores were quoting as high as ty cents a pound. Some stores asked twenty-five s for butterfish and thirty-five for halibut, while be’’ stations asked six and sixteen cents respect- And none of the dealers’ fish were sold on a -back guarantee if not strictly fresh, such as Mr. ann offered in bold headlines on the front poge of paper. When asked why their prices were so high, » dealers invariably asserted that fish was scarce that competition in the wholesale trade was so + that the best fish went to the highest bidder. Such statements are no longer accepted by people have bought ‘‘Globe’’ fish and even if all the obe’’ stations were to be discontinued, it is doubt- whether the people of New York will ever again the same high prices willingly. The ‘‘Globe’’ ign has done much to demonstrate the legitimate of fish and to show how the trade has been ex- by unserupulous dealers. Although the cam- aign has only attracted the attention of people who e compelled to count pennies or the intelligent who interested in the problem of food distribution, y fish dealers in New York have been compelled to their prices far below the prices of other years er to do any business. Especially is this true in ® poorer sections, in the flat neighborhoods, so that r. MeCann’s efforts have not only resulted in cheap Globe’’ fish, but also in reducing the retail prices of h generally throughout the city. Educational Value of the Work. ‘The chief value of this campaign is, of course, on the tional side. In almost daily articles over his e, Mr. McCann has taught the people of New York vicinity a great deal about the fish business, from eatching of fish to its sale. He has made them see the supply of food fish at its very doors far ex- is the demand. He has made the people realize the eiousness and the nourishing qualities of fresh- n-the-water fish and has shown them that this sort fish can be had all the year around. has shown them the advantages to be gained rough a study of fish seasons and through buying ain varieties of fish when they are being caught large quantities. ut perhaps the most important of all the results been the fact that the ‘‘ecommon people’? — the upon whom the high cost of food falls heaviest— e begun to think of fish, not as a ‘‘fast-dish,’’ not once-a-week food, but as an every day meat dish. y have begun to see that fish will supply sufficient ein to satisfy the needs of the body at a much low- than meat. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 221 They have begun to take the hyphen from between fish and Friday. The education of the consumer as to the truth of the fish business, with the resultant in- creased trade, has also educated the wholesaler and the retailer that selling more fish at a low price is just as good business as selling small quantities at high prices, and that fresh fish sells quicker than stale fish. NORWEGIAN FISHERIES IN 1914. The ‘‘Fish Trades Gazette’’ in their issue of Febru- ary 27, 1915, published a review of the fisheries of Norway in the year 1914, which is submitted herewith for the information of those interested in the Cana- dian fishing industry and desirous of being acquainted with conditions in competitive sources of supply. Outstanding Features. The statisties of the fisheries of Norway last year are not yet published, but a review of them is given in the last number of the ‘‘ Norsk Fiskeritidende, from which the following account is taken. The cod fishery gave a result over the average as to quantity, and consider- ably over it as to value. The good prospects in the dried-fish markets allowed a higher average price to be paid to the fishermen. The quantity cured as split- fish was larger than in 1913, and the disposal of the product was good until the outbreak of the war, which disturbed business, with the consequence that the stocks at the end of the year were greater than for a long time. The cod fishery itself did not start very well, but things improved, and the aggregate catch was 57,900,000 fish, as compared with 41,200,000 in 1913 and 62,400,000 in 1912. The Lofoten fishery was very poor, and that at Tromso province and outside the Lo- fotens was also poor, but in Romsdal province the catch was unprecedentedly large, viz., 12,000,000 fish. The ‘‘Lodde’’ (capelan) fishery at Finmarken for small cod and codling began in the last days of March, and yield- ed 23,600,000 fish, as compared with 34,300,000 in 1913 and 33,700,000 in 1912. The prices were exceptionally high. The aggregate catch of cod (full-grown fish, or ““skrei’’ and ‘“‘looetorsk,’’? or capelan-caught small cod) amounted to 81,500,000, of which 17,900,0000 were ‘‘hung’’ for drying as stock-fish and 60,000,000 salted for split-fish. Herring Fisheries. — These were rather unequal, the ‘‘large’’ and the ‘‘spring’’ fisheries giving less returns than in 1913, and the quantity salted was less. The stocks at the end of the previous year were large, and the great Yarmouth fishing in 1913 kept prices down. In this instance, however, things brightened very much after the out- break of war, and the demand for Norwegian herrings became active at good prices, and the whole stocks were soon cleared off. The catch of ‘‘fat’’ herrings was larger than in 1913, but they were generally of small size. The war here also soon cleared off the fish, and the financial returns were good. The ‘‘large’’ fishery began late, and little was caught before Christ- mas (1913) ; it improved in January and February. The total catch was about 220,000 crans, of which 128,300 crans were iced for export, 79,850 crans were salted, and the rest used for home consumption. The value was about 3,300,000 kroner, as compared with 4,200,- 000 in the previous year. The total catch in the spring fishery amounted to about 717,000 erans, against 1,000,- 000 crans in 1913. The average price was only 3.55 kroner per cran, the total value being about 2,545,000 kroner. The fat-herring fishery also began late, and though the quantity was less than in the previous year, the value was greater owing to the high prices. The eatch was about 500,000 crans, as compared with 170,- 222 000 erans in 1913 and 336,000 in 1912. The average price was 11 kroner per eran, the aggregate amounting to about 5,330,000 kroner. About 23,000 crans were iced and 212,000 erans were sold to the herring-oil fac- tories; 254,00 barrels were salted, against 106,000 in 1913 and 231,000 in 1912. The drift-net fishing in the North Sea was a small affair, yielding only 2,900 bar- rels, as compared with 9,900 in 1913 and 20,900 in 1912. At Iceland the Norwegians salted 148,664 barrels, the Icelanders 71,742 barrels, the Danes 24,960, the Swedes 25,972, and the Germans 1,950 barrels. Mackerel. The fishery for the American market (Dorgemakrel- fisket), which takes place in the North sea, began bet- ter than in the previous year, but was interfered with CANADIAN FISHERMAN on the outbreak of the war, the grounds being exposed to the possible warlike operations of the belligerent fleets. The fishery closed much earlier than usual on this account, and the catch amounted to 35,512 barrels, ; as compared with 42,949 barrels in 1913 and 48,699 bar- 4 rels in 1912. The prices were fairly uniform through- out, about 90 ore per kilogramme for No. 1’s down to "4 30 ore for No. 5’s. The average price was higher than in 1913, and the aggregate value was estimated at about 1,978, 000 kroner. About 18,000 barrels were brought — into N orwegian ports by Swedish vessels, nearly all to — Kristiansand. The coast mackerel fishery yielded be- , tween 12,000,000 and 14,000,000 fish, valued at about — 1,300,000 kroner. About a million and a half were — salted and split, and 421,000 kilogrammes were export- ed fresh, against 735,000 kilos. in the previous year. ) MAX FINKELSTEIN 124 HAVEMEYER ST. BROOKLYN - - Ne Ya CISCOES: CHUBS: TULIBEES; 'BLUE- FINS; white STUR- GEON; frozen as well as salted round HERRINGS. Red and fat, Pacific Coast mild cured SAL- MON. I pay market prices for all varieties of prime, fresh or frozen fish, suitable for smoking. Remittances upon safe and satisfactory arrival. Authentic reference. Communi- cate with me. SE A PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS P. Cc. PARKHURST Commission Dealer in Salt F ] S H :: 7 Pickled Cisned Office and Wharf: 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. Correspondence Solicited eT tt W. Irving Atwood, Prest. W. Elmer Atwood, Vice-Prest. WACHUSETE BRAND ~— FINNAN HADD 31 Boston Fish Pier 26 PECK SLIP Tel. se ee POSS SST ST TT TT PEEP EREE EEE EEE SEE EEE EEE EEE PEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE CHARLES NOBLE Jr. Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (Puroy BRAND). Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 sae onan Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier yaters 48-50 LLOYD STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. PEELE LEED EE EEE EE EE EE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEED EE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 1658 Beekman No connection with any other house. LEAL EEE LEELA EEE E EEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE PEELE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE RE 4 N. D. Freeman, Treas. Irving M. Atwood, Sec’y and Mgr. ALL VARIETIES OF THE SEASON Boston, Mass. seeeeeneneanonsnes Inc. NEW YORK Correspondence solicited COMPANY DEEP SEA OYSTERS 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET CANADIAN FISHERMAN POOOOCOOOOOoD Pleteleteteletstetstetetetetcteteictetstetetet-tetetettttttetetettistereter totter toto tetots tole to lolol tet toito ots FISH & OYSTERS ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled . and Prepared FISH in Season .° $89909 OYSTERS A SPECIALTY 89090 COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES Long Distance Telephones P.O. Box 1425 LEONARD BROS. 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, (Near Custom House) MONTREAL S900O0 Branches : St. John, N.B. Grand River, Que. Gaspe, Que. Westport, N.S. Correspondence Invited sToteteteys (OHCHOHOOHOOCHCHOOHO 0001000000000 000100010 0000000 0010,0,0,0,0 0000000 000000 C0000 OOOO COCOOO OOCOOn Bie Bh Boe she hc Bie Be Bn Ba he Be Me Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Beha Ba Be Bo Backed Fe tetelebeisteleteieleieieleieiobeisieieisisisis isis ie) =] SO ea eae eee arena ae arene ares erga ae a Boe She Mba Bie Be Be Bho Bin Be Me Be Be Be Ble Me Be BeBe Be Be Be Be BeBe BeBe Be Be Be Si i i ie i a a ie ee he a be ie ie ** Thorough Inspection Before Shipment.” ce ae ie Se Bie Sha Mie Be Be Be he Be Be Be Be Be Bee Be Bede td 7 BeBe Be Bede BP EOEe Eee eae ee ees Eee areas ee Eee a eee ES eS See QUOTATIONS IN SEASON ON ALL PACIFIC FISH, Carlots Only AGENT :—MARITIME FISH CORPORATION LIMITED ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN LIMITED, etc., etc. ; CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED : VANCOUVER, B.C. } = F. J. HAYWARD - FISH BROKER | WESTERN 912 DOMINION BUILDING he Bie in Bh Bin Bic he Be Mie Moe Me Bn Bc Bla Bn Bc Bn Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Bn Bec Be Be Be Be Be Be Ba Be Be Bo Be iBe Ba Beebe Ba Ba BoB Ba Bada Bade. ea ee Eee ee eae Eee Eee eae ae alee Eee eee eee arene eae eee ee eee eae egs ae egg ge eae eae ge eae ogee eee 2524554446455 565 655. 44.5. bd Ee a a ae ee ee - ss Sc a i i a ie ie ia i i ae ee a a ee ae ie ee ae > 2. 2 S'S |SAFETY FIRST << | : alter goer DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS a We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. * | =. 8 CANADIAN FISHERMAN FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— 2 _ 2 2 : + Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA PEP h hb hee Phe hhh hb hb hhh hb bh hh hh bh hh hh hhh hoe hohe PsP hh PEPE PEEP EP EEE PP EEE Be oo Bo ofoofe oe be of oe oo oho foo oe Bo of oo Boos oe Bo of oBe oe oe oR oe Bo of oe oe of obo oe oe of oe hoofs oe oo oho oe obo fe oR oe oho oe oBe eof oe oof oe oe feof hoofs ofc fe eRe coho oBoohe fo oho rfoo i i i i a a a ea a a ee ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAES Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless — Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes Pb b PEERED EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE ELE EEE ehh bbb bbb bob bbb bbb bebe es 99000000.0.000 000 0000000000000 00 oO OHH OHIO OOOH OOH OHOHOHOHOHD ot ee ee a ee ee a ee EOE TOR Rees ae ee eg eee Eee meee oye eye eae eae ge eye ge ge ego ege ge ege ee “GATEWAY” Brands of Fish i foleieisieisisicisicisisicivicivisisisivicivicleisieicieieleisisivieoieisisicivioioioivicieicivicisisivieicicivicivieieisicieicleicieisicieleivieleicieiclsloleielers E very where in Canada Pa ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies : Gateway Brand Boneless Fish : oe ees! k f, Gateway Brand Threaded Fish as or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod 3 a GATEWAY Flat (il 2 Brand Threaded Fish | YARMOUTH, N.S. (96 GB OR RG GG SG DG FY GR DY SF RY GD GG “RUPERT” BRAND | : THE CANADIAN FISH & COLD STORAGE CO. LTD. : Wholesale Dealers, Packers and Shippers =f FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT and CANNED FISH CORRESPONDENCE INVITED corsroast’ PRINCE. RUPERT, B.C. “aeeee Capacity --7000. tons. Chicago, i, U.S.A. | & GR YG GS GS GS RFR A YC) KD FFD FY EYE) GSC} RD YEDDA DR GEG A a CYC? A GR GY GG GG GR GR GRA AG GS ’ SLARHKE SESE SKSS | Vol. Il. MONTREAL, AUGUST, 1915 No. 8 THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA'S COMMERCIAL FISHERIES Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association ey ae ea AINAENZIN ZR ISA CANADIAN: FISHER Man Titaicden = SHA FOODS Rae, Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade q@ Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. THROUGHOUT CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. ss. PPC TT Tr rss — "eee PSPSPS TT TS TTT PERE EL EL EEE EEE EEE EEE PEE EE EEE LEEE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE PEPE OEE SEE HEE August, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 225 Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleaged Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MIMOTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES UF The PROVINGE OF QUEBEC 226 CANADIAN FISHERMAN August, 1915. | CDE LBB APA APAPAPAPDADADAAPAPALALADPAADS > N\ Bev = ie S N\) . = ZN ‘ S ff MP IAN ‘ y : sy | ° iS ) 2 * Department of The Naval Service% : SV . xy x Sf, FISHERIES: y X\ ; : m4 In addition to the full statistics of the Fisheries which are published yearly in the Annual 4g Y Report, the Department issues monthly bulletins containing statistics of the sea fisheries and 48 Y general information in regard thereto. Copies of these will be sent free to any applicant. va 4 The value of the Fisheries of Canada is now about $34,000,000.00 annually. KG > x Sy The demand in the home markets for fresh and mildly cured fish, is expanding ve wy rapidly. The Department pays one-third of the express charges on less than car-load lots on all > shipments of such fish from the Atlantic Coast to points as far west as the eastern boundary of 4g y , : ‘ > Manitoba, and from the Pacific Coast, as far east as this boundary. Me Y V5 ny Y Sy) ~ Ny i y l for Fish 1 M 5 N Ma. > Close Seasons for Fish in Force on May Ist, 191 : Ny % SV) * Kiad of Fish: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick. P. E. Island. Quebec. \ : SV) GUE: CMODIEAMY Shots dices sR a ee ke ee oe ee Kaeo ERO ee ees re CURCE os aeeemees eakidews aan 1 April to 15 June. > Git WAGOKINONGS sins ovios ie soc e Poss wc tees veers vevnreee | oiescennenseueseecawna f) be cogbies see's ssiaeteg Ue 15 April to 15 June. PAY, Ounaniche......... a Eee ere Taye e TE Oe Oey TER eee ee ees ee ler ee ee 1 Oct. to 30 Nov. “ay Oysters.........-- ..| b1 Jan. to 30 Sept. bi Jan. to 30 Sept. bl Jan. to 30 Sept. bl Jan. to 30 Sept. ey, Quahaugs......... we Oct. 1 to May 10 Oct. 1 to»May 10 and | Oct. 1 to May 10 and]... os vy, “i e July 1 to Aug 31. July 1 to Aug. 31. July 1 to Aug 31. abs 6 is PY, Pickerel..... sae Saba y bs WN Sad ed wd wee ghn eae d'e de 0. [de pean as git pelmemmunnly Wiis a vatee eee ee ike okas April 15 to May 15. Gi Salmon (netting) ..| Aug 16 to Feb. 28 Aug. 16 to Feb. 28. Aug. 16 to Feb. 28 Aug. 1 to is 30. ey, Salmon (angling) .-| eAug. 16 to Jan. 31. Sept 16 to March 31. Sept. 16 to Mareh 31 Sept. 16 to April 30. “ye Speckled Trout............. Oct. 1 to March 31. Oct. 1 to March 31. Oct. 1 to March 31. Oct. 1 to — 30 Fy, SOMOD: FBIMEs vaweiscckesed shepsasvescds sats deduce P.eVsctswaeien Vet wvebcdes Pbeneaeeuetatuareeeces . | Oct. 15 to 1. Sy) Whitefish, oc scsccseecveseesl socccercrcecevcccesceep eoMgengsbedecceetrecee PWigectiusins esipeucessss | Sessa see ee ee beneeees : ry; Kind of Fish: Ontario, British Columbia. “ ry) ~ “yr Bass (Achigan). al5 April to 15 June. Sy Maskinonge.... 15 April to 15 June. ~ * Ounaniche..... vac ctpe wy Oysters........ : y 1 to Aug. 31 * Qashaugs. wc csc scceccvccuce errr yr srr tr My tliickerel......... vee cewen cApril 15 to May 15. Covceseceveewes see 4 Salmon {netting} Core cc cece tl Cero pees se reese censead Eve cabsevasdeeecetucdte — Ceddbevevcereateveveea PNG ¥ sm seeeeeee stew eeeee Mee SUMMON (Ning)... 0.6. ccc ce denedebsvkewsts AMOS MCS cel REb es CRUSAN ENDS EE Sadtienes Io hua rie as sen eavebeens secveveees My —- Cho esvoreevivceccce sl Ohne nde o ese eee AMMEN ii ont io0s (CREE ERS Saeed nts PO See regulations. BED POMOC. cos se idocvccscccel subpeutassea sian tieayae ay 15 to June 15. ay 15 to June 15. errr re me Speckled Trout............. Sept. 15 to April 30. gad esi 00 6 CaCl atey 3 G3 TOCTTReCe TIT ne Voor ae i Salmon Trout...........+.. hNov. 1 tO NOWASO, Ese ccccs ccc egeneeeenee: E eb'eéseupeseng 6s 060005 Rineneceaanen ay Whitefish................... hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. Sept. 15 to Nov. 19. iSept. 15 to Dec. 15. | «+s nea alane > Sy Y ys a—Except in Lake Erie west of Pt. Pelee and around Pelee e—Except in Cape Breton. Island, where close season is from ment will remove the bounty-handicap to our fish pro- > duets. This bounty is equivalent to about two dollars a quintal, and hitherto, we have had to contend with _ French exporters to Southern European markets. ___ Two or three of our Bankers report for 3,000 quin- tals; this is a very large showing. The schooner ‘‘ Meta- _ mora’’ (the only large auxiliary banking vessel) has M5 a 7 Ne eae eae ets CANADIAN FISHERMAN STOO Vy Os Lame ~ THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES just returned from the Flemish Cap and reports for 1,000 quintals as the result of three caplin baitings. She will likely make another trip to the ‘‘Cap’’ and then goes to Labrador. Herring Fishery. There is little doing in the herring trade. Her- ring are reported plentiful in St. Mary’s Bay, but the fishermen are not catching them just now, as the in- dustry is not remunerative. Lobster Fishery. The catch is very short; and the run of lobsters is small. Fewer fishermen are engaged in the fishery of lobsters this season than formerly; and the prices are about the same as last issue. None of the new pack have yet reached the city from the outports; but there is little inducement to shippers, as the price is not considered satisfactory. Salmon Fishery. Salmon are reported plentiful; but fishermen have salted most of the catch, owing to low prices prevail- ing at the beginning of the season. Recently enquiries were made from English buyers as to the quantity of tinned goods available, and some of our exporters are likely to make good shipments to England for the French market. We have no facilities for exporting directly to France. Should we succeed in getting this order, we shall be able to market the entire catch at remunerative prices. Oils. We have little or no seal oil to market, owing to the short sealing voyage. Some seals have reached the city since last report—the catch of shoremen in the North; but the quantity will not be sufficient for the making up of a cargo of oil. Cod oil is in good demand, and high prices are rul- ing. Quite a number of small oil plants are in opera- tion; but there is no official report of the quantity re- fined. Whale oil seems to be absolutely wanting. The last whaling reports are discouraging; and the outlook for the industry is decidedly blue. Incoming steamers report large schools of cetaceans away to the eastward —too far out presumably to be profitably or success- fully hunted. Only three whalers are operating this season, one of them on Labrador. So far this section has reported only one whale. Labrador Fishery. Last reports from the Labrador coast say that on lower Labrador ice has cleared off, and that at Grady— one of the large fishing centers—there was ‘‘a sign of fish,’’ and some salmon were being taken. - 246 The large fleet of floaters have possibly reached their destinations by this time, though many of them were held up on the French shore by ice for nearly two weeks. Upper Labrador reports are encouraging ; but no large hauls are reported. The Straits of Belle Isle fishery is good; and Grant’s erew at Blane Sablon is reported for 3,500 quintals, and Whilteley’s at Bonne Esperance, with 2,500. Last year’s fishery there was almost a failure. Trawlers around Green Island are doing well; but they have been handicapped by ice. We have no re- ports of the individual catches. Prices. Fish of all grades has declined since the beginning of July, and prime merchantable is now quoted at $6.25 with corresponding decreases for inferior grades. The market will be unsteady for some weeks, and the daily reports to the Marine and Fisheries Depart- ment will affect the price all round. The following was received from Lind and Couto at Oporto some days ago: ‘‘The high prices recently obtained in this market have had the effect of attract- ing large quantities of cod-fish and the supplies are now sufficient. At the present values the demand is very limited, and if any accumulation of stocks takes place the consumption will be encouraged by the low- ering of prices. At this time of the year, the heat prevents holding fish long in the stores. The new Norwegian cure has come into the market; but the price asked is too high for the buyers. The Norwegian shippers have lately been getting such high prices for their fish that there is a limit beyond which the consumer cannot go. We look for a steady, if reduced, demand for Newfoundland fish during the coming sea- son, and if the market is not overloaded no doubt we shall be able to maintain good prices.’’ We are just now face to face with a salt famine. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining freight-carriers we have had an exceptionally short salt importation. The salt famine is being keenly felt in the Straits of Belle Isle, and small quantities are going forward to the fishermen in sacks by rail and steamer. This will cost the purchasers on the coast of Labrador fully $3.50 per hogshead. A shipment from Cadiz is due during the week by the Nascopi—one of our local sealing steamers—her arrival will relieve the situation somewhat. Some Dan- ish and English fish-carriers are arriving at the out- ports, and these will help our southern and western fishermen to get the wherewithal to save their fish. DIGBY, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) The shore boats here are getting lots of fish at pre- sent; principally hake, catching from one to four thousand pounds at a set. On July 18th some of the boats were obliged to throw away the last of their catch, as they were getting more than they could earry. Some of the boys are stocking over a hundred dollars a week per boat, which is fifty dollars a man. But in order to realize such banner weeks the essential con- ditions are: favorable weather, good bait, lots of fish and a natural inclination for hard work. CANADIAN FISHERMAN August, 1915. Schr. ‘‘Venus’’ landed here on June 21st, 21,800 Ibs. mixed fish, and on July 2nd, 34,590 lbs., and again on July 16th, 42,125 lbs. Aux. schr. ‘‘Cora Gertie,’’ June 19th, 12,596 Ibs; June 30th, 4,490 lbs. Schr. ‘‘Grace Darling,’’ June 26th, 68,872 lbs. ; ; Jule 12th, 57,560 Ibs. Schr. ‘‘Trilby,’’ June 26th, 70,000 lbs. salt fish; July 3rd, 15,000 lbs. salt fish. Aux. sehr. ‘‘Madaline L.,’’ July 2nd, 5,473 Ibs.; : Faly 7th, 9,010 Ibs.; July 16th, 13,225 Ibs. Sehr. “Badie J.,’’ July 7th, 63,000 lbs. Schr. ‘‘Lila Boutilier,’’ July 7th, 187,840 Ibs. The last named landing is the largest ever brou into Digby, and probably the largest fresh fish — landed by a sailing vessel in the province. The bi was secured in twenty-one days. The highline do caught 10,498 count fish during that time. The ‘‘ Boutilier’’ is commanded by Capt. Arthur Casey. LUNENBURG, N.S. (Special Correspondence. ) of which is here attached, giving the appre ag . for each vessel. Owing to the almost continuous ¥ work, hence very few of. the catch are ready for n ket. However, some half dozen of the first Vv fine weather, and their fish have been sold at around $5. 50 for codfish, but owing to the condi of the markets abroad, it is very doubtful if the abo prices will be maintained. It all depends upon He future condition of the consuming markets supply and demand. The handline fleet have also completed their trips and arrived home with fair catches, and the r ports from the North Bay fleets have also been € couraging. The main Lunenburg fleet, after leaving for the Grand Banks via Newfoundland, had no difficulty | 1 obtaining a supply of Caplin bait, as the bait had struck on before the fleet arrived, but owing to rough weather, the most of them were unable to | and the first baiting proved almost a failure with or two exceptions, some of the vessels getting no others from 50 to 200 quintals each, and a few a over. The second baiting, however, iota pro’ more successful, and the vessels so far heard cured from 300 to 500 quintals, each, which is more encouraging. The chief hope for full fares on the summer etna! on the supply of squid for bait, as without this suppl the voyages will likely be small, but we must hope - the best. The boat fishermen off the shore have been doing v well of late, many of them have been selling their fresh to Robin Jones & Whitman, Ltd., who are pa, cash, and buying same at good prices for use in their fish factory here. Riigxst, 1915. By J. _ Quaintly situated, on a narrow neck of land and overlooking both the Bay of Fundy and Yarmouth Harbor, Yarmouth Bar has grown to be one of the most important fishing stations on the coast of East- ern Canada. Althouh it is situated within very easy reach of the town and can be seen from almost every point in it, it is surprising how few, comparatively, realize the size and importance of the little fishing village which has grown up within the past quarter of a century. Probably ever since the town was founded the Bar has been used more or less for fishing purposes. Al- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 247 + TYPICAL FISHING STATIONS OF EASTERN CANADA NO. 1—YARMOUTH BAR ) J. WALLIS fishermen who were not resident in the town. Some years before it became a permanent station fishermen from Port La Tour came up regularly evry mackerel season and used it as a headquarters. They built a ‘‘slip’’ close over to the West Cape and had a few rough shanties. The Bar was then fully exposed and several good ships have come to grief on it. Notable among them was the barque Saladin, the figure head of which is still to be seen in the workshop of David Stanwood—one of the oldest settlers of the place. There was a small channel through it and smaller ves- sels such as schooners engaged in the coasting trade though there is no official record of when it was first used its location would make it attractive for the pur- pose. No doubt before the breakwater was built it was a wild and dreary spot and there would be nothing to attract aman to make a permanent station there. Nature, however, had given it some advantages. For-in- stance on the harbor side there was a ‘‘guzzle’’ extend. ing from the main channel to the beach, which was deep enough and wide enough to allow the small boats of the time to land their fares even at dead low water —and this same guzzle is still the principal water way to the Bar and at the shore end is built the wharf and fish stores. From facts gathered from the older inhabitants of the ‘‘Cape’’ and vicinity we learn that its advantag- es were known and used on quite a large seale by An ‘‘Avenue’’ at the Bar. Note the Lobster Traps have been known to drive through it under favorable conditions. Some times they were more or less damag- ed but one, the Spray, wsa known to drive through un- injured. The breakwater was started in 1867, and it was pro- bably one of the first publie works to be undertaken by the government of the new Dominion of Canada. For the next fifteen years at least the fishermen began to use the Bar a little more and several had erected “‘shanties’’ among them being Henry Goodwin, who is still a resident of Yarmouth, Daniel Stoddart, Frank Jeffery, and several others. All these men had their homes in other places—and generally went home over the ‘‘week ends.’’ The shanties were used merely as places to eat and sleep when ashore and as _ store places for gear, ete. About twenty-five years ago, 248 CANADIAN a one mort bold than the rest, decided to make a per- manent home on the Bar and moved his family to the place. He was quickly followed by others, then a Bethel was built and the village grew apace. It now has a population of probably 500, generally happy and contented—a community which is living as near the *‘simple life’’ as any community in Canada. FISHERMEN August, 1915. of C. 8. P. Robbins, with A. E. McGray as clerk. This firm then had a number of bankers and it was at the Bar that these bankers landed their fares for cur- ing. In fact at that time fresh fish ‘‘euring’’ was the principal enterprise carried on there and fish were carted from almost all sections of the country for this purpose, and it is a remarkable fact that then, when { ' eA NNT “Tele » jie General Store and Fish Stand of Parker, Eakins, Ltd. William Raymond and Norman Durkee were the first to see the possibilities for trading and they erect- ed a small wharf and store near the head of the ‘‘ guz- zle’’ previously referred to, but they did not stay long and only a little of the piling is now left to mark the site of the old stand. They were followed by Parker, Kakins and Company in 1880. Under the management fish was cheap and $4 per quintal was considered very high, the men were paid 30 cents per quintal for eur- ing. Now when the same fish runs up as high as $6.50 and $7.00 per quintal the fish curers in some parts of the provinee, up till quite recently, were only paid 25 cents, although in some cases they have come up to 30 cents during the last two years. When not Along the Front Street at the Bar na a ee ee | Rca 1915. ot reached the development it has since arrived at, though there was a little being done at it. Banking ‘gradually died out but Parker, Eakins and Company e always adapted themselves to changing condi- ons and today no firm in Yarmouth stands higher the public regard. Their business at the Bar has antly grown and in the capable hands of the nt manager—John Little—no doubt will continue a ishing too has changed. A few years ago line fish- ng was the principal fishing carried on, with lobster- i as a side line; now it is just reversed. The men at the Bar are lobster fishers, par excellence, and they have as fine a fleet of motor boats as can be found any- her quaint stories are heard of the earlier his- y of the Bar—stories that do not altogether smell THE SHIPS OF CANADA. According to the list of vessels built and registered Canada as issued by the Department of Marine and Fisheries, 1914 was a fairly active year in ship con- struetion. In the ’70’s of last century, when the wood- en sailing ship was still the glory of the seas and a main carrier of ocean-borne commerce, the measure- ment of vessels turned out of Canadian yards ran up towards 200,000 tons a year. The steel tramp that on a low consumption of coal could push its way through the water at a speed of eight miles an hour or so was ship its start, however. It was better adapted to the need of a growing commerce, and if on the ocean highway it could not keep up with the fine clippers and great three and four masted sailers, it had other advantages which made it the fittest, and its old-type competitor could not survive. From 1874, when 190,- 756 tons was added to the registry, there was a grad- ual decline till 1896, when the additions to the list on- measured 16,146 tons. When the development of de on the Great Lakes began to call for a larger lass of steamers than had theretofore been employed, “CANADIAN FISHERMAN 249 ring fish the men were line fishing; lobstering had of fish even if they are a little ‘‘fishy.’’ Smuggling stories galore can be heard and no doubt many of them are founded on fact. In the days of slow transportation the Bar could have been used to advantage. What would be more natural for a vessel coming in from the West Indies—and there were many of them—to lay at anchor off the Bar, land several barrels of the ardent during the night and proceed to the wharves next day—innocent and law abiding. That they did so there is no doubt, and some of the older inhabitants of the place laugh over their adventures with the cus- toms officals to this day. One tells of how he had his cellar full, with two men trying to catch him; bue these men were also fond of a glass or two and the judicious use of a small quantity of the smuggled stuff put them out of action so that no difficulty was found in moving the bulk of it to a place of safety. - The Bar From the Harbour Shore Ontario began to advance as a ship-owning and ship- building province, and has of late years been the chief contributor to the record. Last year the measurement of the new vessels was 43,346 tons, the largest figure in fourteen years; and of the whole, 23,167 tons was credited to Ontario. The increase in the total of ves- sels registered was, however, only 35,457 tons, there being a reduction on account of the loss, sale or break- ing up of older craft. According to the record the number and tonnage of vessels registered in Canada at the close of 1914 was as follows :— MQOLAPIE ios edi ack. 2,100 314,660 ULC ee by > coma ae 1,663 259,143 British Columbia .. 1,591 147,192 Nova Scotia .. 2,098 135,053 New Brunswick. . 1,052 55,522 P. E. Island.. 149 10,029 Manitoba vo eget 103 7,999 WOO ss cy: eRe 11 2,295 Saskatchewan .. .. .. 5 529 Total css, 8,722 932,422 250 TO LOBSTER FISHERMEN AND CANNERS Paper No. 2. In the Bulletin for March the breeding habits of the lobster were considered and the absolute necessity for carefully protecting the egg-bearing lobsters was em- phasized. In this article the growth of the lobster will be considered. As the hard shell of the lobster is a dead structure, it does not grow with the animal. Hence, when the lobster has grown larger than its shell, as one might say, it must shed its shell and get a new and larger one. It is frequently stated that a lobster moults or sheds it shell to grow. The fact is, it moults because it has grown. Before the old shell is cast off, there is a cellular expansion in the lobster, so that as soon as it is free from its yielding shell, there is a considerable expansion in size. No doubt this expansion is partly due to the absorption of water by the soft flesh of the animal. What the increase in size at eash moult is, varies. It will be governed by several conditions, such as the age of the lobster, abundance of food available, ete. In a lobster of medium size the increase in length at each moult, under ordinary conditions, is about 12 per cent. As was shown in the previous article, the young lobster moults four or five times during the first few weeks of its life, and before it becomes a lobsterling and goes to the bottom. As, like other animals, it grows, more rapidly in its early life, it moults quite frequently during its first year. It is estimated that it casts it shell a dozen times or more in that period. That would be eight or nine times after it goes to the bottom. In the second year it grows less rapidly, and so moults fewer times, possibly, five or six times, and in the third year not more than two or three times. By the end of that time it would be about seven inches in length, under normal conditions. From that time on it moults less frequently. Indeed there seems little room for doubt that old, large lobsters moult only every two or three years. It is also a fact that after a certain size is reached, the female lobster does not continue to grow as rapid- ly as the male. As a general rule a ten-inch lobster is six years old or thereabout. The process of moulting is a painful and serious one, and frequently ends fatally. How painful it is will be realized to some extent when it is remembered that the big claw has to be withdrawn through the small hole—less than one-fourth the size—in the joint at the base. ; Before the old hard shell is east the new one, which is then a mere soft skin, is formed, so that after moult- ing the lobster is known as a ‘‘soft shell.’’ Just how long it should be so classed seems to be a matter of opinion among the fishermen and eanners. It is, how- ever, six or eight weeks before the new shell becomes as hard as the one cast off. Just after shedding the flesh of the lobster is soft and spongy, and is really not fit to eat. While it rapidly aequires firmness, as above indicated, it is not as firm or as heavy as it should be for several weeks. While there are many exceptions to the rule the great majority of mature lobsters moult in July and CANADIAN FISHERMAN August, 1915. August. Hence, fishing in these months should be stricted as much as it feasibly ean be. : Without going further into details, it will be that the habits of the lobster and the conditions u which it lies, lend themselves to making it compara ly easy to deplete the fishery. Its range is dir It has not been found south of Cape Hatteras, does not penetrate farther north than Chateau Labrador. The general movement of the lobs' towards shore in summer, and out into deeper w. in the winter, so that if a particular area is fished ov it will not be speedly repopulated by lobsters fron other portions of the coast, but must mainly depend fry being carried there during its imming st: While a large lobster has a large number of eggs, proportion that come to maturity is very small, ai a comparative way the number of eggs produc small. For instance, a herring yields double the ber of eggs produced by an average lobster, a kerel four times as many and a cod four hundred as many. While the Canadian Atlantic Coast has astonishingly resourceful supplier’ of lobsters, it admitted on all sides that the fishery is seriously clining. Though the catch has not declined as muc might be expected, it must not be forgotten that efforts to keep it up have been greatly increased. T general use of motor boats has enabled much mo: tensive and extensive fishing to be carried on. All these conditions point with unwavering clea: to the fact that if the fishery is to be maintained i flourishing condition, the regulations governiz must be sharply restrictive ; but the usefulness regulations must be measured by the degree to w they are observed. The high price of lobsters in cent years has been a strong lure to carry on ille fishing, and canning during the close season, and tl seems little room for doubt, to say the least, that has not in all instances, been discouraged by im canners. It is, however, very gratifying to note thi illegalities are rapidly disappearing. Not only Department much better equipped than it eve been to cope with such practices, but it is evide those engaging in the industry are realizing that co their permanent advantage to have the fisher perly protected. As long as there is a packer who ° supply cans or assist in handling lobsters that are ill gally taken, there will be found those who will dertake to attempt the fishing. Obviously, therefore if the canners will absolutely discountenance illep packing by consistently refusing to supply any of | equipment needed to carry it on, or to handle the sters that may be packed, the work of the Departme in affording the fishery the full protection contemp! ed by the regulations will be rendered a much sit matter. William Brown, a bricklayer of South Bethlehem, returned from a fishing trip to Willow Eddy, alo the Lehigh River, richer by $35. Among the fish Broy caught was a catfish which had in its stomach a pw in which was $35.—Next. 7 The cle Fishing around the British Columbia coasts of late has been quiet, herring salmon and halibut being some- what scarce. The markets for our other fish or as we call them ‘‘small fish’’ and for cod being so limited, if the above fish are shy, the trade is consequently very quiet. At different times rumors appear and a little excite- ment occasioned by reports that Great Britain is bound to import a lot of frozen fish from British Columbia. _ This is possible, but quantities such as some anti- cipate, highly improbable. To deliver frozen and chill- ed fish into that market means a freight rate and char- ges that amount up to 5e and over per pound. On top of this space on the Atlantic boats is most difficult to get and most uncertain. A good suggestion ap- pears in the ‘‘Pacific Fisherman’’ and that is the idea of sending the S.S. ‘‘Elihu Thomson’’ direct with a __ eargo of frozen fish via the Panama Canal. This steamer is used for the transporting of frozen fish from the Alaska cold storages to Vancouver and Seattle. If the consuming public of Great Britain want fish, it certainly looks as if they will have to take either the ___ frozen or salted goods. We all would like to see them take the frozen fish, as this will help to break down the undeserved public disapproval of frozen food stuffs. There are several visitors from the East on this coast at present. Amongst them are Mr. W. A. Found and ‘Mr. F. W. Wallace. The former is looking into the general situation and refreshing himself with local con- ditions to assist him in his important position as Sup- _ erintendent of Fisheries at Ottawa. Mr. Wallace we all know as the Editor of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman.’’ He is, making a visit to the halibut grounds in one of the boats operating from Prince Rupert. We shall wok for some of the same sort of stories as he has produced from his visits to the Atlantic banks. There are some nervous p2ople in all communities, and others who feel that it is their duty to their coun- try to watch out for supposed spies. Lately quite a little excitement was worked up over a report that mysteriovs signalling was seou off Point Grey These lights turned out to be occasioned by the fleet of “‘wosqaito’’ boats looking for submarine prizes in the shape of herring and elusive sockeyes. ; That British Columbia is deing her share in the pre- sent war is proved by the enlisting of all classes. Ma- chine guns are freely offered by people in every walk of life. In a recent campaign, the New England Fish Company of Vancouver (the Canadian Fishing Co., Limited) offered a complete machine gun costing $1,- 000. This amount is made up from voluntary contri- butions from members of the staff. The Fraser River fishermen have also suggested that a certain percentage CANADIAN FISHERMAN Sa) Wes 251 THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) of their catch on Monday mornings be devoted to a similar fund. Prince Rupert has furnished many men in proportion to her population, and almost every cannery has some former employee or executive at the front or training. Many have been killed and more wounded already. L. Crippen of Prince Rupert was killed a few weeks ago. Crippen’s Boneless Herring at- tracted quite a considerable amount of attention at the Toronto Exhibition in 1913. Whaling has been continued this year, notwithstand- ing the fact that the Canadian Northern Pacifie Fish- eries Co. had failed. A new company was formed, and some of the whaling steamers have already left for the grounds. Only two of the stations will be operated this year as against four owned by the company. In Seattle already 2,000 barrels of oil have been received. The prices are stated to be favorable to the makers this year, owing to demand from Europe. Most of the gear of the late B. C. Fisheries Co., Ltd., has been disposed of. The halibut steamers are still laying up, and nothing is being done with them. It is supposed that arrangements were completed in Eng- land for the further operations of this company, but that financial conditions will not now permit this. At all events these boats could be leased, as several have enquired for them. But this will not be done for some reason or other only known to the owners. The trade is still demanding to know when they will be permitted to sell fish for use by the troops in training. Permission was given to the men respon- sible for the feeding of the troops to provide fish, but this is stated to have made no difference in the amount ordered. SALMON.—The Fraser River canners have fixed the prices for the season as follows: Sockeyes 40¢ each, Red Spring 5c per pound. These prices are higher than other seasons, and may go higher still if conditions warrant. As it is still early, catches are small, and about enough to supply the fresh market. It is too early to say what the price on ‘‘humps’”’ will be. This is supposed to be a big year in ‘“‘humps,”’ and in other seasons quite a lot of these fish were put up in all styles. As a rule quite a quantity is packed by the Japanese in the style known as ‘‘dry salted’’ for the Orient. But as space seems to be a difficulty and transportation problematic, it is uncertain what quantity of this will be put up. On Puget Sound these fish are caught in traps, which is not permitted on the Canadian side. We can send fresh fish into America but although the Americans have the advantage over us in being able to get their fish cheaper, still they are prevented from shipping into Canada by the le per pound duty collected. Of late years quite a business 252 has been done sending fresh fish to the American can- neries who were short of supplies in their own waters. Officials of the Dominion and Provincial Govern- ments are North on an Inspection trip. Licenses have been taken out in all districts as in other years, but as far as possible white fishermen are given the pre- ference everywhere. This year the arrangements on the Skeena River have been altered. Formerly licen- ses to independent fishermen were more or less limit- ed. To assist settlers, licenses are obtainable by all British subjects now. No Japanese, Chinese, or Indian (presumably Hindu) can obtain an independent li- cense, but may use certain ones given to the can- neries for the purpose. HALIBUT.—Prices are still steady with limited ar- rivals. The New England Fish Co. tried out the plan of fishing stations for the collecting of halibut, but have now discontinued the plan. On Puget Sound the arrivals still keep up, and strange to say, there have been no cheap prices. The highest price for June was 734¢, ex vessel and the low- est 414c, with an average of 5.6c. The United States Bureau of Fisheries is alive to the importance of this industry, and is seeking new banks continually, and doing other good work. The 8.S. ‘‘Roosevelt’’ of Aretie fame is being outfitted in New York and will soon be leaving for the Pacific to assist the Government in this work. Prince Rupert is a busy place now, if we can judge by the arrivals of American boats made possible by the new Order-in-Council. Seattle and Ketchikan are, of course, making a big fight to get back this business, as it is so vital to their interests. There seems to be all sorts of misconception as to what this Order-in- Council allows. One American boat arrived in Van- eouver not long ago looking for bait and supplies, only to find that as she had not landed her catch in Vancou- ver she could not outfit there. HERRING.—For the past few weeks the market has been bare. The herring seem to be like the Irishman’s flea—there, but hard to catch. But this seems to be characteristic of these fish, and it is a tantalising one, too. When the trade is busy with other matters, these fish offer in abundance, but disappear when wanted. Now that a commercial use has been found for these - fish, greater study must be given them, both by the trade and also by the Government. Larger boats are required and the fish followed as in other countries. This calls for big outlays of money, and it has been suggested that bonuses be given either for the building of the boats or on the catches. I understand that the visit of Mr. Found from Ottawa is connected with the herring fisheries of this coast. Whilst on this matter, readers of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman’’ will be interested to hear of a peculiar trait of herring. Not long since I listened with great interest to the explanation given for herring being so hard to catch, although there were all sorts of them on the grounds. The enquirer was informed that her- ring about this time of the year deliberately anchor themselves. As this was a new one on me, I watched for, and think I caught the tell-tale side glance in the narrator’s eye. It seems that the fish grow from their mouths two small suckers with which they attach themselves to the sea-bottom. They stay this way for about a month, meanwhile fattening from the sustin- ence they draw through these suckers. When the al- loted time is up, they all ‘‘up killick’’ at the same CANADIAN FISHERMEN August, 1915. time and pursue their normal habits. Apparently this habit is not peculiar to our waters, for the narrator stated that he had seen the herring in the same pre- dicament in the North of Seotland. There the fish- ermen have special apparatus to stir up the fish an get a move on them. Whether herring be anchored or not, we know that they will not move at times, and so strike the gill-net spread for them. Other means of fishing must allowed by the authorities if our industry is to developed as it should. OTHER FISH.—Supplies are sufficient for the de- mands and the different varieties in abund Shrimps and prawns are looking up, and smelts be had by all who care to get a net. It is quite mon sight to see the head of the family accom by excited small boys, proceeding to the beach fine evenings, armed with a smelt net. Codfish are at present somewhat scarce on the. i market, and at time of writing were retailing at per pound. : Wholesale Fish Prices—Vancouver, B.C. : SMOKED FISH.—Finnan Haddies, 15s and 30s, 1 to lle; fillets, 1le; kippers, 7c; bloaters, 6¢ i lle to ‘le; halibut, 11%e black’ cod, 12¢. FROZEN FISH.—Steelheads, 9¢; halibut, 6¢; black cod, ete., 8c. FRESH FISH.—Salmon, 5e to 10e Ib.; he to 7c; cod, 7c; smelts, 6c; soles, 6c; whiting, 4¢ sk 3c; perch, 5e; rock cod, 4c; red cod, 4c; becac: black cod, 6e. . PICKLED FISH.—Codfish bricks and bona 5 14c; whole cod, 6¢ to 814c; herring, 3¢ to 4e per Salmon, 6e per lb; black cod, 5¢ per Ib. : SHELL FISH.—Crabs, $1.00 to $1.20; sh to 16c; prawns, 20c; clams, 2¢; clams, sh gal. Canned Salmon. _ The prices given elsewhere show that canners ¢ Fraser are offering a good price for the raw So far sales have been made on the new pack to the usual conditions. All of the high grad such as the sockeye and red spring are practically to Great Britain, and a considerable amount ¢ other packs are booked ahead. Canners :7 British Columbia do not set a one way or the other on the size of the p: up as a rule as much fish as they can and as their ¢ fit permits. For instance, on Puget Sound 4 the Am can packers are stated to be aiming at a ple million and a quarter cases of Pinks or Hum Canadian packers will go nowhere near all the same put up a respectable sized pack. Prices this fish are not yet announced. Movements are very slow mainly owing to the d ficulty in securing transportation facilities. A litt fish is being packed as it offers, both on the Fras and on the Northern rivers, and a few eases have ¢ rived in the city. No low prices are looked for in any aps at With the increased cost of the raw goods, and co. tions all around, it looks as if the English market: pay almost record prices. Of course, now that many years and hard work, the English market has been sieeaaded to buy the lower grades such as pinks d chums, the consumer will not be compelled to pay abnormal prices for canned salmon. Up to lately, the only salmon that the English public would buy was the red fish or the sockeye and red spring. The lighter colored fish did not suit them. But the strong canvass made by all interested in the industry has resulted in more and more of the cheaper grades being used. The most meagre purse can now purchase in Eng- land canned salmon, and fish of equally nourishing qualities as the higher priced red article. _A representative of the French government is stated to be here placing contracts for canned salmon. It may __ be that the French soldier will use fish as food, but the English ‘‘Tommy’’ wants meat every time, and does not think that he can get a square meal off of fish. It is expected that the movement to Europe will be a very large one, especially as all food supplies will be valu- able and all food possible will be required in the coun- now fighting. During the past few months there have been reports that the Japanese Government had agents in both Canada and the United States enquir- ing for large quantities of canned salmon. - There have been two at least large cannery deals re- ported on the Pacifie of late. The Booth Fisheries - Company have bought out the interests of Gorman & Co., of Seattle. The new company is the Anacortes Co. The price paid is stated to be $1,000,000. The _ Fisheries Company and a subsidiary of Booth Fisheries - Seottish-Canadian Cannery over which there has been quite a little litigation the past year, has been bought by Mr. Robert J. Graham, of Belleville, Ont. Mr. Graham is stated to intend operating this season and to thoroughly overhaul the buildings and plant, in- stalling much up-to-date machinery. The Draney _ Fisheries Company and the Kincolith Packing Co. are being operated by Mr. Henry Doyle, one of the best _ posted cannerymen on the Coast. It was stated that these two companies were in difficulties, but arrange- ments are now made for the continuing of the opera- tions, and all interested have every faith that Mr. Doyle will make a success of these two companies. Prices have not changed materially since last re- port, being: Sockeyes, talls, $8.25, flats $8.75, half flats $10.25; Cohoes, talls $4.75, flats $4.75, half flats $6.25; Pinks, talls $3.75, flats $4.25, half flats $4.50; Chums, talls $2.75. PRINCE RUPERT NOTES. _ Since the amending of the Order-in-Council as to Bonding privileges, entries to the number of 113 have been made at the Customs House, Prince Rupert, of fishing boats of American registry, landing fish in bond at Prince Rupert. The recent completion of the Imperial Oil Co.’s tanks and warehouses, has greatly facilitated the supply- ing of distillate to fishing boats. This plant consists ___ of five storage tanks, offices, pumping house, ware- houses, ete., and cost $250,000 to build. ‘The wholesale and retail merchants are taking ac- _ tive steps in connection with the supplying of boats with necessary supplies, and they in addition to the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., who also deal in __ fishing supplies with the fisherman, now fully cover the requirements of the fisherman. 5 The large fishing gear supply house of E. Lipsett, of Vancouver, has a branch located in Prince Rupert, and CANADIAN FISHERMAN 253 has placed Prince Rupert on the same basis as to Van- couver in the matter of these supplies. It is now possible for the fishing interests, to read- ily dispose of their catch and obtain all the supplies they require at satisfactory prices. The Booth fishing interests have approached the city with reference to the establishment of a branch of their business at this port. The City Council have under consideration several propositions for still fur- ther increasing the accommodation for the fishing inter- ests, and among these is a fish wharf and cold storage plant, for the use of the independent fishermen. The undernoted figures give the quantities of fish landed month by month during the first half of 1915 at the port of Prince Rupert. The total amount of hali- but landed at Prince Rupert during the year 1914 was 8,742,100 lbs. For the first six months of 1915 it is 6,182,200. These figures show that Prince Rupert as a fishing port is growing fast. January.—Salmon 24,000 lbs. ; cod, 10,000; lbs.; her- ring, 1,000,000 Ibs.; halibut, 625,000 Ibs.; mixed fish, 7,200 Ibs.; shell fish 6,00 Ibs. Total value $44,300. February.—Salmon, 25,000; cod, 8,000; herring, 1,- 486,000; halibut, 799,700; mixed fish, 16,300; shell fish, 7,000. Total value, $58,480. March.—Salmon, 35,000 lbs.; cod, 8,500; herring, 2,- 000,000 ; halibut, 810,000; mixed fish, 17,000; shell fish, 8,000. Total value $65,055. April—Salmon, 65,000 lbs.; cod, 10,300; halibut, 750,200; mixed fish, 4,800; shell fish, 12,000. Total va- lue, $42,235. May.—Salmon, 103,400 Ibs. ; cod, 9,000; halibut, 1,- 497,000; mixed fish, 5,000; shell fish, 1,000. Total va- lue, $80,785. June.—Salmon, 135,500 Ibs. ; cod, 8,800; halibut, 1,- 700,200; mixed fish, 1,000. Total value, $148,275. Totals.—Salmon, 377,900 Ibs.; cod, 54,600 Ibs.; her- ring, 4,486,000; halibut, 6,182,200; mixed, 51,500; shell, 34,000; total 11,186,200 lbs. ; value, $439,220. Of the above nearly all the halibut, salmon, mixed iy ag fish and cod was shipped east over the G. FISH PACKING ESTABLISHMENT IN NEW. FOUNDLAND. Reference has been made to negotiations in progress between the Newfoundland Government and a New York syndicate in connection with the formation of a fish packing establishment on a large scale. Mr. W. B. Nicholson, Trade Commissioner at St. John’s, has now informed the Department of Trade and Com- meree that the necessary legislation having been passed it is thought that the company will begin the erection of buildings and the installation of machinery with as little delay as possible. The local concern to be absorbed by the new com- pany is one which has been carried on successfully by a manager who is already known to Canadian impor- ters of shredded and boneless fish, and who will be in charge of the new concern. According to the plans the new building which is to be finished by the last of August or the first of September, and is to be one hundred feet long, fifty feet wide and two stories high. Until then, however, the old plant will be utilized. The new industry when in full running order will furnish employment, it is stated, for about 1,000 men and girls. Motor boats are to be used in conveying fish from the fishing grounds to the packing establishment, As the premises will not be finished till late in the season, the 254 CANADIAN output for this year cannot be correctly estimated, but it is thought that it will approximate between three hundred thousand and four hundred thousand pounds of boneless codfish. Salmon, trout, eels, tinned fruits, and cod-oil are also included in the prospective out- put of the new industry. UNITED KINGDOM MARKET FOR FROZEN FISH. Mr. Harrison Watson, Canadian Trade Commission- er at London, has informed the Department of Trade and.Commeree, that it is the opinion of the manager of a firm of fish dealers in London that the large re- FISHERMAN August, 1915. duction in the supplies of fresh fish of all kinds, will afford an opportunity for the introduction of Canadian frozen fish to the United Kingdom. It is also stated that although the trade has so far been practically confined to salmon and halibut, there is no reason why haddock, cod, and other fish which are in demand in this market should not be included, particularly if the shortage becomes acute. It is probable that Canadian fish eurers and ship- pers who have not so far associated themselves with the frozen fish business might be ready to look into this matter if the prospects are favorable. The name of the firm in question may be obtained on applica- tion to the Department of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa. MAX FINKELSTEIN WHOLESALE PRODUCER OF SMOKED FISH 124 HAVEMEYER ST. BROOKLYN - - N.Y, and fat, Pacific Coast mild cured SAL- B UYS are MON TULIBEES; 'BLUE- FINS; white STUR- I pay market prices for all varieties of prime, fresh or frozen fish, suitable for smoking. Remittances upon safe GEON; frozen as well as salted round and satisfactory arrival. Authentic reference. cate with me. HERRINGS. Red Communi- PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS P. C. PARKHURST Commission Dealer in FISH: Office and Wharf : 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. Correspondence Solicited BG GI 6 6 GB GG 2 GS _ same Pickled Conia W. Irving Atwood, Prest. W. Elmer Atwood, Vice-Prest. BRAND FINNAN HADD 31 Boston Fish Pier 26 PECK SLIP ~~ es PPS SPST TS TT TT PEEEED EE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE PEPE PEPE EEEE EEE EEE EE SESE EE CHARLES NOBLE Jr. PEEL EE EE EE EE EEE EEE EE LEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EE EEE EEE LEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE & THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish Tel. 1658 Beekman No connection with any other house. EERE EE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE PEPE EE EE EE EE PEPE EE EEPE PEPE PEP N. D. Freeman, Treas. ALL \. VARIETIES : OF THE : SEASON ~ Boston, Mass. Inc. NEW YORK Correspondence solicited COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (PuRoy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, Tenhie 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EE EE EEEE EE EEE EEE EE ES CANADIAN FISHERMAN 255 Peleleteteteloleletetoteloleleleleteloleleleletelolstoieieioleleisiviviclvivivieisisieisivivivisisivisislelvisieielsieietsisieisieielelolelelele bai oj ojo J] FISH & OYSTERS | onary anos || | ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, . and Prepared FISH in Season . (Near Custom House) p $9000 M O N ft R E A € OYSTERS A SPECIALTY 000000 + 4 St John, NB. Grand River, Que. Gaspe, Que. Westport, N.S. : COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES ee ee ee ea ae Pleleieiileisieielollololeleioleleleleteteteteicieicteteteistetetetetetsisteteteteteiststeteteletsiciotetleteieieietelsteteteteleleletetetet te) COO 000 COCO OO 000000 OOOO COO COOOC OO COCO OOOO COCOCOOCOOOO COCOnoNoOOOOoooooooooooo “Inspection Certificates Furnished Where Required.”’ F. J. HAYWARD | Frozen Salmon, Halibut and Black Cod. Fresh Salmon, Halibut, and other fish. Pickled Salmon, Herring and Black Cod ; Alaska Codfish and all other Pacific Fish in Carlots only. WESTERN AGENT:—ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN, LIMITED, Etc., Etc. (O10H0H0L00) 0000010000000 O}0H0H0H010 0000010 C0HCHOHCHO OCHCHOHCHO CCHCHOHOHO 0001000 COOH CHOCO £ is # SN be Correspondence Solicited 912 DOMINION BUILDING - VANCOUVER, B.C. a 8 ‘ DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! 2 DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE i The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited ; TORONTO | FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS i" a We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. a q 256 CANADIAN FISHERMAN i e PEEEPEEEEEEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE E PE PEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE PE PEPE SE i FISHING SUPPLIigg Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry . , in stock. Some of our Specialties are :-— E Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, é Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA ee PEPEPPEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EPE PEPE EE PEP EEE EE PEEP PEPE EE PE PPh HH ee ae EE a a a a ay ae as eee ee ee ee ee ee ee a ESTABLISHED 1874 : | 4 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines — in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless — Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes SeseeeneoneeneeoueeeonensceereenenneseseeeeooeeviiiihiniilniaccsinnnnnEnEEEE eo hers Cd CHO CHOHOH OOH bbb hp E very where in Canada Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies Gateway Brand Boneless Fish Oe ee oe £ f, Gateway Brand oe Fish GATEWAY FSH C0.) YARMOUTH, N.S. -“GATEWAY’”’ Brands of Fish OOODO0 COCCOOC0O000 COCOOO OO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOONO OO OOOO OOOOoOoOoOOOOoOOoonOoOooOooD 9 HE EE EE “RUPERT” BRAND THE CANADIAN FISH & COLD STORAGE CO. LTD. Wholesale Dealers, Packers and Shippers OF FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT and CANNED FISH No order too large None too small CORRESPONDENCE INVITED eee, LRINCE RUPERT, B.C] aaa Capacity --7000. tons. Chicago, Il, U.S.A, a f # * * ‘eal oe ca & om oa * # #8 + ¥ * * al a os + + * H 8 BE HE EG A OO A GG OO GR GR GG GG RG RG GR GC Gk) GR CRY GD CR GR GG GG SG SG GG Vol. Il. MONTREAL, SEPTEMBER, 1915 No. 9 SOQOUUNNNNANNNNNEEAOOGSOQQQSQGQ00000000000Q000000000UEOEOOOOEOESOSOOESOOOOSSOQOOOQOGOGUOOUOOOOOOUPAUUUUTOEEOOOEEOOEEESOOOOOOOSOOGOOUOOOY UOTE THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA'S COMMERCIAL FISHERIES TT Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association TT > 4 ae ar. ia c= ? “9 Gi i = ‘at 4, Oe aR Sf f a ¥ % * . & Be Az) a ee ae CANADIAN FISHERMAN | rite SKA FOODS Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade mi ot ( | { / \ ee ee ee ee ee ee ee a ee ee ee a ee ee ee Re ee ee ee ee ee ee el SSS PTT TT TT + + + + + + + +b + b z Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. : i t e,@ t . a i Maritime fl orporauion ¢ + 4 a ; LIMITED 3 ? 4 e t Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices a z DIGBY, N.S. : THROUGHOUT a z CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. § > + 7 Lee ee FFE EEE EE EELS LEED EE EEEE EEE EE EEEEEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE a r a September, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 257 BOO O OOOO OMS EOO OO OOOO me ~ oe Ital : i OX 1! — 3 xceptiona | a | ; Angling O iti og Re ; Angling Opportunities Ro > i () 4 tt fi are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one se i that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large 3) areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- fy dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. bs Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing Bs : ae : ; 8] clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with fa the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on ; the club territory. \ fj On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and es hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident 3) fishing or hunting license 8 To The Wholesale Fish Trade W The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from “ . . . 0 Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- hoe P fi tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie Fs des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their K own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit i of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. fa 0) For all Information apply to-- 6 AY) : THE MINISTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. Department of The Naval Service FOIL FOIL FO FISHERIES: In addition to the full statistics of the Fisheries which are published yearly in the Annual Report, the Department issues monthly bulletins containing statistics of the sea fisheries and general information in regard thereto. Copies of these will be sent free to any applicant. The value of the Fisheries of Canada is now about $34,000,000.00 annually. The demand in the home markets for fresh and mildly cured fish, is expanding ve rapidly. The Department pays one-third of the express charges on less than car-load lots on all shipments of such fish from the Atlantic Coast to points as far west as the eastern boundary of Manitoba, and from the Pacific Coast, as far east as this boundary. Close Seasons for Fish in Force on May Ist, 1915 Kiad of Fish: Nova Scotia. New Brunswick. P. E. Island. Quebec. Bhan CARMI oils i oi ee FONE eee ioc eo os odes Ucn e bE eons Web w hd ln ep aeieeas eh Mle mi ete Wine nile Seta oerete wae 1 April to 15 June. pO ee Ee ree eee ee Pee Ree Eyres yy hie Cet OP PR ROS NI 15 April to 15 June. OQORSMEMB ices cs oss oC Cduk cae paw ket Views oG bas each oe woh s woe age ieENa eS ok Ey wiPEinG wire se ee RS 1 Oct. to 30 Ve COVGCOEB a as. ve swe Sir K aw 60's b1 Jan. to 30 Sept. af] bl Jan. to 30 Sept. b1 Jan. to 30 Sept. bl Jan. to 30 Sept. ee Ura Tea eee: Oct. 1 to May 10 Oct. 1 to May 10 and | Oct. 1 to May 10 and] ............. are noe ee July 1 to Aug 31. July 1 to Aug. 31. July 1 to Aug 31. ea a ashen OR «aay a | See nnnaanon! GOON nonin iirc siete 4 Bese wid sie emerges ool y,« 6P, cing seh eRe be ale abel sp April 15 to May 15. Salinon (netting)............ Aug 16 to Feb. 288 ..| Aug. 16 to Feb. 28. Aug: 16 to Feb.f28 Aug. 1 to ee 30. Salmon (angling)...........+. eAug. 16 to Jan. 31. Sept 16 to March 31. Sept. 16 to March 31 Sept. 16 to April 30. Single ac cs ovat we ..| fApril 1 to July 1. fMarch 1 to June 30. fApril 1 to June 30. April 1 to June 30 Sturgeon....... CA cas lee aubeale nbn’ +6) June 1 to. July 3.26.55 Speckled Trout. 1 to March 31 Oct. 1 to March 31 Selmer cArOUl. Gosche ocak ate test ceenbicevkueseye bos seem Seema avln é WORDT eile keke dd aed o eth rh ey es ewe bese nin aehicn : Ba ' Kind of Fish: Ontario. Manitoba. Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Alberta Bass (Achigan).........++.. alS April to 16 Jane... bse sera eave ilies dae an (Pup eee Ad's ote's e:e,0h eis Se Co eeeececveeeseeseness Maskinonge.........ss0ee05 TS Apel 'to'1G June.’ HU esos eee vce ecans 68 Oe Oere ls site an es bb secetcteds cus eeueNn On REO TRET ETE aE SUE Pee TOE TEP ee ere rat OYGROEO 6.6. 6.6'ha sib 000d bein Webs Al. 0.6 Callan eics awed aed HAASE TY Cee icaee A Ricwind» > Quahaugs........ cof eee geese wens eres set P senses nssteeeasesesees Mickerel......... : cApril 15 to May 15. April 15 to June 20. Salmon ee < 5 Salmon (angling).. ‘ Smelts......... ee ; Sturgeon......... os ‘ .. [gMay 15 to June 1 Speckled Trout... . ee pe 35: 00 KOM BOs: SP sovk a ete ie ewernee Salmon Trout...........+.. BINOY. 1 20 °NBW690. 0 [ss eveukaam a elen peienes WT AUGER st cc ce vel vresereee hNov. 1 to Nov. 30. Sept. 15 to Nov. 19. iSept. 15 to Dec. 15. a—Except in Lake Erie west of Pt. Pelee and around Pelee Island, where close season is May 25 .: Julv 15. car « gh leased areas, where close season is 11cm : Tuly to ug. c—No close season in St. Clair River and off Lambton County. d—Except in waters north of or intersected by 54th parallel north lat. between eastern boundary of Saskatchewan, and 109th meridian and in waters intersected by or north of 55th parallel n. lat. west of this meridian to western boundary of Alberta, where there is no close season, PEEL EEEEBEZELLZLEBDLEEGEBEEDBEEBBGBBEBDBEBBBBBBBBBBBBBDB e—Except in Cape Breton Island, where close season is from Sept. 27 to May 31. a f—Bag-net fishing season Dec. 1 to Feb. 15; Loe fishing season ¢ ao 15 to Feb. 15. Licenses required for bag-nets or gill- nets. —Sturgeon fishing prohibited until Jan. 1, 1916. — No close season in Lake Erie. i—Except_in waters specified in (d) where close season is from 1 Oct. to Nov. 30. For British Columbia See Regulations. ONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES F C/ NADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE SH CULTURE AND THE USE AND ALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR a Industrial & Educational Press, Limited } St. Alexander St. - Montreal CANADA 0 Office - 44-46 Lombard St. ‘HE CANADIAN FISHERMAN SUBSCRIPTION: Canada and Great Britain $1.00 United States and Elsewhere... $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects'of practical interest If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association MONTREAL, SEPTEMBER, 1915 No. 9 The total marketed value of the fish taken by Can- lian fishermen from the sea and inland waters dur- the fiscal year ending March 31st, 1914, amounted $33,207,748—a mere drop in the bucket to what it be in the near future. Tn fishery resources, Canada is more bountifully en- wed than any other country on earth, both in the ealth of fish in her territorial waters and her close cimity to the fishing banks on both oceans. _ Upon the Atlantie Coast the great lobster fishery is, with the sister colony of Newfoundland, practically . Our friends to the south have the lobster grounds the New England coast, but they have been so heav- fished that the present catch is insufficient to sup- the United States market. The Bay of Fundy from Maine boundary to Chignecto: the Nova Scotia from Chignecto around the whole _pro- ncial peninsula and including Cape Breton Island; » whole of Prince Edward Island; the Gulf of St. rence washing the New Brunswick Coast; the Gas- n peninsula; the Island of Anticosti; the Mag- ns; the north shore of Quebec; the Labrador coast up to Henley Harbor, and the whole of Newfoundland’s ores, are the habitat of the lobster and the largest area in the world. _ The territorial waters of this area — within three of shore and including bays and indentations not .. In all the World no Fisheries Like These... 5 EH A EO Ge GG 9 GG more than six miles wide—are abundant in cod, had- dock, hake, pollock, cusk, halibut, and fish of coarser varieties all the year round. In the migratory seasons vast schools of herring, mackerel and sardines strike inshore in these areas and can be captured with the crudest appliances and with but little effort. Atlantic salmon, shad, gaspereau, smelts and flounders are abundant on the Atlantic coasts of Canada and New- foundland, and with larger markets, better prices and more inducements to fish, the harvest of our ter- ritorial waters alone could be increased enormously. On our Eastern seaboard, Canada and Newfoundland have the distinct advantage of having all the great offshore fishing banks with easy radius of our ports. Commencing with the banks in the Bay of Fundy— famous for hake and haddock—we have the Seal Is- land grounds, the Gully of the Cape Sable shore, and Brown’s Bank handier to Yarmouth, N.S., than any foreign port. The hard bottom of the Seal Island ground and the Gully are celebrated for cusk and hali- but while Brown’s is one of the best winter haddocking banks in the Atlantic. Off the southeastern Nova Sceo- tia coast the famous cod, haddock, and halibut banks of Roseway, La Have, Western, Sable Island, Banque- reau, Middle Ground, Canso, Misaine, and Artimon lie anywhere from three to four hundred miles nearer to our ports than to those of the United States. 260 In the angle formed by Newfoundland and Nova Seotia lie the great cod fishing grounds of St. Peter’s, Green, and Grand Banks. From the port of Boston, Grand Bank is a run of 1,000 miles; from St. John’s, Newfoundland, it is less than 100 miles, and from Halifax, N.S., about 500 miles. The cod fishing grounds of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, are almost entirely en- closed by Canada and Newfoundland; the halibut ground of Anticosti Island, and the Quebec shore are within 300 to 400 miles of a Canadian market port and over a thousand miles from Gloucester or Boston. The advantages are all with us, yet the bulk of the fishing vessels operating upon these grounds are Americans from Portland, Gloucester, Provincetown and Glou- cester, and French from the ports of St. Malo, St. Servan, Paimpol, Fecamp, etc., in France and from St. Pierre in the Miquelon Islands. Upon the Pacific coast the salmon, is of course, the most valuable fishery with a value of over $10,800,000 for 1914. The United States, however, are particularly well favored in the salmon fishery as they have the Co- lumbia River and have the advantage of catching the salmon outside our territorial limits as they enter the Straits of San Juan de Fuca to the spawning grounds of the Fraser and other inlets. In the salmon fishery of Alaska, however, they have the disadvantage of having to operate from 500 to 1,000 miles away from home territory and the nearest shipping point. In British Columbia there is no cannery more than 250 miles away from Prince Rupert, Victoria, or Vancou- ver, and the railroads and steamship lines connecting there for transcontinental or trans-oceanic hauls. In the Pacific halibut fishery, Canada has all the ad- vantages. The grounds of Hecate Straits and around the Queen Charlotte and Vancouver Islands are all within territorial waters or adjacent to them. The best of the southern halibut grounds are located in from 48 deg. 50 min. to 54 deg. 50 min. north latitude—from Victoria, B.C., to Prince Rupert, B.C., and on the grounds a large fleet of American fishing craft from Seattle operate. The northern halibut grounds of the Alaska coast from Cape Muzon to Unimak Pass, which are now being increasingly developed, are han- dier to Canadian ports than to those of the United States. From Prince Rupert to the fishing areas off Yakutat, Cape St. Elias, Middleton or Shumagin Is- lands, it is, five to six hundred miles less than from Seattle. The fishery wealth of the Pacifie is nothing short of marvellous. Salmon are so plentiful that in spite of the hundreds of canneries packing them, there is no diminution in the numbers which swarm inshore during the season. Halibut, second in importance to salmon, is caught in greater quantities than anywhere else in the world. Steam dory and long line halibut vessels seldom remain longer than eight to ten days on CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 19 the grounds before they secure a trip of from 100, to 150,000 pounds of the fish, and out of Vancouver Prince Rupert, small four dory gasolene schooners a week’s fishing in the vicinity of these ports will ] fares of 25,00 to 30,000 pounds. The possibilities of the Pacifie codfish are destin to be immense when it pays to catch and prepare ther for market. At the present time those caught o gear of the halibuters are ‘‘shacked off’’ or wu bait—but a few being brought ashore to su local demand. The black and gray cod of the can be caught in enormous quantities and are : as prolific as dogfish. The banks in the Behrin produce the best codfish, and here again, Can the advantage of being 500 miles nearer the grounds. Herring, on the Pacific, is most abundant a vides a future fishery which will become one greatest. At the present time about 27,000 b: 1 used for bait purposes and only 5,500 ewts. food in a fresh, smoked and pickled state of these fish are so heavy at times that a whole ton scow load can be bailed up by a large dij few hours almost anywhere on the British. coast. In addition to salmon, halibut, herring, the Pacific abounds with red rockfi of fine flavor and not unlike the red mapper lantie waters—also skate and arrow-toothed hi The latter three species are seldom brought t The fisheries of the Great Lakes we sh equal with our American cousins, though we advantage in possessing, within territorial best fishing areas of the north shore of Lake § and the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. For lake trout, herring and pickerel, these gro duce the finest quality and in great abund vast number of inland lakes scattered, — t! Canada teem with fish—whitefish, trout, pickerel, perch, tullibee, catfish, ete., and many of sien an be fished commercially owing to lack of transporta facilities. These inland lakes are destined to a great source of supply for future markets. F lakes of Manitoba alone, whitefish to the value of | 391 were taken in 1914, while the total value of caught in that Province amounted to $606,272 lue—three quarters of the eatch being United States. With such a bountiful inheritance in fishery ces and proximity to the great Banks of the - and Pacific, Canada can justly claim to possess greatest fisheries in the world. With the deve op of home and foreign markets, increased tr: tion facilities, more economical methods of fish, and better attention to details of prepara’ cure, who can prophesy how great our fisherie become? ; IPD ber, 1915. HH COLUMBIA TO HAVE A BRANCH OF CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION. informal meeting of the directors and members Canadian Fisheries Association met recently as of Mr. A. L. Hager, in Vancouver, B.C. The fol- ig were present: Mr. F. W. Wallace, secretary, al; Mr. A. L. Hager, director; Mr. W. H. Barker, ce-President; Mr. Peter Wallace, director; Mr. mar Greenwood, director; Mr. A. Sterrett, Mr. Burke, Mr. F. J. Hayward, Mr. Jas. Anderson. luncheon a general discussion took place. A ution approving the formation of a British Co- branch was passed, and the following committee pointed to discuss and formulate plans for such nization: Mr. A. L. Hager, chairman; Mr. W. reenwood, Mr. A. W. Sterrett, Mr. F. E. Burke, . S. Clements, M.P. Canadian Fisheries Association was formed last and an enthusiastic representation of all the an fishing interests met at Ottawa. A unique well attended fish banquet was held at the con- of the convention, at which all delegates were t, as well as the Minister of Marine and Fish- government officials and railway and express , officials. This national association of Can- fishing interests is filling a long felt want, and it aim of the association to widen the scope of its tions, and to bring together at stated periods entatives of all branches of the industry in order rove the methods of handling and distributing fishery products of the Dominion. Much enthu- is being shown, and the different provinces are x separate societies and organizations in order ‘simplify and assist the work of the main organiza- e fishery interests of Prince Rupert are also de- of forming a local branch, but it is under con- ion whether it would be advisable to have two Columbia branches—North and South Divi- It has been suggested that one branch only be ized with alternate meetings at each port—Van- er and Prince Rupert. No doubt arrangements be made which will suit the requirements of both ik | PATRIOTIC FISH MEN. In offering men and money to Great Britain in the present war, the fish men of Canada have not been hind those engaged in other industries. We have information complete enough to do justice to them ‘ the publication of an Honor Roll, but we know of erous instances illustrating the fact that the fish e are ‘‘doing their bit,’’ for the Empire. “CANADIAN FISHERMAN 261 Mr. Clarence Jamieson, M.P., for Digby County, N.S., though not actually a fish man, represents a fish- ing county, and is a close student of matters per- taining to the fisheries, gave $1,000 for the purpose of buying a machine gun. The gift is particularly gen- erous considering that Mr. Jamieson had saved this sum to purchase an automobile. The Member for Digby was unfortunate enough to have injured his leg some time ago and wished to purchase a car to enable him to visit his constituents. His action was the means of starting similar contributions from Nova Scotia and some 100 guns have since been contributed—many of them coming from fish men of the Province. Out on the Pacific Coast, the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., Ltd., of Prince Rupert subseribed the price of a machine gun from among its employees, and in Vancouver, the Canadian Fishing Company also made a similar contribution. Mr. W. H. Barker, Pre- sident of the B.C. Packers Association, contributed the money for a gun personally. Mr. J. E. Hawkins, of the D. Hatton Company, Mont- real, has three sons serving the Empire and another in training to go. Mr. W. S. Loggie, M.P., of Chatham, N.B., has two sons in khaki; Mr. S. Y. Wilson, of Hali- fax, N.S., has a son among the fighters. The well known Vancouver family of Bell-Irving, have sent several representatives to the front. Mr. W. Nicholls, of the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., Ltd., Prince Rupert, has taken a lieutenant’s commission and is awaiting orders to go. Hundreds of men engaged in the trade—at sea and ashore—have enlisted. We do not know them all, nor do we know of the many contributions that have been made by fish men, but we are glad to mention the names of the few that we have heard of. FISHERIES AT THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION. The Fisheries will again be featured at the Cana- dian National Exhibition held in Toronto from August 28th to September 11th. Displays of Canadian fish and fish products will be shown in the Dominion Govern- ment Building and several firms will have stalls and sections of the Cold Storage Room to exhibit their fish foods. Arrangements have been made by the Department of Naval Service with the restaurants in the Exhibition to have fish specially featured in the daily menu, and extra attention will be given to fish dishes on Fridays. September 3rd is to be ‘‘Fisheries Day’’ at the Ex- hibition and a luncheon will be given by the Directors to the Hon. J. D. Hazen, Minister of Fisheries, and other officials of the Fisheries Department. The Executive Meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Association will be held in Toronto on that date. 262 CANADIAN FISHERMAN CANADA’S FISHERIES A FEATURE AT TWO EXHIBITIONS. Canada’s fisheries and fishing industry will be fea- tures at the Canadian National Exhibition held in To- ronto, August 28th to September 11th, and also at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition which opens in Hali- fax, September 8th. Mr. A. H. Whitman, President of the N.S. Branch of the Canadian Fisheries Associa- tion will supervise the lay-out of the Nova Scotia ex- hibition. OCTOBER ISSUE OF “‘CANADIAN FISHERMAN.”’ A special feature of the October issue will be ‘‘The Log of a Long Line Halibuter’’—being the account of a trip made by the Editor upon a steam halibut fish- ing vessel from Prince Rupert to the Alaska halibut banks in which the long line method was used. Two years ago, the Editor made the voyage upon a halibut schooner to the Anticosti grounds and our read- ers will probably remember reading the account pub- lished in the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman’”’ and entitled ‘‘The Log of a High Line Halibuter.’’ It is a far ery from Anticosti to Alaska and those who are familiar with dory halibuting on the Atlantic will be interested in the work of the ‘‘Long Liners.’’ The article will be illus- trated by photographs. NEW SUBSIDIZED FREIGHT SERVICE. Largely through the efforts of the Transportaion Committee of the Canadian Fisheries Association, we are able to announce that the Department of Naval Ser- vice, Fisheries Branch, have arranged to subsidize a fgreight refrigerator car for fresh fish leaving St. John, N.B., over the C.P.R. every Tuesday, when not — less than 5,000 pounds of fish is offered. -j This should be of material benefit to shippers in 4 southern Nova Scotia and the fishing districts near St. John, N.B. 7 September, 1915. : q gy It may be of interest to our readers to know that E Mr. A. H. Brittain has been appointed a member of a the Transportation Committee of the Canadian Manu- — facturers’ Association, and considering the fact that Mr. Brittain is Chairman of the Transportation Com- — mittee of the Canadian Fisheries Association, we are — quite sure that his connection with transportation mat- ters affecting general freight conditions, as well as the fish business, will be of valuable assistance to the business at large. A veracious tourist informed the Editor that while — travelling over the Grand Trunk Pacific the train was held up on the banks of the Skeena River for several — minutes. Our tourist friend noticed schools of salmon making their way up the river, and being anxious to _ catch some, he took the clothes net out of his berth — in the Pullman car and dropping it into the water man- aged to land several fine salmon before the train start- — ed again. The Grand Trunk Railway are to be con- gratulated for providing such entertainment for their — patrons en route. qi SEPTEMBER FISH DAY CALENDAR Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. 19 26 20 2/ 28 1 8 29 2 9 30 2 10 17 24 September 15th and 18th Ember Days as ptember, 1915. a i oe War conditions in the North Sea have so seriously interrupted the British herring fishery during the pre- sent summer and will surely continue to so interrupt it during the coming fall and winter, that very few pickled herring will be available for export from Great Britain this year. In the course of last year (1914), the United States - apart from its importations from Holland and Norway, imported from the British Isles, approximately 135,- States secure a similar quantity for importation this year? _ Not in Great Britain because the comparatively small fishing fleets presently at work on the restricted areas cannot fully supply the demand for fresh and kippered herring for consumption at home; nor in the CANADIAN FISHERMAN 000 barrels of pickled herring. Where ean the United 263 Canada’s Opportunity in Herring Packing - a & By J. J. Cowie . oe [.] ing Gazette. Packers must realize, however, that this ‘market is extremely fastidious with respect to the quality and cure of the fish. The kind of herring chiefly desired by the American market is a plump fish of from ten to eleven inches in extreme length when cured, and full of milt or roe which must be left in the fish. Spent fish and large coarse fish are entirely useless for this market. Now we have abundant supplies of herring of a suit- able size on both coasts. But with our present means of capture it may be somewhat difficult to seeure any large quantities of this class on the American Coast before they come close to the shore, in a too ripe con- dition, for spawning. On the Pacifie coast, however, during the winter months, herring of a size and qual- ity similar to those taken at Yarmouth and Lowestoft, _ two herring producing countries of Europe, Holland and Norway, because, even if fishing were carried on by Dutch and Norwegian fishermen without let or hindrance, Germany, the great consumer of herring, will, with British supplies eut off, buy up everything available in Holland and Norway. Here then is a great opportunity for enterprise on the part of Canadian fish merchants to at least supply the United States with what it meantime cannot get from Europe. _ One fourth part alone of that trade would amount to more than the whole present annual exportation of pickled herring from Canada, practically all of which goes to other and cheaper markets. Every fish merchant who handles pickled herring knows that in normal years the price paid in the United States for herring cured in the European style is high. In this abnormal year it is very high, as may be seen weekly in the columns of the New York Fish- Herring Fishing in Prince Rupert Harbour. England, in October and November, swarm into certain of our harbors and can be taken readily in much greater quantities than at present. In order to capture a share of this trade with the United States, it is absolutely essential that the fish be cured and packed in accordance with the desires of the people who eat such fish. The Scottish or European style of curing and pack- ing is really a simple one, but the process calls for scrupulous care in carrying out its various details. Any Canadian packers who may be desirous of en- gaging in this business should give close attention to Appendix 1, page 22, of the regulations, for the guid- ance of coopers and packers, in making barrels and curing fish for the official brand under the recently ‘ passed Fish Inspection Act, where will be found a complete description of the Scottish method of her- ring curing. The classes therein deseribed as ‘‘Full’’ and ‘‘Med- 264 inm Full’ would be the most acceptable to the trade. The fish should be packed in half-barrels, preferably, of thirteen and one-third imperial gallons capacity, as defined in Clause 2, Appendix 1, of the regulations above referred to. To produce such a half-barrel the staves should be cut at twenty-four inches; the dia- meter of the end truss hoops should be fourteen and three-quarter inches, and the bilge truss hoops seven- teen inches. The coming into operation, this year, of the Fish Inspection Act gives to Canadian packers a unique chance of participating in this particular business. Herring cured for that trade may ke presented for A Deckload of Atiantic Herring. inspection to a duly qualified inspector and, if found to be packed in accordance with the Act, will be brand- ed with the Government crown brand. It should be clear to all in the business that inspected fish, bearing the Government brand as a guarantee of quality will more readily find buyers than uninspected, unbranded, fish, not only in this hitherto untouched market, but in any one to which pickled fish are sent. Under ordinary circumstances it would possibly be a matter of much difficulty for Canadian packers to secure a place in this particular American market for their produet, in competition with the Dutch and Brit- ish product, in favour of which there exists a long- CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. established prejudice; but in such times as the present, consumers cannot afford to indulge such a prejudice, and, if an entrance is now gained for Canadian fish, is should not be impossible to keep a hold at all times, provided the necessary care be exercised, firstly to secure the right kind of fish, and secondly to eure and pack them strictly as the consumers want them. It is to be feared, however, that so long as our fishermen, on the Atlantic coast especially, are left alone to eure their own fish as well as catch them, and this applies to mackerel as well as herring, we cannot expect to very speedily enhance the value of our pickled fish. The fisherman should be free to devote his time and attention entirely to catching the fish, while the matter _ of curing and marketing should be undertaken by the fish merchants who, by making a special study of the markets and the tastes and desires of the consumers, would produce exactly what was wanted, and thereby widen the present outlets and increase the demand just as a few of them have taken a hold of and developed to such and extent the business of smoking and market-_ ing haddock and other fish. GERMAN FISHING STEAMERS, Never, according to the ‘‘Hamburger Nachricten,”’ were so many fishing steamers launched at German shipbuilding yards as during last year, in spite of de- lays caused by the war. Steamers were launched from German yards, as com- pared with 25 in 1913, 18 in 1912, and 17 in 1911, while for 1910 and 1909 together the number was only 21. This activity, the journal explains, is due to the increasing consumption of sea fish and the great im- provement in the business results which have been shown during the last few years by all the steam-fish- ing fleet, which on Jan. 1, 1914, numbered 250 vessels, with a total of 49,460 tons, has now been increased to’ 300 steamers, with a total of 60,000 tons. The steam- ers completed during last year represented about 7,000 tons, with an engine capacity of 12,800 h.p. They were all vessels of over 200 tons and between 350 and 450 h.p. In the last few years, the German paper says, there had not been any great increase in the size of German fishing steamers, whereas both France and England have vessels twice the size of the largest under the German flag. Of the 30 new fishing steamers built in _ Germany last year 10 went to Altona, and 8 to Cux- haven, and the rest to Bemerhaven and Nordenham, and a few abroad. The numerous large number of fishing © steamers now being ordered in Germany is accounted for by the faet that German owners have determined not to order any more from foreign builders. Ger- man builders have also of late years received a num-_ ber of orders for fishing steamers from Brazil and Iceland. At the present time, it is stated, the German builders have on hand so many orders for fishing steam- __ ers that the production for the current year will con- siderably exceed that of 1914. BOOTH FISHERIES SECURE RUSSIAN ORDER. Chicago—An authority on Booth Fisheries admits ob- taining a large order from Russia for dried and canned fish, with still larger contracts pending which include canned meats. One plant on the Pacific coast which showed a deficit last year now shows $500,000 profit. In 1914 thirty new fishing — ai at p a a ee os eh et, eee ee ey ae Ce ae ea ss eye a, ee a ait PE Tesee) See ies “ek | ptember, 1915. 3 The Ordinary Life of a ~-Sea Fisherman es : ‘Lucky lot o’ perishers, I call ’em, with extra pay, ious little work to do, an’ every night ashore; to nothing of ‘comforts,’ such as mufflers, sweaters, * rubber boots,’’ said ‘‘Baby.’’ ‘‘Compared with it’s a bloomin’ gentleman’s life I say.”’ ‘Baby,”’ about five feet ten inches in height, pos- sible forty-two inches round the chest, strong as a Ab and deck hand on the steam-trawler ‘‘Ent i: half-a-dozen spokes of the wheel slip through his ge, hard, and extremely dirty hands, spat vigorously, repeated the observation, slightly varying the ly decorative words. No landsman would dare to try to reproduce the nage of a deep-sea fisherman, which is of the sea, d very salty; he can only serve it up as excessively ne as circumstances sanction, and trust to the re- jient adding further seasoning to the full extent of powers; though, even then, nothing will be obtain- that faintly resembles the rich, full flavor which Baby’ got apparently without effort. For ‘‘Baby,’’ n of the purple, was a veritable lord of language. Indeed, with the exception of the skipper, the mate, bos’un, the cook, two deckhands, and the second fineer, the only man abroad whose language was at similar to ‘‘Baby’s’’ was the remaining ‘‘decky’’— whom we called ‘‘The Hard Case.’’ The first en- r, gloomy and taciturn, who seemed to be always ering whether his second and the engines were keeping her at eighty-eight,’’ and the fireman, whose minent eyes and remarkable shyness reminded one Sir J. M. Barrie, seldom spoke, and after his first -hour on board the Passenger decided to trust to temporary shipmates retaining, somewhere, some ht knowledge of the language commonly used ore. **T tell you,’’ said ‘‘Baby,’’ expectorating again, for *“‘quid’’ was now in full flow, ‘‘I call ’em darned cy. More money, less work, ‘ome every night. And mforts! They're bloomin’ toffs, that’s what they e! I shouldn’t be surprised if they jolly well go to “a wearing collars an’ ties.’’ The ‘‘Enth’’ was within a few miles of the Isle of n; “‘they’’ were the men—three or four thousand em, in three or four hundred ships very much like je *‘Enth’’—who were then mine-sweeping in the orth Sea, and the Passenger assumed that the men ere probably very much like ‘‘Baby’’ and his mates. he war was still young. Had we not told the crew of the Morecambe lightship that the battle of the Aisne still going on? They had sent a boat to us to col- old newspapers, and they knew the name, for the uggle had begun when they last had news of events hore, a fortnight earlier. “Still, I should hardly have though you would envy em,’’ the Passenger remarked, being innocent and orant. ‘‘Why do you?”’ “You bloomin’ well wait until you’ve seen us fel- at work on this bloomin’ old boat, and then you'll w,’’ was ‘‘Baby’s reply. And the Pasesnger, waiting, soon began to under- d why ‘‘Baby’’ so spoke. i CANADIAN FISHERMAN British Deep 265 By H. M. JAMES, g + oa 2 & In the Millgate Monthly t Now let it be clearly understood that the ‘‘Enth’’ is deemed, by all who know her, to be much superior to any ordinary trawler. Though she is not fitted, as some trawlers are, with electric light, she has ace- tylene gas on and below deck; she is well over 100 tons burthen, and therefore substantially larger than most of the 3,250 British trawlers whose names appear in the ' Fisherman’s Nautical Almanack; though she has not been fitted with steam-steering gear—‘Save the cost in paint alone, it would, in twelve months,’’ says the skipper, ‘‘you saw how we scraped the pier, and that other boat scraped us coming out of harbor’’—she is fairly easy to steer when wind and wave and all other considerations are exactly suited to her own personal requirements; and her engines, of 80 or 90 horse- power, are quite capable of driving her along at the steady ten knots an hour which a fisherman regards as” a perfectly satisfactory speed. She is high in the bows, having a bonnet over the foc’s’le, low in the waist, rather high in the stern. Her engines are aft, giving her a stern draught of about fifteen feet, though forward she draws only six or seven feet. This is to give her towing power and meet the downward drag of the net. The upward sweep of her decks from amidships gives spring to the whole structure. These details are perhaps rather technical. You learn the purpose of the underlying principles—as the Pass- enger learned why ‘‘Baby’’ envied the mine-sweepers— by seeing the boat at work. On the forward decks are steam winches and revolving bollards; there are heavy planks which, fitted into steel stanchions, form shallow wells to receive the fish; along each rail a net is neatly stowed; on each side, for’ard and aft, huge iron- shod wooden platforms hang from iron gallows or der- ricks, other similar platforms are lashed to the sides of the boiler house. Space for movement on deck when work is in pro- gress is strictly limited, for steel cables spring into grinding, rushing activity, forming a moving network above and around the wells, and run aft to the gallows. The only beauty of the steam-trawler is the stern, hard beauty of hemp, iron, steel, and steam forced to the per- fect performance of very definite tasks for the benefit of man. As to the other means employed in the work—the men—the skipper has his eabin amidships, just where he gets the full benefit of the rattle and the roar, the snorting and the groaning of the two winches. For the present trip he shares these—the eabin and the noise—with the Passenger, sleeping on the sofa and al- lowing his companion to have the bunk. The cabin is about as large as a first-class railway compartment, and to get into it you have to climb into the wheelhouse and then descend a particularly steep companionway, for it has no doors opening on deck—none could keep the water out. The mate and the first engineer have cabins opening off the saloon, which is in what a landsman has been known to call ‘‘the blunt end of the ship’’; the second engineer and the cook sleep in bunks above the seats 266: that run round the saloon table and over the lockers in which most of the food is stored. Their share of noise is provided by the engines, and the screw. The bos’un and the deck hands have their quarters in the fo’e’s’le. All on board have their meals in the saloon, five men being able to sit at the table. The ‘‘Enth,’’ I repeat, is regarded as being distinctly superior to the average trawler, and the skipper swears that the crew, as a whole, is quite a good crew. He also tells the Passenger that usually he neither washes nor shaves during a trip, whether it lasts eight days or a month, nor does anyone else, except the second en- gineer, who ‘‘reckons to have a wash every watch,’’ because his job is so greasy, and sometimes shaves as often as twice a week. There is not a washbowl on board, nor is the decoration of the table over-elaborate. Tins of two-ounce, four-ounce, and eight-ounce calibre form the eruet, and the ‘‘napery’’ is not changed too often. The food, however, though of course plain, is plenti- ful and good, fairly varied, and well cooked. Ted, who discharges the whole of the duties of a full kitchen staff, as well as those of valet to the skipper and per- sonal attendant upon the Passenger is a really cap- able cook. He can produce puffed rice which is quite as good as his barm bread and plum duff, and also sup- plies us with bottles of a home-brewed, or rather sea- brewed liquor which he calls ‘‘stout,’’ swearing it as potent a liquor as any ever drawn in Dublin. Not the least of his responsibilities is that of seeing that the two-gallon tin kettle which serves us as a tea- pot is never empty, day or night, for the men drink en- ormous quantities of tea; an hour seldom passes with- out two or three of them slipping into the galley and draining a pint pot of the hot liquor. Ted is always ready to help the Passenger to try to catch gannets, or to turn starfish into ash trays—an experiment that proves a most dismal failure, or scrape and clean ‘‘sea eggs.’’ Also, in the evenings, whilst the skipper and the second engineer play euchre, never staking a halfpenny on the game, Ted will overhaul the former’s clothes, patching and stitching with per- sistence, though without speed, whilst he reprimands the owner for wearing out his garments so quickly. Is the ‘‘Enth’’ a good seaboat? At the end of the trip the Passenger was assured that she had not been really tested during the voyage, for though the month was October, the experts were agreed that the weather had been ‘‘good.’’ ; “You should have been with us last trip, when the water was waist deep on deck, and at times we could not see either rail.’’ The worst that we encountered in the way of weath- er was described by these specialists as ‘‘a smart breeze.’’ Whilst it lasted the waves came over the weather rail, flooding the deck, and making the men at work there cling to anything that was handy, and the boat, whilst climbing upwards at an angle of forty-five degrees, rolled to thirty degrees on each side of the perpendicular, with remarkable celerity. ‘Oh, no, for a trawler she’s all right and comparatively dry,’’ the Passenger was assured. Whereat he wondered greatly. Steaming down to the fishing grounds, the skipper has the nets overhauled and repaired—probably tak- ing a hand in the back-breaking labor, and working as vigorously as anyone with his ‘‘needle’’ and tarred and tallowed twine, ‘‘‘mending one hole by making two,’’ he says, as the meshes grow in number, The nets used CANADIAN FISHERMAN eek) September, 1915. by deep-sea trawlers, which cost about £100 each, are hand made, girls being employed in their manufacture; for no weaving machine yet invented will produce a net which has sides that are not straight. The net is, — roughly, pear-shaped, with a slanting slice eut off the — broad portion, for the top of the mouth of the net is — considerably longer than the bottom, which may be FS sixty feet or eighty feet from end to end. e One of the wooden platforms which the Passenger — saw hanging from the gallows is attached to each end — of the mouth. It is there to keep the mouth open, and — it is called a door. If the net is to be used on a rocky — bottom, it has below the underlip a chain of wooden — rollers or huge bobbins, which are supposed to lift it 5 over the stones and so save it from being torn. They = do not always accomplish that. The net haying been rs cast overboard, the winch sets up its infernal din as — the steel cables run shrieking and crackling off the drums, and as the trawler steams ahead the net drops — astern and downwards. ae a The depth of water in which fishing goes on may % be only twenty-four or thirty fathoms, it may be — over 200 fathoms. In the latter depth the two drums may each pay off 1,000 fathoms of wire rope. The weight of the net and cables and of the fish which are — swept up may be enough to reduce the speed of the ves- _ sel from ten knots an hour to three, although full steam is maintained. te * Trawling continues for probably three or four hours — before the net is hauled on board. When that has to — be done the vessel is stopped, the winch winds in the _ cable, and, eventually, if the net is fairly full, it ap-— pears some yards from the side of the boat, a creaming _ of the water showing where it will come up, floated by 4 the bodies of the fish. fe Then it is pulled over the side by muscular effort, — the whole of the deckhands helping. Wearing oilskins ¢ and seaboots, they heave at the net, bringing the eateh _ a little nearer each time the vessel rolls downward. — Fish caught in the upper meshes are dragged out and — flung either upon the deck or back into the water, ac- cording to their possession or lack of value as food. When the men, by putting forth every serap of their strength, have hoisted in nearly the whole of the net a rope is run round it, the winch is set going again, and it is dragged forward and upward until it hangs — above the deck, water streaming from it, its meshes made taut by the weight of the imprisoned fish. A man gropes about in the pouring cascade until he gets hold of the fastening rope. He pulls it, the tail of 4 net opens, and the catch falls out in a glittering, erash. ing mass which overflows from one well to another detached fragments sliding along the decks. The net is immediately tied up again and pushed overboard f another haul, Then the dirty work begins. Tramping their way through the still living fish, the men seize them one by one and gut and clean them by a fe smart strokes with their knives, flinging the de bodies back on to the deck and throwing the entrails | overboard. All the livers are kept, however. The fish are afterwards washed by turning a hosepipe upon them, and then they are thrown into the hold, to be packed in ice under the supervision of the mate, who keeps count of the quantity of each variety of fish that falls through the hatchway. ‘ Half-a-ton of fish was considered a fair haul on tt “‘Enth,’’ but it must be remembered that the mon was October, which is as bad as Mareh for fisherme} and the two are the worst months of the year. Some- times the bag is so full that its contents have to be. Ce _ ground to another. Their lives are inconstant danger. ‘September, 1916. divided into two sections, which are hauled in separate- ly. Sometimes, when the net is swinging inwards, it bursts, and the fish drop back into the sea. Sometimes it comes up empty, ripped into tat- ters as it has been dragged over rocky ground. That means hours of labor already lost, hours of extra labor to come, whilst the net is being mended. To what heights of language would ‘‘Baby”’ ascend, to what depths would he fall, if he were skip- per when that happened! Even as he is—a mere deckhand—‘‘Baby’’ seemed - more disapopinted than any other member of the crew when misfortune befel the nets of the ‘‘Enth.’’ For this reason: the livers of all fish are one of the perquisites of the crew, and are sold to manufacturers of engine oil; the proceeds being equal to more than a pound per man, even when the vessel returns with less than half a full cargo. And the soul of ‘‘Baby’’ yearned for the livers of all the fishes of the sea. The crew also retain for their own profit the bodies of the angler fish—the ‘‘monk,’’ as they eall it. And *““Baby’s’’ love for monks was only surpassed by his _ the skipper; the Passenger suspects that ‘‘Baby’’ would rather see the net full of dogfish than of soles; the sole has but a small liver—a mere wisp of a liver, such as no self-respecting fish would carry around, ‘whereas the liver of the dogfish is a large notable, _ liver. You see, ‘‘Baby’’ has a standing wage, plus his share of the ‘‘stocker,’’ as the crew call the livers and the monks’ bodies, whereas the skipper, like the mate, takes _ a proportion of the profits of a catch instead of a wage, each, however, sharing also in the stocker, and such distinctions make men take entirely variant views. _ Work goes on almost unceasingly on a steam-trawler. - When not actually fishing, the boat is going from one If the crew are not shooting or hauling in the nets, they are gutting fish, repairing the - nets, or taking a turn at the wheel. They work seven _ days a week, all the year round, be the weather what it may. Their only chance of rest and change is be- tween trips. It lasts perhaps thirty-six hours, and may - eome only once—seldom more than twice—a month. ‘ Hardly a week _ passes without a brief paragraph in the newspapers re- - eording that a trawler has been wrecked or sunk in a ¢ollision, so many lives being lost. Frequently wet to the skin, with only short periods of sleep, engaged in most laborious toil, their health and strength are al- ways in jeopardy. ’ The deckhand says that fishing is the lowest of all forms of employment at sea, and wishes he was in the mercantile marine. The captain says the same, and the cook agrees. But none will say that he would really _ prefer a berth ashore, and the skipper and the Passen- ger have long discussions as to how the ‘‘Enth’’ could best be transformed into a yacht if the latter bought _ her and put the former in command, with the cook as _ chief steward—a post he says he would gladly accept. : When the men leave home they do not know when they will see it again. They and the boat have only one object—to catch fish, and it is entirely for the skipper to decide where he will take them, when he will bring them back. One good haul may cause them to spend days and nights in one spot, steaming to and CANADIAN FISHERMAN 267 frofn, or around, a fixed point, possibly a landmark, perhaps a buoy dropped overboard. One fine, sunny afternoons; on grey, cold, and windy mornings; through nights of regal moonlight or how- ling hurricane, the work must and does go on. The man and the boat go forth with one obect only—to get fish aboard. Waves may come over the side, filling sea- boots, swishing up the sleeves of oilskin coats, soak- ing the men from hair to heel; the decks become slip- pery with water, ooze, slime, grease, and blood, they rock and reel as the vessel sits ducklike among the rushing, foaming waves—the work must still go on. Hands may be cracked by frost or stiffened by salt; they may be so cold that the knife and the needle can hardly be held; but the fish must be cleaned, the nets must be mended. And down below the fireman must feed the insatiable maws which gape and ery for coal, and still more coal; the engineer, though he has no more eyes than an or- dinary man, must see simultaneously the quivering fin- gers of half-a-dozen gauges and indicators. At its best, the men who work below and the men who work on deeq lead a life of toil and monotony ; at its work; a gal- ley slave might shun it. And the Passenger, seeing these things, began to understand why “‘Baby’’ longed to be mine-sweeping in the North Sea. MEAT PRICES GO UP IN ENGLAND. Great increases in the prices of meat are disclosed in the report of the superintendent of the London Cen- tral Market, issued last night. He states that the sup- ply of meats of all kinds for July, 1915, at the market, totalled 29,702 tons, as compared with 36,833 tons in July, 1914. The price of fresh beef increased 43 per cent, while that of frozen beef increased 74 per cent. Fresh mut- ton increased 13 per cent, and frozen mutton 50 per cent. QUEBEC INLAND FISH NOW COMES UNDER PROVINCE. Dominion hatcheries in the Province of Quebee in which inland fish are propagated are now being trans- ferred to the Quebee Government. Four hatcheries are involved in the transfer, those at Mont Tremblant, St. Alexis, Magog and Lake Lester, the fry in these hatch- eries being that of different varieties of game fish. This action of the Dominion authorities comes as a consequence of a recent decision of the Privy Council that the province owned the inland fisheries. Some years ago the Dominion transferred inland hatcheries in Ontario to the government of that province and is now following suit in the case of Quebec. Since the Quebee Government regulates the inland fisheries, it was considered anomalous for the Dominion to take the responsibility of propagating them. There is still no change in the situation as regards the control of the tidal waters of Quebec, disputed be- tween the Dominion and Provincial authorities. Both sides have agreed to submit a case to the courts, but have not as yet carried out the legal preliminaries to such action, bo * 0 Oe i] Like many another successful business in Canada the firm of A. Wilson and Son, of Halifax, Nova Scotia was established by a Scotsman, the late Alexander Wil- son. Mr. Wilson started out as a fish dealer in a small way in 1879 and through carefulness and thrift built up an extended trade. His son, Mr. S. Y. Wilson, was born on March 15, 1868, at Port Errie, Banffshire, Scotland, and came to Nova Scotia with his father. He was educated in the Nova Scotia public schools and at the Halifax Academy. He entered his father’s business in 1881, and received a most careful training in all the branches MR. S. Y. WILSON. of the fishery trade. He was made a partner in 1889 and was the principal manager of the firm for some years before his father’s death in June of 1913. Under his capable direction the business has risen steadily to a premier position in the fishing industry. Mr. Wilson has been active in everything that per- tains to the welfare of his adopted city and country. For three years he served with much acceptance as member of the Halifax City Council. For twenty-six years he was a member of the 68rd Halifax Rifles, re- tiring finally with the rank of Captain. He is a erack 68 CANADIAN FISHERMEN -‘‘and it was certainly full time. September, 1915. 8 HE 8 GP EE SE EE YG 2 EG 2 8 8 Who’s Who in the Fishing World .” se : (EE GG Ge eG YG GB DDC CY) CD RR CR A RD RD CD RD DC) GD a rifle shot, and was Captain of the Halifax Rifle Team for several years. Curling is his principal recreation at the present time. He has long been a student of fish life in all its phases. In 1912 he was appointed a member of the Dominion Shellfish Commission and his expert advice in that capacity enabled the Commission to make re- commendations that if acted upon will advance very materially the best interests of the shellfish industry in the Maritime Provinces. Mr. Wilson is Vice-President of the Canadian Fisheries Association. “‘The Government have taken steps toward the re- demption of the oyster industry,’’ said Mr. Wilson, The Canadian oyster beds were in a fair way of becoming exterminated. Wanton destruction of natural oyster beds has been almost invariably the rule. Why, only a few years ago the people of Orangedale in Cape Breton used to ship about 3,500 barrels of oysters yearly. At present these once splendid beds are yielding a paltry hundred bar- rels. A Massachusetts expert declares that the eultiy- able area for oysters covers 67,000 acres, is capable of producing not less than six million dollars yearly, and employing a population of 20,000 skilled and unskilled laborers. Now if such results are obtainable on the limited coast line of the State of Massachusetts, what are the possibilities on the thousands of miles of coast line of Canada’s Atlantic shores? ““The dry fish trade in Nova Scotia is gradually be- coming confined to the catch of the Lunenburg Bank fleet so that in many seasons, except for the Bay of Fundy supply, the exporting houses do not take the inshore catch into very serious consideration. Halifax now draws most of its dry cod from the Gaspe coast, the Magdalen Islands and Newfoundland. The three largest exporting houses here have established branches at St. John’s, and to a certain extent meet their re- quirements by shipping direct to the consuming mar- kets from the Newfoundland port. ‘‘Now such a condition of affairs is regrettable not only from a Halifax but from a Nova Seotian point of view. Of course, the diminution of the inshore dried fish trade is due in part to the development of the fresh and canned lobster industry, the increased de- mand for fresh fish and the consumption of a yearly increasing quantity of fish for the Canadian and United States package trade. At the same time the introduction of the steam trawler would revolutionize the dry fish industry in Nova Scotia. I don’t refer to the operations of dis- earded steamers of the British fleet, but to thorough- ly modern craft with a full equipment of men and supplies. The fish produced could be landed at the most convenient ports and cured to suit whatever mar- ket promised the best returns. “The Nova Scotia pickled fish trade does not keep pace with requirements. At the same time it is well known that vast shoals of herring and mackerel are off our coast almost all the year. It seems to me that scientific research could be profitably utilized in this connection, Certain regulations for the pickled fish trade similar to those governing the fruit industry would also be beneficial. One thing is certain—the ne ee eer September, 1915. Canadian pickled fish industry as a whole is capable of very large development. ‘The time has come when the public should be made fully aware of conditions affecting an industry which is one of the mainstays of Eastern Canada. Some im- provements are noticeable of late years in the admini- stration of the Fisheries Department, but more are needed. The location of that Department is not con- ducive to satisfactory results. ‘*Everyone who has a grasp of the fishing industry in Nova Scotia will tell you that this Province is let- ting the wealth of the seas, which lies at her doors, slip from her grasp. We have one of the finest shore and deep-sea fishing grounds in the world. We have all the natural conditions favorable to the prosecution of the industry. We have men bred to the sea life. With all our advantages we should be producing actually ten-fold our present production. Fishing stands next to farming as the greatest industry of the Provinces. What is needed is the inauguration of a thoroughly pro- gressive and efficient administration, the introduetion of the best methods of curing and packing and some system whereby the movements of the various fishes can be followed. These reforms together with im- proved transportation facilities afford ample scope for the activities of the Canadian Fisheries Association.’’ * * * * Three years ago the firm of A. N. Whitman and Son, Limited, celebrated its centenary. Abraham Whitman, the founder of the firm, established himself at Canso in May, 1812. This port had had a chequered career ever since the Cabots discovered the North American mainland. At times during the French wars the town numbered a fairly large population, but when Abraham Whitman settled there the population had fallen to five families. He was, however, impressed with the advantageous location so near the fishing grounds, and his faith in the place was fully justified. He steadily built up a business of considerable volume, exchanging merchandise for fish and fur, and shipping his fish principally to the West Indies, the Mediterranean ports and the Azores. The business was in turn carried on by his son, Abraham N. Whitman, and later by his grand- sons. Canso is now a thriving little town of about 2,000 souls, while a thousand more people live in the neigh- borhood. The Whitman establishment has kept full abreast of the development. From the beginning the Whitman family have been interested in fish. In 1907 the fish department was transferred to the Whitman Fish Company, Ltd. At the same time the cold stor- age department was made over to the Canso Cold Stor- age Company. In 1912 these two companies were brought into the Maritime Fish Corporation. Mr. E. C. Whitman, the head of the firm, is keenly interested in the expansion of the fish industry. He is looking toward the time when the fishermen of Canso will be able to load their daily catch of fresh fish from boat to refrigerator cars in the shortest pos- sible time. He sees no good reason why his home town, situated as it is on a peninsula that juts out into one of the greatest fishing grounds in the world, will not become the landing place of the fish supplies of Canada. Twenty-five years ago when the Intercolonial was constructed to Port Mulgrave, twenty-four miles dis- tant, the firm embarked upon the fresh fish business. Up to that time the fish trade of Canso was entirely in salt fish. Small shipments of fresh fish went for- ward to Boston and Montreal and this business has slowly but steadily developed ever since. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 269 Mr. Whitman has always interested himself in muni- cipal affairs. He was elected Mayor of Canso in 1901 and subsequently re-elected for ten years by acclama- tion. He is also prominent in the work of the Baptist Church, of which he is a member. He was educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., and at Acadia Uni- versity, Wolfville. He is a member of the Alumni of Acadia, and a member of the American Fisheries So- ciety, American Association of Science and the Ameri- ean Civie Association. His principal recreations are boating and travelling. He married Alice Gertrude, the daughter of the late Rev. G. M. Carey, D.D., of Ot- tawa. Mr. Whitman in polities gives his allegiance to the Liberal party. MR. E. C. WHITMAN. ‘‘T believe in Technical Education for fishermen,”’ said Mr. Whitman, ‘‘especially for the younger men. It is full time that our young men awoke to the full requirements of the trade and to the methods that have for years been practised in other countries where —I must say—a product superior to ours — is ~ being placed on the market. ““Why, we should be progressive enough to be pioneers in improved methods. Let us at least not fail to adopt the best improved methods of catch and eure in vogue elsewhere. “Side by side with the adoption of better working methods we should seek to keep our product persistent- ly before the public mind. We should be more alive to the importance of exhibiting our product attractively at all fairs. We should arrange whenever possible for free fish lunches at public gatherings. We should en- courage the attractive display of fish products in fish shops and grocery stores. In my opinion war condi- tions will increase the sale of fish as other foods become dearer. Let us strive for better transportation facili- ties, so that the inland consumer may be able to have his fish course as regularly and in as fine flavor as the dweller by the seaside.’’ Mr. Whitman is a man that combines fine culture with a thorough business training. Wide awake and thoroughly progressive his interests include everything that goes to the making of a finer Canada. He is one of the strong men in the East who are enhancing the reputation of the Maritimes. 270 ; i te i eS wd *y Nie! Stepan oy ben comet cen thes —_ Dominion Government Building, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, where the Fisheries Exhibit is located. The Prairie Provinces One of the most enterprising and progressive whole- sale fish concerns doing business in the Middle West to-day is the W. J. Guest Fish Company, Winnipeg, of which Mr. William John Guest is President and Gen- eral Manager, and Mr. William Douglas is Secretary, and looks after the financial end of the business. The Company’s premises are located on the banks of the Red River and not far from Winnipeg’s Main Street. Of modern construction and with a large cold storage equipped with the Linde-Canadian refrig- eration system, the Guest plant is one of the largest fish warehouses in the West. Smokehouses are includ- ed in the premises and the famous and delectable spe- cialty of the firm—Kippered Goldeyes—are put up there. Epicures remote from Winnipeg have yet an- other delight in store for them if they have not tasted this sueculent Lake Winnipeg fish. Mr. Guest is a self-made man and started life as a fisherman on Lake Huron. Later he went West and built up the present establishment in Winnipeg from very humble beginnings—a horse and wagon first, and then a very small store on Main Street. After many vicissitudes. but going ahead all the time, the present company was formed by Mr. Guest and Mr. Douglas in 1905. The firm handle all kinds of fish—sea and lake—and have railroad tracks leading to their ship- ping rooms. Mr. William Douglas is a Director of the Canadian Fisheries Association and a member of the Transporta- tion Committee—an office in which he shines, as few men have studied the complexities of railroad tariffs as much as he. In the formation of the Association, Mr. Douglas was one of the most whole-hearted supporters of the movement. With two such men directing its affairs, the fortunes of the W. J. Gu est Fish Company are destined to ad- vance and keep pace with the progress of the Prairie City. * * * “Tf it swims—we sell it!’’ is the slogan of the House of Green—a relic, no doubt, of the days when the Clan Green, awa’ back in Auld Scotia lang syne, advanced on their enemies with claymores and flying tartans. Alas! times have changed, and the present Chief of the Clan has discarded the sword of his Highland forefath- ers for a more legitimate occupation—that of advane- ing the good qualities of fish upon the people of the West and incidentally the consumption. Few persons in the Trade are better known than Mr. Hugh A. Green of the Aberdeen Fish Market, Sas- katoon, and Prince Albert, Sask., and the Camp Fish Supply Company of Sewell Camp, Man. ‘‘Hughie Green,’’ as he is popularly known, is the Apostle of Fish in the West, with a commission from Old Father Neptune himself to get all the fish out of the sea to make room for submarines. Friend Hughie has special claims to distinction for his efforts with the Military Authorities of Canada in get- ting fish placed upon the soldier’s menu. His famous pilgrimage to Ottawa, during which he expounded on the good qualities of fish to every official from General Hughes down to the War Office orderly, is bearing fruit, and Mr. Green’s latest establishment is in Sewell Concentration Camp where he supplies all kinds of sea and lake fish to the ‘‘sodger laddies.’’ When six feet two inches of optimistic aggressive- ness combined with Scotch pertinacity gets busy on the merits of a fish diet there is no escape—it’s a case of ‘‘Eat Fish or perish!’? Hughie gets his audience to eat fish and then attends to business by pointing out ‘‘If it swims—we sell it!’’ 286 CANADIAN The fisheries of the inland lakes and rivers of the Prairie Provinces are very considerable. There are a vast number of these lakes scattered throughout the west and upon almost all of them are located fishing camps, where in the season, a large number of fisher- men operate their nets and bring to shore huge quan- tities of fish. Two of the largest concerns operating this fishery are the Armstrong Trading Company, Ltd., of Portage la Prairie, Man., and the Northern Fish Co., of Selkirk, Man. FISHERMAN September, 1915. The Hon. Hugh Armstrong is the President and Man- ager of the company, which bears his name, and under his direction, the concern has expanded to a miniature Hudson’s Bay Company with trading posts all over the west. Mr. J. W. Simpson is the manager of the North- ern Fish Company and is one of the best known fish men in the Prairie Provinces. He is a Director of the Canadian Fisheries Association. The main fishery of the company is located on Lake Winnipeg at Selkirk. Bailing in Lake Fish from a Pound Net. British Columbia (Special Correspondence.) This is too large a field to cover entirely at one go, so I can only here confine myself to a rough draft of the industry as operated in and from Vancouver. This will represent more or less the Province, but cannot attempt to show the vast extent of the whole of the fisheries of this Province. It is also impossible to cover Prince Rupert as that ambitious centre is a long way from Vancouver, and has interests more local than otherwise. Outside of Prince Rupert and a few can- neries that are operated from Victoria and the whaling industry, the rest of the fisheries of British Columbia are operated from Vancouver. I do not propose to show by statisties how much lar- ger in volume the industry is in British Columbia than in other parts of Canada. The official returns show this. But very few people in Eastern Canada realize that the fishing industry of British Columbia is in its very early infancy, and has sources untouched of what are to-day profitable branches in the Maritime Pro- vinces. Our Eastern Canadian friends are mostly un- der the impression that we have nothing worth while, other than salmon and halibut. Besides these fish we have herring in-all sizes, cod of all species and of some species unknown to the Atlantic waters, soles, plaice, flounders, smelts, oolichans (eaplin tribe), skate, bass, perch, shad, sturgeon, shrimps,prawns, crabs, clams, oysters and many other species. Most of these are hardly touched as the demand has been upto now so limited. But whenever there is a ready market for fish, the waters of British Columbia can supply an unlimited demand. We all have our kicks to make, for we would not be worthy of the calling we follow if we did not have something to growl at. We on this coast feel that the fishing regulations are not properly adjusted to suit the requirements of the industry and of the peculiari- ties special to the Pacific. Perhaps if we kick long enough and bring the matters that worry us to the at- tention of the powers that be, we will be given what we are after or at least as much as is good for us. It will be seen in time that regulations made for the At- lantie cannot be enforced on the Pacifie, and vice versa. Our canned salmon industry is a branch of the fish- eries entirely to itself at present. But there seems to be a growing impression that the future will see the canning and fresh fish branches indispensible to each other. It is also considered that a cannery with a cold storage attached or close at hand will be essen- tial in the future. To-day, for instance, there are sey- eral such plants on the coast. It stands to reason that oe SS vee a ‘ ae. eee ee | FASS) AE ere sere © vat nid AE eS ee ee September, 1916. there shgulidi be some place to send the surplus of sal- mon that often offers, where it can be taken care of later. A cannery will in this way be able to operate more regularly and will consequently have a lower cost of operation, One noticed in a recent Newfoundland paper the fact that a merchant of that country had an enquiry or canned salmon that ran into the millions of cases. such an enquiry would cause quite a flutter anywhere but on the Pacific Coast. The largest pack British Columbia has ever put up was that of 1913, when the total was 1,353,901 cases (each case of 1-lb. tins con- tains 4 doz.) This is quite a lot of salmon, but only about one-fifth of the total of the whole pack on the Pacific. With the cannery of the future equipped with a cold storage plant, the packs will be much larger. The demand will adjust itself to all that can be put up. _ The following will tend to show the vast amount of _ eapital invested in the business in British Columbia :— Packers of Canned Salmon in British Columbia. B. GC. Packers’ Association—Fraser River, Skeena River, Naas River, River’s Inlet and outlying. _ Anglo B. C. Packing Co., Ltd —Fraser River, Skeena River, Naas River, River’s Inlet and outlying. = J.T. Todd & Sons—Fraser River, Skeena vt, 3 Riv- er’s Inlet and outlying. St. Mungo Canning Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Glen Rose Canning Co., "Litd.—Fraser River. Great West Canning Co., Ltd.—F raser River. _ M. Desbrisay & Co. ~_Fraser River and Naas River. Seot.-Can. Canning Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Jervis Inlet Canning Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Although Prince Rupert’s official nomenclature is Prince Rupert, Northern British Columbia, there is nothing North about the city, except the initials, N. B. ©. North spells cold, frost, ice and snows. Prince Ru- _ pert’s average mean temperature in 1914 was 46.6 Her snowfall was 1.29 inches. Her lowest temperature was 8.0 and her highest was 77 degrees. The City stands within 30 miles of the absolute dead eentre of British Columbia. It is linked up with East- ern Canada, the Prairies and the States by the newest, shortest, and easiest graded transcontinental railway on the American Continent. This rail passes through the centre of British Columbia, the centre of Alberta and Saskatchewan on to the city of Winnipeg. Prince Rupert is also the connecting link—where steel meets keel—on the shortest route between the Atlantic Coast and the Orient. _In the year 1907 the place where Prince Rupert now stands was a wilderness of timber covered land. There was no connecting steel between her and civilization, and the only way in or out was by steamer. To-day—1915, a short eight years—the steel is laid, regular trains are running fully equipped, and each leave Prince Rupert with its share of the harvest of the seas for the markets of the Hast and Europe. A A town has sprung into being. A city of 6,000 souls with churches, schools, banks, public buildings, tele- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 287 Goss-Millard Canning Co., Ltd—Fraser River and outlying. Steveston Canning Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Defiance Packing Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Northern Canning Co., Ltd.—Fraser River. Kildala Packing Co,, Ltd—Skeena River, River’s Inlet and outlying. B. C. Canning Co., Ltd—Skeena River and Naas River. Skeena River Commercial Co., Ltd—Skeena River. Cassiar Packing Co., Ltd.—Skeena River. Wallace Fisheries, Ltd.—Skeena River, River’s In- let and outlying. Can. Fish & Cold Storage Co., Ltd.—Skeena River. Kincolith Packing Co., Ltd.—Naas River. Clayoquot Packing Co., Ltd.—Outlying. Quathiaski Canning Co., Ltd.—Outlying. John Wallace.—Outlying. Draney Fisheries, Ltd.—Outlying. Gilford. Fish Co., Ltd.—Outlying. Goletas Fish Co., Ltd.—Outlying. - Nanaimo Fish Co., Ltd.—Outlying. A cannery is in the position of a father of a large tanily. It has to finance the fishermen, supply them with boats, nets, and other gear and take its chances - of getting its money back. The outlay in advances ~and gear alone by the canneries of the Pacific are en- ormous. So large are they in fact that it takes a man who must be pretty sure of his ground before he ven- tures into the business. The Province of British Co- lumbia owes more to the old time cannerymen than people have any idea of. I know such conditions pre- vail all over Canada, but not anywhere do they prevail as largely as out here. Prince Rupert---The Port of Progress By F.S. WRIGHT, Publicity Commissioner of the Board of Trade, Prince Rupert, B.C. phone, light, power, parks, graded streets, sewer sys- tem, hotels, and other facilities. Eight years has witnessed the completion of a dry dock of a larger capacity than any other like plant on the Pacific Coast. Fully equipped for all kinds of ship building and repair work, with up-to-date ma- chinery shops, foundries, a 60-ton crane and other mod- ern facilities, not building, but built and ready for business. Already the first steamer to be repaired at the dock is expected daily. Prince Rupert also pos- sesses a cold storage plant of 7,000 tons capacity; fish curing plants, docks, wharves, ice-making plants, and other requisites incidental to the fish trade. A fuel oil depot consisting of five storage tanks, docks, warehouses, pumping stations, ete., where, week- ly, tank steamers of large capacity are landing car- goes of oil fuel necessary to the fish trade and the rail- way. Ore bunkers, shingle mills, wholesale warehouses, ete. All this has been commenced, completed and brought into operation in a short eight years, and I put it up to the reader. Does it not spell progress? In April, 1914, the last rail was laid on the trans continental, in September, 1914, a regular through pas- senger and freight service to Eastern points was es- tablished. In July, 1914, the voice of industry, and the hammer of the builder was heard on every side, 288 CANADTAN Strangers were flocking into the town and houses were at a premium, when like a bolt from the blue, war was declared, money scared, retired to its shell, and de- velopment was stayed. Only work absolutely neces- sary for completion was continued and building per- mits fell from $30,000 for July to $4,000 in August. That is what happened in August last, in Prince Rupert, but even the calamity of war did not stay the hand of progress. While real estate was booming to the skies, while buildings were being erected as quickly as the carpen- ters could swing their hammers, and all the develop- ment work necessary for laying the foundation upon which to build up a city was in progress, Prince Ru- pert was also paying attention to the natural resour- ces at her door. In the seas to the front of her, in the mines, in the hills, and in the valleys of the interior and adjacent islands. Hence when the crash of arms was heard, and war was the topic of the world, Prince Ru- pert still found that notwithstanding cessation of de- velopment work, of rail building, and loss of outside FISHERMAN September, 1915. The Fishing Industry. Fishing—the largest and best of Prince Rupert’s young industries. The rail was through to Eastern markets. The cold storage plant was built and operat- ing, the ice-making plants were ready, fuel oil and sup- plies available and all other incidentals necessary to the fish trade, including market organization were in existence. Meat took a sudden jump, placing it almost out of reach of the poor man, and fish as a food item came into its own. With markets increasing daily and Prince Rupert in a position to take care of her part of the burden of supplying this demand, the outlook for the fishing future of Prince Rupert is bright. In August, 1914, Prince Rupert’s shipments of hali- but to Eastern markets were next to nothing. To-day the 31st July, 1915, returns for the month show that over two million pounds of halibut alone was landed at the Port of Prince Rupert, nearly all of which was shipped over the G.T.P. to the great centres of the East. To-day, in almost every large city in the East, | id . wf. whe Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Company’s Plant, Prince Rupert, B. C. capital caused by the tightening of purse strings in London and elsewhere, she still had more than enough actual resources to fall back upon, and to-day, she is maintaining a steady, although a slow, growth on the way to prosperity. War, even with all its evils, brought some recom- pense. Copper, of which Northern British Columbia has more than her share, started climbing. It was need- ed with other minerals for war munitions, and the Prospects were and are being developed. Ore bunk- ers were built at sea board. The Granby smelter in- creased its output. Other mines started shipping, and created local markets for the fishing industry. Lumber, previously a drug on the market, suddenly came in for enquiry, the increase in fishing receipts created an increased demand for box lumber. Clear spruce was eagerly sought after, and other lines of lumber receiy- Mills previously lying idle, prepared to get to work again and turn their saws. ed a boost. when people eat halibut, the probability is that the fish they are eating was caught near Prince Rupert, landed at Prince Rupert and shipped over the G. T. P. Ry. to the consumer. Fishermen’s Earnings. During the month of June, 1915, 76 landings from fishing boats were made at the Port of Prinee Rupert. Each of these boats carry a crew of three to a dozen men, These men are generally paid on the share basis of one-fifth of the catch, and when fishing is good, make good money, probably an average of $100 per month, A trip lasts about three weeks. Prince Rupert’s catch of fresh fish for the, first six months of 1915 was around $500,000, which makes a pay-roll of about $100,000. To the wage worker this would no doubt be high wages, but it must be borne in mind that fishing especially off the Pacific Coast requires long training and experience. yenerally September, 1915. speaking publicity as to good wages to be made in any line of effort has the effect of drawing a surplus of labor to the field advertised. In an industry such as fishing there cannot be too many actual fishermen, but there can be too many coming to engage in that voca~ - tion without experience. Prince Rupert's fishing industry offers opportunity to the experienced man, especially if he owns his own equipment, and is married. To this man, Prince Rupert - offers cheap rentals, low average cost of living, healthy and temperate climate (last year’s health statistics show that the number of infectious cases in a popula- tion of approximately 6,000 was five), good schools, amusements, churches, soil capable of growing all kinds of vegetables and small fruits, and without a par the best location for a home on West or East Coast for the fisherman. The Buying Trade. Present buyers on a large scale are few, but have been able to take care of all the fish landed hitherto. The Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., and the At- lin Fisheries Co. are the two largest. In addition are the Rorvik Fish Co., the G. W. Nickerson Co., buying and shipping halibut and salmon, and the Crown Fish Co. shipping crabs put up in various forms. There are also buying agents for one or more outside firms lo- cated at the port. The prices paid for fish landed are governed by rul- ing prices on the coast and vary from 4 to 8c. For the purpose of average a ruling price of 5e¢ per lb. for all kinds of fish is struck. The small amount bought for local Sonsemn ption gen- erally brings higher prices, due to the fact that fish are of the best quality, and the remainder is exported to eastern markets over the G.T.P. Ry. City’s Encouragement of Fishing Industry. The Citizens of Prince Rupert early recognized the value of her fishing industry, and steps have been taken to do all possible to foster the trade. A by-law will shortly be submitted to the Citizens of Prince Rupert to cover the expenditure of $30,000 on a municipal fish wharf at Seal Cove. The plan of the proposed wharf has been received favorably by all interested, and this work will be started in the near future. In addition, the city has under consideration the guaranteeing of the interest on the cost of building a cold storage plant which would be city controlled as to rates charged, etc., and leased for a term of years at a rental sufficient to cover interest charges to a large concern. The instal- lation of a plant of this description, it is said would be of the utmost value in still further attracting the in- dependent American fisherman to the port. It is ex- pected that the building of this plant would furnish competitive buyers to the fishermen, who would thus be in a position to command better prices for their products. Generally speaking, there has been no com- plaint as to treatment in the matter of buying up to the present time amongst the fishermen, but a certain amount of hesitation is shewn, especially amongst in- dependent fishermen in the South, who while perfectly willing and recognizing the advantages of shipping through Prince Rupert, hesitate to do so permanently until there is a larger and more defined independent market. The Fishing Fleet. The fishing fleet is made up of boats, all equipped with auxiliary engines, and from 10,000 Ibs. to 120,000 CANADIAN FIS SHERMAN 289 Ibs. capacity. The Canadian Fish Cold Storage Co.’s fleet consists of eight vessels aggregating a total crew of about 150 men. Im addition there are about 40 in- dependent boats with erews averaging four men. About 200 men are working on small sailing boats. An average of 26 vessels of American register are using the port for landing fish in bond. These vessels have the privilege of landing and selling their fish to local buyers in bond, and can purchase their supplies and bait in return. This is especially advantageous, when catches are light, as it saves American boats the further trip of over 500 miles and return to Seattle. The treatment these boats have received from both buyers, supply dealers and the Customs is as fair as possible, and successful effort is being made to en- courage the American boat to land its fish here, and make Prince Rupert their home port. Fishing Gear. Several firms deal in this most important branch of the fish industry, one exclusively, namely Messrs. E. Lipsett and Co., the old established Vancouver firm, who have located in Prince Rupert. In addition, others Halibut fishing steamer, Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Company, Prince Rupert. deal in gear and supplies to a greater or smaller ex- tent. Supplies. The largest dealer in supplies to the local fishing trade is the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., who run a store in connection with their plant and supply everything needed by the fishermen. They manufacture ice, furnish cold storage, bait and groceries of all descriptions at ruling market prices on the Pacific Coast. Other stores also supply the fishermen to a certain extent, but owing to the fact that the larger concern is a buyer of fish in addition it consequently does the larger trade in stores. Distillate oil is supplied in bulk ed a depot of five large storage tanks with wharfage or drums by the Imperial Oil Co., who have establish- and other facilities for quick and easy loading and discharging. Prices are based on an equal basis as at other Pacifie Coast points. Contrary to the method used on the Atlantie Coast where sail boats are still used extensively in the fish- 290 ing industry, auxiliary power is universally used. The navigation of intricate inland waters making the use of additional motive power imperative. Types of Fish Landed. The chief trade is done in halibut and salmon in the fresh state. This is exclusive of the large salmon can- ning trade. Some cod and other mixed fish is also landed. Herring are caught in large quantities, and are used for both bait and cured for export. There is also quantities of shell fish landed, principally crabs. The Fish Curing Trade. The smoking and curing of fish is carried on to a small extent, but is at the present time in a more or less experimental stage. Good results have been ob- tained, and a recent shipment of 40,000 lbs. of cured herring was sent to the New York market in March last. The Box Trade. The handling of fish means a demand for boxes and box lumber. While a certain supply is drawn from the local lumber mills, the greater part both for halibut and the canning trade is obtained from outside points. The local supply is small, due to the fact that it is a subsidiary line only, of a general lumber business. Box lumber is picked lumber and the quantity obtain- ed in the general run of logs through the mill is in pro- portion to the amount of lumber handled. The mills in the district are only of small capacity, hence they are unable to keep the local demand for box lumber fully supplied. There are no firms exclusively engaged in the pro- duction of box lumber, although raw material is at hand in abundance, but the detriment has hitherto been due to the fact that the disposal of the culled lum- ber has been difficult. The increased activity in the lumber market should obviate this difficulty in the near future. Ship and Boat Repairs. The G@.T.P. Dry Dock Co., have completed the dry dock which has been under construction for over two years, and are now ready for business. They make a specialty of repairs for the fish trade, and also build small coasters for the general trade, besides under- taking general repair work. The dry dock is the most up-to-date on the Pacific Joast. It is virtually three docks in one. It can handle a ship having 20,000 tons displacement with a length of 600 feet and drawing 50 ft. of water. Built in three sections, it can be disconnected and handle ves- sels of smaller capacity economically. The smaller units will lift 5,000 tons, length 165 feet. .The larger unit 10,000 tons with length of 270 feet. The dock is fully equipped with machine, repair shops and cranes (one of 60-ton capacity), and will shortly be in a posi- tin to supply fishing boats and other vessels with all mechanical supplies needed. The total cost. of. this work which was subsidized by the Dominion Govern- ment was around $2,700,000. In addition, several other firms are engaged in re- pair work, especially on engines and motors, among them being the Rupert Marine Iron Works, The Aker- burg Thomson Co., The Imperial Machine Shops and the Leuty Machine shop. All these firms are estab- lished on a solid basis and do a considerable business. The Canning Trade. Prince Rupert is the natural centre of an enormous canning trade, which puts up salmon in canned form CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. for export. This is an old established, large and thriv- ing industry. Its pack for 1914 was 441,574 cases valu- ed at $2,207,870. The capital invested in boats, gear, wharves, ete., aggregates four and a half million dol- lars. men are employed. EN ENGLAND FISH wy Canadian Fishing Company’s Dock, Vancouver, B.C. and does not in the least grudge any trade that Prince Rupert may have attracted by its more advantageous position for some species of fish. Vancouver is indis- pensable to Prince Rupert in more ways than one. Of late there has been an idea abroad that Prince Rupert is to be only fishing centre of British Columbia. We have even heard that Prince Rupert thinks that Van- couver is trying to discredit her. Nothing of the sort, for Vancouver wishes to see the Northern distributing point grow as fast and as large as she ean. It will be to the advantage of Vancouver to have Prince Rupert as large a city as possible. Vancouver after hard grind- ing and a long up-hill struggle has attained her posi- tion, and sympathises with the Northern port, and is willing to assist her in all she can. Naturally, however, Vancouver will do everything possible to retain all the trade she ean and to get more and more. There is plenty of room for both Prince Rupert and Vancouver as large fish distributing centres. Again, a large city—and one and all will agree with me that Vaneouver cannot but help being a very large fishing centre, but she is by no means a large distribut- ing centre. Anyone in the fishing industry naturally keeps striet tab on whatever is going on in other parts of the Pro- vince. So far we have not heard of any Vancouver wholesalers expressing the opinion that they think they will do better by making Prince Rupert their headquarters. They see that as the city of Vaneou- ver grows so will their business and that wholesale fish dealers are indispensible to the fish business of large cities. By a law of nature—whether it be for conven- ience of the retailers or for the sake of watching each other—the wholesalers of Vancouver are all grouped together in a certain district. The city of Vaneouver proposes to build at some future date an up-to-date market for these firms, and there assist them by sup- plying at the least cost, all conveniences to make the handling of fish and the distribution of the same as sanitary as possible. This is only right, and the sooner this is done the better the wholesalers will be pleased. es a eS ee a a ani September, 1915. Outside of a few companies that operate boats of their own, the trade depends upon the ‘“‘mosquito’’ fleet of the Pacific for its supplies. A certain amount comes to the city by the coastal steamers, being shipped from way points between here and Prince Rupert. The idea that has been worked almost scientifically in Bos- ton and has been adopted with the halibut in Seattle, seems to prevail amongst the buyers. The highest bid gets the fish every time. Certain Easterners have scoff- a Be ed at the fishermen of British Columbia, stating that they do not know what weather is, and what fishing means. This is nothing to our discredit by any means. Nature has been kind enough to give us shelter that is denied our Atlantic brethren. Up to the present small boats only are utilized, for the markets have not been able to take care of all the fish that can be caught right amongst the islands and bays of the Straits of Georgia. Larger boats will come as soon as condi- tions will warrant, and the B. C. fishermen will be found just as daring and resourceful as any in the world. They have almost an advantage over other fish- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 293 future promises Vancouver a very large trade in these lines. The transportation facilities at present are somewhat of a hindrance, but time and experience will overcome this. If any of the readers of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman’’ would care to write to any of the firms mentioned here, they will receive full attention and the goods will be sent them if at all possible. Thus taken all in all Vancouver occupies a unique position amongst the fishing centres of Canada. - She is the financier, headquarters, wholesaler, curer, distri- butor, investigator and experimenter all rolled into one. Wholesale Dealers and Shippers of Fish in Vancouver, B.C. Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd. New England Fish Company. Canadian Fish & Cold Storage Co., Ltd., of Prince Rupert. Crown Fish Co. London Fish Co. Dominion Fish Co. Canadian Fishing Co.’s halibut fishing steamer “Celestial Empire.” ermen. The West usually absorbs all that is good from the East and adopts the good to fit in with the new con- ditions. Thus as the fishermen of British Columbia are composed of former fishermen of the Maritime Provin- ces, Newfoundland, New England, England, Scotland, Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, it stands to reason that the joint skill brought from these coun- tries ought to produce a piscatory skill equalled no- where in the wide world. Vancouver’s stores are plentifully supplied with many most delicious forms of smoked and kippered fish. Summer time means that the housewife wants the least cooking to do as possible. Most parts of Canada have to be content with canned fish and other canned foods if cooking is to be avoided. Here we can buy ready cooked fish that can be used either hot or cold. Give a stranger a taste of kippered salmon and black cod, and he immediately asks where he ean buy some more. The Butterfield Mackie & Co., Ltd. Watson Brothers. International Fisheries, Ltd. Western Fish Co. Royal Fish Co. Billinsgate Fish Co. Pacifie Coast Fish Co. Urquhart & Mills. F. J. Hayward. F. E. Payson. Smoked and Salt Fish Curers. Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd. Can. Fish & Cold Storage Co., Ltd. Watson Brothers. International Fisheries, Ltd. Western Fish Co. Royal Fish Co. Seottish Canadian Fisheries. 294 CROWN FISH CO.—This company are selling agents for the Halibuter ‘‘Jessie’’ of Victoria. Their busi- ness consists of shipping to inland points and to the Prairie cities, fish of all sorts. They also have the con- tract for supplying of fish to different parts of the Can- adian Pacific Railway systems, particularly to the hotels of that company. This calls for careful: hand- ling, and sources of supply that would tax all but those thoroughly well posted in the industry. LONDON FISH CO.—This firm is, like the Crown Fish Co., situated on the Gore Avenue wharf. Its sheds are continually supplied with fresh arrivals of all fish in season. The manager of the London Fish Com- pany hails, like the bulk of the Vancouver operators, from the Old Country, and has a clientele that brings his company a steady trade. The shipping end of the London Fish Co. forms a very large part ‘of the busi- ness of the company, and the drivers of the different express companies never fail to call at the premises of this firm for packages destined to different points in- land. In season a eall at the London Fish Co. rarely CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. ronto. With the public educated to eating more smok- ed fish, this firm will have its hands busy taking care of the trade that will come to it. Messrs. Watson Bro- thers also thoroughly understand the curing of pickled fish, their goods fetching the highest market prices to be obtained. DOMINION FISH CO.—This company are the local selling agents of the Columbia Cold Storage Company’s halibut. As there are a limited number of operators in this commodity, the Dominion Fish Company are in a fortunate position to take care of the business offer- ing them. Their local and rail shipments make their premises a busy place, and the care taken in packing and filling their orders bring many ‘‘repeats.’’ BUTTERFIELD MACKIE & CO. LIMITED.—This firm has branches in Victoria, New Westminster and also a packing plant at Alberni on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The company catches, cures and smokes a great part of their output. Having been in business for a considerable number of years, the firm has a steady list of up-country clients that know they 400,000 Ibs. of frozen and glazed halibut in storage room of Canadian Fishing Company’s Vancouver Plant. fails to produce a between-meal appetiser consisting of the choicest shrimps and prawns. These species seem to be one of the specialties of this company. WATSON BROTHERS.—The two gentlemen at the head of this business hail from the land of cakes, and have had considerable experience in their own line of business before coming to this coast. Unlike others of their fellow countrymen, they do not hold the belief that there are no herring in the wide world that ean anywhere approach the famous ‘‘Lock Fyne.’’ Acting on this belief, the firm of Watson Bros. promises to go far. The firm is also noted for its kippers, doing a large local and export trade in this savory breakfast dish. Other smoked fish put up by Messrs. Watson Brothers has travelled far and has been well reported of at many Canadian exhibitions, including that of To- will get the best only from Butterfield Mackie & Co., Limited. ROYAL FISH COMPANY.—About the only firm consisting of purely Japanese operating in Vancouver is the Royal Fish Company. A great part of the fish- ermen on the Pacific Coast are Japanese, so this ecom- pany is able to secure a steady supply of fish that en- ables it to give full satisfaction to their customers. They are smokers and also cure their own fish, doing a very large business in the shipment of all kinds of fish to Puget Sound points as well as to up-country points. INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES, LIMITED.—Any visitor to Vantouver who has tasted smoked fish put up by this firm developes a palate that helps the whole industry. Their Kippered Salmon and Black Cod September, 1915. finds a place on the tables of all classes of humanity in Vancouver and nearby points. This company also puts up a very good article in salt fish, and as the trade develops, cannot but have a large business in this special commodity. WESTERN FISH CO. also are curers of Pacific Coast fish, putting up a brand of Kippers, Bloaters, Smoked Halibut, Kippered as well as in outside points. URQUHART & MILLS.—These gentlemen were con- nected with the late Standard Fisheries, Limited, and when that company went out of business, these two live wires took root amongst the dealers of Vancouver. Whilst they are more recent comers to the ‘‘water- front’’ still their energy and capacity for giving satis- faction has brought them a host of friends from all over Canada. F. E. PAYSON.—This gentleman is more or less a recent comer to the ranks of the wholesalers. But previous to starting in business for himself he was con- nected with other firms in the city, and so is by no means unknown to the trade. Mr. Payson does a CANADIAN FISHERMAN 295 large business on the consignment basis, taking care that all fish shipped to him receives the highest prices to be obtained. F. J. HAYWARD.—Shipper of frozen halibut and salmon of all grades and sales agent for many smaller and independent packers. Exporter of frozen and salt fish and fish products, whale and fish oils, and fish for the Oriental trade. Local agent for Eastern ship- pers of smoked and salted fish. Mr. Hayward first saw the light in the Land of Fish—Newfoundland— and after being educated at Oxford University, Eng- land, Mr. Hayworth came to Vancouver, B.C., and engaged in the fish business— which, considering his nationality, is not to be wondered at. The requirements of foreign markets has been his speciality and he has de- voted a great deal of time in studying them and the opportunities for introducing British Columbia fish products. Mr. Hayward is a ‘‘live wire’’ and his ex- perience and knowledge is always at the disposal of enquirers as to the conditions ruling on the Pacific Coast and opportunities offering in the fishing indus- try. Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., Limited Prince Rupert, B.C. The huge plant of the Canadian Fish and Cold Stor- age Co., Ltd., is located on Seal Cove at the northern end of Prince Rupert Harbor. The establishment con- sists of well built wharves upon which are erected a six-storey steel and concrete Cold Storage building, constructed under the supervision of Mr. Geo. L. Clayton, of Prince Rupert, capable of storing and freez- ing 7,000 tons of fish—halibut, salmon, codfish and her- ring; a large engine house and boiler room for the re- frigerating machinery, winches, heating and electric lighting; a machine shop for the repair of vessel’s machinery; an artificial ice making plant; box making loft; gear storage; fish curing, dressing and packing rooms and a general store in which almost everything from a needle to an anchor can be purchased. In addition to the cold storage plant at Seal Cove, the company also operate an up-to-date salmon cannery located some four miles across the harbor from the main establishment. The cannery is equipped with the latest and most modern machinery and cleanliness and care in handling fish is impressed upon all em- ployees—Indian and white. Three fine English built steel steamers—the ‘‘George E. Foster,’’ ‘‘ Andrew Kelly’’ and ‘‘ James Carruthers’’ —all of 125 tons and capable of steaming 10 knots— are owned and employed by the company in halibut fishing by the long line method. Gasolene dory hali- buters—the ‘‘Chief Skugaid, ‘‘Chief Zibassa,’’ ‘‘F. H. Phippen,’’ ‘‘Grier Starratt,’’ are engaged in fishing in Hecate Straits. Gasolene boats ‘‘Fredelia ITI,’’ ‘‘Don- ald D.’’ and ‘‘W. R. Lord’’ are employed as cannery tenders and fish carriers, while a-large three-masted schooner, the ‘‘Albert Meyers’’ was purchased for Behring Sea cod-fishing. A coal barge—the former Bath built American ship ‘‘Ivy’’—is owned by the com- pany and used for freighting the coal consumed in the storage, on the steamers and in the cannery. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway have a track ex- tended out from their terminals to the cold storage and fresh, frozen and prepared fish can be. loaded into seven or eight refrigerator cars at a time. The facilities for loading are of the best and heavy ship- ments of fresh and frozen halibut—as many as seven carloads in one day—have been going to the Eastern markets. The cold storage almost constitutes a little colony at Seal Cove. There is a large boarding house located From left to right:—Lieut. Nicholls, Mr. T. H., Johnson, Mr. H. C. Walby. there and operated by the company for the single men on the staff and a club house will shortly be opened for the benefit of the employees. Mr. Thomas H. Johnson, formerly of the well known Hull firm of Andrew Johnson, Knudson and Co., is manager of the concern, and since he took over the management about two years ago, the affairs of the 296 company have progressed under his direction in a highly satisfactory manner. Mr. Johnson served a long apprenticeship in the British fisheries and has adapted his knowledge to Canadian conditions—always with a view to development along sanitary and labor saving lines. He is a tireless worker and is as often on the wharf superintending the handling of fish as he is at his desk in the office, and in spite of his posi- tion as manager of a big concern, is as courteous and considerate to his humblest employee as to his biggest eustomer—a characteristic which has made him de- servedly popular. It is not generally known among the trade that Mr. Johnson is an old soldier and pos- sesses three medals—the King’s and Queen’s for South Halibut in Cold Storage, Prince Rupert. Africa and a decoration for the last China Expedition. Assisting him. in the management of the plant are Lieutenant Nicholls, Mr. W. Sundvig, and Mr. H. C. Walby. The former gentleman expects to leave for the front shortly. Mr. Sundvig is well known to the fish men and fishermen of the Pacific Coast having had ex- perience in all branches of the industry as an actual dory fisherman to buying and packing fish. Mr. H. C. Walby as Sales Manager is well known to the trade in the United States and Canada. Like Mr. Johnson, Mr. Walby possesses several medals—not for handling a gun, however, but for his ability in handling a golf stick, as he is an expert in the ‘‘ancient and honor- able game.”’ NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. New Westminster, located on the Fraser River, and about eleven miles from Vancouver, is one of the pret- tiest little towns in British Columbia. Good roads, handsome buildings and well-lighted streets and a mag- nificent highway from Vancouver tend to make New Westminster a very desirable place to live in. Located in New Westminster is the plant of the St. Mungo Canning Company, Ltd. This company was or- ganized in 1898 after the fire which devastated New Westminster and destroyed the property of the Wes- tern Fisheries Company. Mr. James Anderson was manager of the latter concern at the time of the fire, and after the conflagration he went to Glasgow, Scot- land, and succeeded in interesting capital for the or- ganization of the St. Mungo Canning Company, Ltd. St. Mungo is the patron saint of the great Scottish Metropolis and the motto which he is supposed to have handed down to the city is ‘‘Let Glasgow Flourish.’’ The benediction of the ancient Scottish saint seems to haWe followed the operations of the company bearing CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. his name in the Far West, and under the able manage- ment of Mr. Anderson, the St. Mungo Canning Com- pany has indeed flourished and a very extensive busi- ness has been built up in fresh, frozen and canned sal- mon. New Cold Storage buildings have just been erected with a capacity of one million pounds, and an ice-mak- ing plant producing ten tons of ice daily. The refrig- erating buildings and apparatus were equipped by the Linde-Canadian Refrigeration Company, Ltd., and is one. of the most complete and modern on the coast. The cannery operated by the company is located on the South Arm of the Fraser River five miles below the A Fraser River Sturgeon. city and is an up-to-date plant having a capacity of 40,000 cases of salmon during the canning season fro July to October. Mr. James Anderson is a kindly Seot combining a sincere and genial personality with the keen business acumen natural to the race. Like Mr. W. H. Barker, Mr. George Cassady, Mr. Peter Wallace and others, he is one of the famous ‘‘old timers’’ in the fishing in- dustry of the West Coast. Messrs. M. Monk and Company have also a plant located at New Westminster and carry on a thriving business. Through the courtesy of this firm we are able to reproduce the photograph of a monster sturgeon which was entangled in a fisherman’s net near New Westminster. This huge fish measured 13 feet 6 inches from snout to tail and weighed 905 pounds—the head alone weighing 188 pounds. These great fish were for a long time regarded as a pest by the salmon fishermen as they used to get entangled in their nets and up to a few years ago were not thought to be of any commer- cial value. The specimen shown is a good example of the ‘‘big’’ things which are common to a country of big mountains, trees and fisheries. a September, 1915. Vancouver is similar to Boston, inasmuch as it is the only big City in Canada where fish is brought in - from the open sea, marketed and shipped as it is from the famous T Wharf of the old New England centre. _ A small edition of T Wharf exists at the foot of Gore 4 Avenue where the Vancouver fish docks are located, and the largest and best of them are owned by the Can- _ adian Fishing Company, Ltd., and its sister concern— the New England Fish Company. Both firms operate under the one management and upon the same premises, but the New England Fish Sticeapany i is a western branch of the well known Boston fish corporation and its activities are largely in sup- ae the markets of the United States with halibut and salmon caught in the Pacifie by the American ves- vels operated by the company which make their 4 © headquarters in Vancouver. i The Canadian Fishing Company, Ltd., is a Canadian ee ani organization employing Canadian regis- tered fishing craft and catering to the home market _ as well as exporting to the United States. Each firm is distinct, though operating out of the same plant. It is a revelation to the Eastern fish man to note the methods of handling fish in vogue at the Vancouver fish wharf. Everything is planned for speed and care 3 E in looking after a highly perishable product, and a tour q _ through the plant is an education. Halibut, of course, 4 is the principal fish handled, and it is shipped in a fresh, frozen, smoked and kippered state. a As soon as a vessel comes in, the fish are unloaded by _ means of strong nets out of the hold and dumped on to a platform where the heads are deftly slashed off. After being weighed, the fish are culled into market sizes— _ ehickens, mediums, large—and then cleaned and wash- ed. The fresh fish orders are sorted out, carried over to to the Shipping Department, iced, boxed, and loaded into C. P. R. refrigerator ears upon tracks which run through the building, but~a few feet from the ship’s a side. The tracks are depressed so that the car doors are on a level with the floor of the shipping room and no fewer than 26 cars can be loaded at once. The com- _ pany’s staff can load a car with 30,000 lbs. of frozen fish in an average time of 17 minutes. The Canadian Fishing Company’s cold storage is a three-storey building of substantial construction cov- _ ered with corrugated iron. Four rope drive compres- sors constitute the refrigerating machinery and the _ storage is equipped with five sharp freezers with a _ daily freezing capacity of 30,000 pounds of halibut, _ salmon, herring and cod, each. Altogether 150,000 _ pounds of fish can be frozen and glazed per day. Arti- ficial ice is made by a special plant capable of mak- _ ing 50 tons daily, and ice can be delivered in blocks or _ erushed to any part of the plant by overhead chutes. - The Curing Department is located in a three-storey _ building at the shore end of the wharf and is well equipped with smokehouses, ete., for the production - of smoked, salted and kippered halibut, salmon, cod- fish, herring and bloaters. Employed in dory halibut fishing are the English built fishing steamers ‘‘Flamingo’’ and ‘‘ Celestial Em- | pire,’ and the auxiliary schooners ‘‘Pescawha,’’ Emma H.’’—both Nova Scotia built vessels—‘‘Au- _ rora,’’ ‘‘Borealis,’’ ‘‘Carlotta G. Cox,’’ and ‘‘Zorra’’ -—all of which are under Canadian register and owned by the Canadian Fishing Company, Ltd. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 297 Canadian Fishing Co.. Limited, Vancouver, B.C. The New England Company operate the American dory halibut steamers ‘‘Kingfisher,’’ ‘‘Manhattan,’’ and ‘‘New England’’—large oil burning craft with a cruising radius capable of taking them to the Behring Sea and back—also the auxiliary schooners ‘‘ Knicker- bocker,’’ ‘‘Bay State,’’ and ‘‘Prospector.”’ The success of both companies has been almost en- tirely due to the work of Mr. A. L. Hager, who is Pre- sident, Treasurer, and General Manager of the Cana- dian Fishing Company, and Western Manager for the New England Fishing Company. This is quite an imposing number of offices for one man to fill, but MR. A. L. HAGER. Mr. Hager has ability enough to fill these and many more in subsidiary companies. Brought up in the busy fishery college of T Wharf, Boston, Mr. Hager graduat- ed through all phases of the industry and came west to Vancouver with a thorough knowledge of the trade which he adapted to western conditions. Though a very busy man with many responsibilities, Mr. Hager is a Prince of Entertainers, and is celebrat- ed as such among the eastern fish men visiting the coast. Hospitality of the genuine western variety is personified in him, and his beautiful home on Shaugh- nessy Heights is a veritable ‘‘Liberty Hall’’ to his guests. He is a patron of athletics—baseball, hockey, lacrosse, boxing and motoring, and there is scarcely a Vancouver ‘‘fan’’ who does not know ‘‘Al’’ Hager. Motoring is the one recreation which he can find time to indulge in himself, and he is an expert in driving his own cars—one a British 60 h.p. Napier, and the other a Cadillac. To watch him manoeuvre either of 298 these around the fish wharf is a sight calculated to ex- cite admiration and envy. There is no Department of the two companies that he is not in touch with, and he superintends them all. His day is eighteen hours of work, and no matter where he is—at home or in the country—he takes his duties with him, and a well trained staff keeps him posted by telephone. Most of us would kick at being tied down to business in this manner, but Mr. Hager loves it and the suecess of the concerns which he manages is due to his making a hobby of his work. All features of the Fishing Industry of Canada are of interest to him, and he is a staunch supporter of the objects of the Canadian Fisheries Association, of which he is a Director, as well as a member of the General Improvement Com- mittee. HAYSPORT, B.C. Haysport, B.C., is on the main line of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, 23 miles south-east of Prince Rupert and at the mouth of the Skeena River. Not far from Haysport is located the cold storage and wharves of the Skeena River Fisheries, Ltd., dealing in fresh and frozen salmon and halibut. The plant is of re- this week was one of gigantic proportions, the fish CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. ness is quite a step, but Mr. Greenwood is of the type of man blessed with enough adaptability and versa- tility to tackle anything that looks like hard, uphill work. And the building of a successful fish business — is hard work. As brothers in the ‘‘Fourth Estate’’ we © wish Mr. Greenwood every success. The head office of the company is in Vancouver. ie WALLACE FISHERIES, LTD. Owning a string of salmon canneries upon the Skeena ~ River, River’s Inlet, and various outlying points in British Columbia, the Wallace Fisheries, Ltd., of which Mr. Peter Wallace is the President and founder, is — one of the largest cannery concerns on the West Coast. The company put up an extensive pack every year— most of which is marketed through the firm’s offices in Great Britain for British and Continental consump- tion. In this connection the following item from the British Fish Trades Gazette will be interesting as show- ing another instance of the big things from British Columbia :— ‘‘Among some British Columbia ‘Spring’ salmon handled by Messrs. Grant and May, of Billingsgate, Skeena River Fisheries Plant, Haysport, B.C. cent construction and is modern and up-to-date in every respect. Mr. William Hamar Greenwood is president of the company and is well known to newspaper and magazine men all over Canada through his connection with the ‘Toronto World’’—of which journal he was Manag- ing Editor. His brother, Hamar Greenwood, is a mem- ber of the British House of Parliament. Mr. Greenwood is a Director of the Canadian Fish- eries Association, and though not exaetly one of the pioneers of the Western fishing industry, has been on the coast long enough to have absorbed the virility which characterizes the fish men of the Pacific. From weilding the editorial pen to engaging in the fish busi- weighing no less than 84 pounds—three-quarters of a hundred-weight! Surely this must ereate a record. — The fish did not come in any way into the category of ‘“freaks,’’ being well proportioned and perfectly form ed. It was some 36 inches in girth and about 4 feet 6 inches long. The salmon was included in a econsign- ment obtained by Messrs. Grant and May from the — well-known firm of Wallace Fisheries, Ltd., of Gla gow and British Columbia, who are the possessors one or two gold medals, which have been bestowed vu on them abroad for the excellent way in which they handle these fish, The salmon was purchased by, Messrs. Spiers and Pond, Ltd., and has attracted much’ attention at their fish department in Water Lane, Lud-— nq - September, 1915. gate Hill, where it has been exhibited.’’ Mr. Peter Wallace is one of the real pioneers of the salmon fishing industry on the Coast. Born in the Is- eland of Arran, Scotland, Mr. Wallace first came to Canada and engaged in the cattle business in the East. Later he came out to British Columbia and started sal- mon canning in a modest way in the days when the possibilities of the industry were not recognized. De- veloping his business in a thorough and substantial manner with that practical hard-headedness peculiar to the Scotch pioneer, the various plants operated by him grew to thriving proportions. Mr. Wallace is a director of the Canadian Fisheries Association and a man highly thought of by his many acquaintances for his many virtues. Though mainly engaged in canning salmon, the com- pany ship large quantities in a fresh and frozen state, and at their Alberni plant freeze and pack herring. The head offices of the Wallace Fisheries, Ltd., are in Vancouver, B.C. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 299 eare of the fish and shipping on the railroad cars for inland points. Two very fine fishing steamers, the ‘‘Roman’’ and the ‘‘Onward Ho’’ are employed by the company in halibut fishing. Both these steamers were built in Eng- land and brought out to the Pacific for the Company. They are equipped as dory halibuters; constructed of steel throughout, fitted with numerous steam winches and electric light, and capable of steaming 10 knots an hour. Mr. George Cassady manages the cold storage for the Association and under his able direction the busi- ness transacted by this particular branch of the Asso- ciation’s activities has progressed to a remarkable de- gree and heavy carload shipments of fresh and frozen halibut and salmon are now being forwarded to eas- tern markets in ever-increasing numbers. Mr. Cassady is one of the pioneers in the fish business on the West Coast and his genial manner, combined with the gen- erous hospitality peculiar to the West, have made for Salmon, St. Mungo Canning Co., New Westminster. STEVESTON, B.C. British Columbia Packers’ Association. In addition to the many canneries operated by the Association upon various rivers and inlets of British Columbia from the Fraser to the Alaskan boundary, the Association operates the Columbia Cold Storage Co., Ltd., with a plant located at Steveston—a port but a few miles from Vancouver and situated on the Fraser River. The Cold Storage building has been but recently completed and is, without a doubt, one of the finest in North America. The chill rooms are spacious and well laid out and the refrigerating machinery, ice- making plant, ete., are of the latest and most up-to- date type. Space for the storage of a vast quantity of frozen halibut and salmon is provided for, and the facilities for the discharging of fishing vessels taking him a host of friends among the Eastern fish men. Imperial Cannery. One of the largest and best equipped salmon canner- ies on the Fraser River at Steveston is that of the B.C. Packers’ Association and known as the Imperial Can- nery. The cannery is situated adjacent to the Colum- bia Cold Storage Co.’s plant and both are regarded as show places for tourists and visitors who come out from Vancouver by electric car. In this cannery are packed the well known Imperial Brands of salmon and persons who have heard the derogatory remarks which have been made anent can- ned salmon by the ignorant only need to visit this can- nery to see the slander refuted. Spacious, scrupulous- ly clean and whitewashed, the buildings are a great deal better than many of the factories in which food- stuffs of other varieties are packed in other places. 300 From the moment the salmon are landed on the dock alive until they are canned they are handled with the utmost care and mostly by machinery. The em- ployees are cleanly dressed and under strict super- intendance by eagle-eyed foremen, and cleanliness and careful handling is almost an obsession with them. The operations of that almost human machine—the ‘‘Tron Chink’’,—is always an object of interest to visi- tors. This wonderful apparatus takes the whole sal- mon, cuts off head and tail in one motion, strips off the back fins in another, and splits, guts and washes the fish in less time than it takes to relate. The weigh- ing machine also excites admiration. The filled cans pass along to it upon a travelling belt and should one be over or less than the regulation weight—even to the fraction of an ounce—it is mechanically ejected. No solder is used in the cans — the covers being clamped and clinched on by a machine which seals it absolutely air-tight, and even after the cans have been CANADIAN FISHERMEN September, 1915. fisheries in the world. At the present time he is the Chief Executive of a large and influential organiza- tion and it was largely through his efforts and ability that the British Columbia Packers’ Association has at- tained the importance which it now possesses. When machine gun subscriptions were being made in Vancou- ver recently, Mr. Barker quietly wrote out a check for the cost of one and presented it to the Government and very few people heard of the contribution. Such is characteristic of the man, and in their quiet and unos- tentatious officer, both the B. C. Packers’ Association and the Canadian Fisheries Association have a gen- tleman with whom it is an honor to be associated. OYSTER SHELLS FOR CEMENT. Down in Galveston Bay on Redfish Reef oyster shells have been accumulating for centuries and there are thousands of tons of the shells in the great heap. They Vise Sect ne A Cannery Tender Collecting Salmon from Boats, British Columbia. through the steam they are tested to see that they are not ‘‘blown.’’ In the Imperial Cannery, the cans used are made upon the premises by special machinery. The Imperial is only one of the many canneries op- erated by the B. C. Packers’ Association, who have plants upon the Fraser, Skeena, and Naas’ Rivers, River’s Inlet and many other points on the British Co- lumbia coast to the northern boundary. Mr. W. H. Barker, President of the B.C. Packers’ Association is also one of the Vice-Presidents of the Canadian Fisheries Association and a gentleman of is one of the pioneers of the cannery business on the Coast and has seen it grow from small and insignifieant beginnings to one of the greatest and most valuable rare ability—quiet, kind and courteous. Mr. Barker were not looked upon as of use until recently when a company was organized to urnt them into cement. A Dallas company has let a contract for the eree- tion of a large cement mill to be built between Galves- ton and Houston. Seventeen acres of land have been acquired for a site and the construction of the plant is to be placed under way at once. Officers of the com- pany say that they have been conducting experiments for several years in making cement out of oyster shells and have a process which is satisfactory. The plant will have a capacity of 300,000 barrels of cement a 4 year and will be built so that capacity may be easily increased. 200,000 barrels of cement a year. The men behind the new plant have a — cement mill at Dallas which has a capacity of over 1,- — : : September, 1915. DIGBY, NS. (Special Correspondence. ) Digby, N.S., famous as a tourist resort, is also fam- ous as a fishing centre and the home of the “Digby _ Chicken’’ and the ‘‘Finnan Haddie.’’ In addition to having a branch of the Maritime Fish Corporation, Ltd., located there, Digby possesses the largest offshore fresh fishing fleet in the Maritime Provinces. _ Engaged in the fish business in Digby are the firms of J. E. Snow, Nova Scotia Fish Co., and D. and O. _ Sproule. All specialize in Finnan Haddies, fresh and salt fish. The boat fishermen along the shore have not been securing as many fish during the last month as they were some little time ago, on account of dogfish put- ting in an appearance every day or so; some days when everything was looking right for good fishing, - there would be one of these pests on practically every hook in certain vicinities, while other days they would have fairly good fishing. +The vessels have landed here as follows: — ‘‘Brit- _tania,’’ July 26th, 5,700 Ibs.; August 13th, 5,440 Ibs. ; July 16th, 2,000 Ibs. ‘‘Venus’’ July 26th, 16,965 Ibs. ; August 9th, 18,900 lbs.; August 13, 5,060 Ibs. ‘‘Grace _ MDarling,’’ Aug. 12th, 62,400 Ibs. ‘“‘Loran B. Snow,”’ July 26th, 46,000 Ibs.; Aug. 3rd, 52,210 lbs.; Aug. 10th, 66,280 lbs.; Aug. 18th, 52,016 lbs.. ‘‘Lila Boutilier,’’ after a broken trip in the mouth of the Bay on account of adverse fishing conditions, was forced to split and salt the results of two weeks’ fishing, consisting of 50,- 000 Ibs. cod and cusk. ** Albert J. Lutz,’’ has not returned from her hali- butting trip in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Dorothy M. Smart’’ is at present lying at her dock undergoing changes and overhauling for the haddock- ing season, which is fast approaching. ' The following is an extract from Fishery Officer Torrie’s July report from Digby county to the de- partment: Fish caught during. the month, 779,300 Ibs. cod; 475,600 lbs. haddock; 4,452,400 Ibs. hake and ceusk ; 298,100 lbs. pollock; 866,900 lbs. herring; 21,700 lbs. mackerel ; 400 lbs. alewives; 1,700 lbs. dried dulse; 1,000 lbs. albacore; 385 bbls. clams. Four boats were lost—one at Flower Cove, one at William’s Point, and two at Little River, Bay of Fundy side. Immense quantities of dry fish are being made ready for export, and the large drying yards of Digby are attracting the attention of the many tourists now here, who seem to take great interest in this end of the busi- ness. The drying this year has required the most care- _ ful attention of the fishing curing experts to bring _ them safely through the damp weather which has pre- vailed for the past six weeks. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 301 THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES BAY SHORE OF NOVA SCOTIA. (Special Correspondence. ) In writing a review of the fishing transactions along the north shore of Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy side, the reader must not forget that it is one of the boldest shores around the province, and in consequence the most dangerous for fishing purposes. There are no harbors on a coast line of one hundred miles, and the toilers on the sea must depend on a number of break- waters built by the government in the most secure places. The lobster season beginning the first of De- cember of each year, really did not start till March in this locality because of the stormy winter months. Something near eight thousand crates of the crusta- ceans have been captured. These were all delivered to tank smacks that call along the shore and get them from the ears. The smacks go direct to Boston. Good prices have been obtained. There are no eanning fac- tories on this shore, and no lobsters are shipped in this way. At the same time the local market in the Anna- polis Valley consume a very large proportion of the catch in the already boiled state. Beeause of the great loss in a storm in May, the shipment of lobsters have been much less than in former years, although there seems to have been plenty of the fish. The waters were restocked this year by the Dominion Government steam patrol boat coming up the Bay on Wednesday July 14, having on board in tanks one and a half million lobster fry, from the hatchery at Little River, Digby County. Half a million lots were deposited at Parker’s Cove, Phinney’s Cove and Hampton. They were about two inches long and were gently allowed to take the water a short distance from the shore to catch the rocks and seaweed. The run of salmon that commenced in June has been phenomenal. The fish swarmed along the shore and were caught by thousands in the weirs, and the local market was flooded with this delicious fish, and the price dropped to nine cents per pound. About fifteen thousand pounds were landed and mostly ship- ped to the Boston market; Halifax and St. John also takixng a good quantity. The catch of mackerel was very small owing to the fact that the schools do not come up the Bay much farther than Digby. Not more than a dozen barrels have been netted. Bait has been plentiful, and codfish and hake have been a good har- vest. This product is dried and salted and mostly sent to the St. John dealers for export. Some twelve hun- dred barrels of herring, of which there has been a good run also went to St. John right from the water. Hake and haddock are now on the swim and are mostly caught off shore some twelve miles, after being season this goes to Digby and Annapolis dealers for a foreign market. While there are a large number of sail boats and fifty-ton vessels in the trade, yet there are some one hundred motor boats as well. Most of the shore 302 product passes through the hands of Capt. Herbert An- derson, at Parker’s Cove, and Capt. Arthur Longmire at Hillsburn. The sales are spot cash at the boat side. And one man—Mr. Lewis Sabean of St. Croix Cove— has landed during the season something over four thousand pounds of Salmon, and is the highliner along the coast. To a press correspondent he said :—‘‘The great war in Europe with the sound of the big guns has seared all of the wily salmon up into the Bay of Fundy.’’ This has been a good year for the Bay of Fundy fisherman, and better than usual. Every family on the one hundred miles of shore are fishing. A few to the eastward of Hampton do a little farming as well. A storm in-the last week of May that rushed across the Bay at fifty miles an hour for two days, carried great destruction along the shore line. This caught the half filled- lobster cars on a rocky shore. For miles along the coast the cars were carried into the breakers and smashed up right and left. To such an extent was this destruction apparent that there was hardly a fisher- man for miles but what lost upwards of one hundred dollars each. In addition to this, there were more than twelve gasolene boats piled up on the beach in a broken up condition. In the same storm the off-shore fishing schooner ‘‘Elmer’’ belonging Port Wade, and manned by Captain Harry White, his brothers Fred and Elmer, Alexander Nelson and Frank Covert, was at anchor riding out the storm off Parker’s Cove Breakwater. After midnight the storm increased to such an extent that the anchors dragged, when the men took to the dory, which was capsized at the side of the vessel. Four of the-men were drowned. The bodies were recovered and taken to their homes in the valley, where all had large families. The uninsured vessel was torn asunder on the rocks. This was the only loss of life along this ‘shore this season, where hundreds of men ply their trade throughout the year. CAPE BRETON. Few people have any idea of the quantity of fish ’ that was caught in the Gulf waters and shipped from North Sydney, C.B., the headquarters of the Buck- worth, Mumby Company, to Cork, Ireland, during the present season. Recently the Company’s trawler An- dromanche, after fourteen days absence from port, ar- rived here with about seventy tons. This brings the total quantity of fish handled and shipped this season from the Dominion wharf to the Company’s headquar- ters in Cork close up to one thousand tons, which, ac- cording to the high prices prevailing in the Old Coun- try, represents a huge sum of money. The catch of seventy-five tons taken by the Andro- manche during the fourteen days absence, represents about $10,000 in the Irish market, so that it can readily be seen that the season’s work by the company, so far this season in North Sydney, must be a very profitable one. Speaking to Mr. Dunn, the company’s representative here, The North Sydney Herald was informed that the quality of fish taken in the Gulf waters was superior to the Iceland catch. ‘‘It is really wonderful,’’ said Mr. Dunn to a representative of this paper Monday morning, ‘‘the volume of fish that prevail in the Gulf. There seems to be no limit to the quantity, and as for the quality, I have already said it is the best to be found in the world, and commands a better price in the Old Country than the catches made elsewhere.’”’ There are about four hundred tons stored in the new CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. warehouse and on the wharf. This will be shipped direct to Cork sometime this week, or as soon as the barquentine Adonis arrives. Other shipments will fol- low, the intention being to have a small sailing vessel in readiness to keep the fish in transit as soon as the trawlers and the other vessels arrive at the Dominion wharf with their catches. * * * At Dingwall, C.B., Mr. Joseph O’Brien operates a general fish business—dealing in fresh and salt fish, oils and canning lobsters and salmon. Dingwall is in Victoria County about 75 miles from Sydney, and has a weekly steamship service from the latter port. Though in a small isolated port, Mr. O’Brien does a thriving business and takes a great interest in the fish- _ ing industry of Canada. He is a member of the Can- adian Fisheries Association and was one of the first to support the organization. YARMOUTH, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) The last few months have been rather dull from the standpoint of the fisherman and fish dealer except, pos- - sibly, in one or two special lines. The biggest splurge we have had this year was in mackerel and at present — a Dogfish have seriously herring seems to have the eall. ly interfered with ground and line fish in that the vessels and boats were compelled to a large extent to give up q operations for a time. The weather has been fairly good for making what fish have been caught and the quality of the dried fish will bear comparison with any. — The market for fresh fish has been down but the out- look for both fresh fish and salt fish at present is not too bad. Our salt fish goes to the West Indies and South America, and these markets are firm; it is true there have been no advances as yet, but the prospects __ are good. Shipment of shredded fish to England has __ been resumed and the demand is likely to gtow. On the whole the market outlook is good, although of course you will find pessimists who would not be satis- __ fied if the fish brought its weight in gold—they would kick if the packages were not paid for at the same rate. The herring market is a little inclined to be weak. __ The prices are off a little and as the catch is quite large there is not much prospect of a raise just yet. Swordfish have been very plentiful off here this sea- __ son. Yarmouth itself has not received so many of the fares, although quite a few have been landed here, — but they have been brought in to the ports along the — rb and shipped through this place to the United tates. sible to get them in the local fish markets; and as for ae albacore—it is doubtful if six people could be found in’ Yarmouth who had ever tasted them, although a glance at the exports for the month will show that 294 five- hundred pound cases were shipped during the last month. ply During the past few years butter fish have been quite plentiful but this year your correspondent has not seen. one on the market and there have certainly been none _ shipped. What has happened to them I do not know; _ I generally have a lot of questions to ask when Iam _ talking with the fishermen, but I must confess that I pa never once thought of butter fish, which after all, is really only a side line. a The exports for the last two months have been as fol. 3 lows: Fresh Mackerel, barrels, 7,102; Salt Mackerel, 98 barrels ; Clams, 246 barrels ; Fish Waste, 414 barrels; Our own people have not learned to eat them _ F to any extent as yet, although it is almost always pos- __ tember, 1915. Herring, 171 barrels; Fresh Fish, 3 cases; Alba- 2, 294 cases; Fresh Halibut, 180 cases; Fresh Sal- n, 210 boxes; Boneless Cod, 5,906 boxes; Pickled h, 300 cases; Cod Oil, 31 barrels; Hake Sounds, 26 s; Pickled Cod, 11 cases; Dry Salt Fish, 601 s; Periwinkles, 23 barrels; Eels, 5 barrels; Cod- ish, 36 tierces; Glue Stock, 2 barrels; Fish Clippings, 5 barrels; Fish Seraps, 12 barrels; Boneless Cod, 882 ; Sturgeon, 2 cases; Live Lobsters, 283 crates; 1 ease; Canned Lobster, 1,058 boxes; Tunas, 9 ; Swordfish, 600 cases; Canned Halibut, 4 cases. NEWFOUNDLAND. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' The Storm Fiend. A terrific storm swept over the north-east coast of Island from August 3 to 7th, and wrought great : amongst the fishermen. From all points north- s to St. John’s daily reports no loss of life, though fishermen had close calls. The storm has given a ack to fishing for some time; though the fishermen hoping that the great disturbance will have the of ‘‘shaking up’’ the fish on the grounds, and that -and-liners will have their innings after the weath- gets back to normal. We have had several casualties among the Banking set, and it is feared that the Marion, of St. Jacques, the Portia, have gone down with their crews. They not been heard from since they started out on the in trip. The crews of the two vessels number 33. Norwegian steamer Drot from Boston to a Nor- an port cut down the Lunenburg schooner Meta- on August 2nd, off Cape Race; and the Meta- sank within five minutes of the accident. » crew were brought into St. John’s, and the Drot libelled for $30,000. After putting up bonds for amount, the steamer was released and left for her nation. : Sey se ne crew of the Metapedia seem fully confident that 2 will be no difficulty in winning their case in the niralty Court, which is now sitting in special ses- The Bank Fishery. ie vessels have returned from last eaplin. baiting, the net results are short of an average voyage. The els found fish scarce, and met with stormy weather. rgregate catch, however, is ahead of last season’s. Peking industry is confined to Placentia and For- ne Bays, and the catch will be shipped from western is direct to European markets. Most of the Spring have been forwarded, and it is feared that conges- of the Portuguese markets will result in a sharp ne in price. Fish freights have advanced recently, and this is dicap to local purchasers. Four quintal casks are now costing $6.25, or about $1.60 per quintal. This will have a tendency to keep down the price. Quite a number of banking schooners have cleared ador where they will fish off the coast. Many them will prosecute a gill net fishery, and others go hand-lining or will use jiggers owing to the diffi- ‘in securing squid baitings. ‘Squid are reported from some western ports and m Conception Bay, but the vessels had already gone out getting supplies. The gill netting is a com- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 803 paratively new departure, and it will be watched with considerable interest. The Shore Fishery. The shore fishery to the northward (from Fogo to Quirpon) shows little improvement for hook-and-liners. Good catches for traps, however, are reported from Fogo District, and the voyage promises to ge a good one. There has been good fiishing in Conception Bay; and large voyages have been landed at Harbor Grace, Carbonear, Fresh Water, and Bay de Verde. The re- cent storm destroyed a large number of traps, and little has been done since. From Cape St. Francis to Trepassey some exceptionally large catches are re- ported. Some traps at Bay Bulls, Witless Bay, Petty ' Harbor, and around St. John’s have secured the lar- gest voyages for years. One crew at Witless Bay is reported for 1,100 quintals. Cape St. Mary’s and Pla- centia Bay report ‘‘nothing doing,’’ and the outlook is gloomy. With the exception of St. Lawrence, Lawn, and Lamaline, the fishery on the south coast is poor. Yet it is hoped that if bait can be secured regularly, saving voyages may yet be secured. Labrador Fishery. The fishery in the Straits of Belle Isle is practically over for traps, and fairly good catches are reported. Vessels arriving from the eastern section of the Straits —from Chimney Tickle and Pleasure Harbor—are well fished. The report of the Sagona just received from the coast are discouraging; and there is little fish from Battle Harbor to Turnavick. This section of the coast represents the territory of the ‘‘Stationers’’ or room fishermen, and the catch is small. So far we have no reports of the ‘‘floaters’? who have gone down to Mugford and Nachvack. We do not expect any de- finite news from them for some time to come, and the outlook is by no means cheering. The whaler Cachalot operating at Hawke’s Harbor is reported for 28 fish. This is largely in excess of last season’s catch to date, and the prospects for a good voyage are regarded as most assuring. Whale oil is likely to fetch a high price, so that the shareholders * bone Cachalot Company are rubbing their hands glee- ully. There is considerable anxiety regarding shipment of fish from the coast. Freights are high, and there are few carriers in sight. It is rumored that some of our sealing vessels will be requisitioned to carry fish across ; but nothing definite is known about the arrangement so far. Formerly Norwegian steamers were engaged in - the fish carrying trade from Labrador; but as better freights are offering in other directions, none of them will come out this year. Several Norwegian vessels are engaged by exporters of pit props from the Northern Bays, and should the Labrador catch be large, much of the fish will be carried to home ports. There is likely to be some difficulty on the coast re- garding the rice of fish. Formerly the fishermen sold it at ‘‘the current price,’’ ie., no specified amount was set down on their receipts; but the price was ad- justed at the wind-up of the voyage. A recent deci- sion handed down by Judge Emerson of the Supreme Court in the case of Noseworthy vs. Munn, will cause the fishermen to insist that the price be set down on the receipts. The official organ of the Fishermen’s Union—‘The Mail & Advocate’’—edited by Mr. Coak- er, President of the F. P. U., urges fishermen not to 304 aceept less than $4.50 per quintal. What the outcome will be is problematical. Mr. Coaker is in close touch with the situation, and he is necessarily the mouthpiece of the fishermen on the coast. The Union has a membership of some 22,000, and is the most formidable body in the country at the moment. : Mr. Coaker represents the District of Twillingate in the House of Assembly and is a most energetic and resourceful leader. His papers—The Mail & Advocate, and the Fishermen’s Advocate (weekly) — reach the fishermen directly, and keep them in close touch with market and other conditions. Lobster Fishery. “The smallest pack on record! is the summary of the Lobster situation, and it is perhaps just as well for us locally that it should be so. Hundreds of cases of last year’s pack are still unsold; and prices are not stiffening to any appreciable extent. The markets of our greatest lobster customer—Germany—have been closed since the outbreak of the war, and we are now trying to find purchasers elsewhere. Fortunately, comparatively few fishermen were ex- clusively engaged in the lobster fishery this season, and the loss to suppliers will not be so great after the wind-up of the voyage. The season for the South and West coasts closed on July 24th. To show how the fishermen viewed the situation, we give the following details of licenses issued : Placentia District issued 563 licenses in 1914, only 105 this year. Burin District issued 87 licenses in 1914, only 41 this year. Fortune Bay, issued 3385 licenses in 1914, only 111 this year. Burgeo & LaPoile issued 124 licenses in 1914, only 37 this year. St. George’s issued 507 licenses in 1914, only 216 this year. St. Barbe issued 398 licenses in 1914, only 252 this year. Bonavista Bay issued 204 licenses in 1914, only 45 this year. Twillingate & Fogo issued 273 licenses in 1914, only 83 this year. Conception Bay and Southern Shore issued 86 licenses in 1914, only 27 this year. The fishermen went out of the business voluntarily, and practically established a close season. The best price quoted for this season’s pack is, as far as we ean learn, $13.00. Salmon Fishery. There is nothing of importance to say regarding the salmon fishery. The local catch has been small; and we understand that fishermen who do quite a salmon trade on the coast of Labrador were late in getting down. The ‘‘run’’ had been practically over in the great salmon centres, like Merchantman’s Harbor, when the Fishermen reached the coast. Statistical informa- tion is nil, as our local Department of Marine and Fisheries does not seem to have the proper equipment or the requisite knowledge to furnish satisfactory data. Cod Oil. Refined oil for medicinal and similar uses has ad- vanced in price, while common oil seems to be on the slump. It is quite probable that when we hear defi- nitely from the Labrador fleet hat there will be a fur- CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. ther decline. Hard wood packages are now quoted at $105 per tun, and soft woods at $100. ‘ye The Herring Fishery. Owing to unusually large shipments coming into § John’s from western and northern ports, herring s to be a drug in the market just now. They are d to $2.50 per barrel, and we understand some firms repacking for shipment to the West Indies. It seems rather singular that with the almost total failure of Scotch herring shipments to the United States 1 our local product should be quoted at such a low p Fishery Exports for July. ‘(From Outports.) Dry Codfish: To Europe.. . piesa ematee a Brazil... oa.) ake eo eee Canada... canis ayia apes teen cd United States... 02. ts sek, eee Pickled Codfish: To United States . -Quintals — Herring: ac To United States. 3... 4... 4 Canada... .... 5s tess »y +3 oe on Cod Oil: my To United States .. . ..Casks — Salmon : m To Canada... .. . ig LAs (From St. John’s.) Dry Codfish : a TO Brean sees ers West Indies, ete... .. .... > eae ane 6, ete ae Prope sk ee es ae United Kingdom.. .. . a eee United States .. . Also :—2121% tuns cod oil; 51 tuns cod liver oil; cases lobsters; 26 tierces salmon; 124 barrels sa 5,059 barrels herring; 15 barrels dried eaplin; 125 rels turbot; 3 puncheons pickled splits; 1,440 seal s Comparative Statement of Fish Exports for July. Dry Fish. Pickled Quintals. Quintals. 1938 cs oe ke a 5,312% 18. ol 3,981 19,578 Ine. 1,330 Sn aa Decrease .. ... ; Notes. a Turbot fishing in Trinity and Fortune Bays is becoming a recognized industry; $5 per barrel is’ paid for the product by local buyers. - The schooner Spinaway, from Cadiz to Gaultois, picked up two Bank fishermen in their dory on A 1th, 40 miles S.E. of Cape Race. They were Arch $i and Will Banfield of the Newfoundland banker Stanley, of Harbor Breton, and had missed their vei during a dense fog. ; Very little new fish is coming into the market. | who brought in the first lots two weeks ago were September, 1915. 75 for large, well cured quality. The price has since pped to $6.25. On account of the high freights, merchants do not feel inclined to pay more than $6 at resent. The freight on drums (to Brazil) ranges from to $1.25 more than last year. But it is said that when the rush of new fish sets in and competition be- nes keen, the price is likely to advance. It is ex- eted that the price will be $6.50. The Western Star says that another big Fish Packing and Exporting Company is in formation in Bay of Is- lands, with a capital of $50,000. It will be known as the ‘North Atlantic Fish Co.’’ Gorton & Pew, and Cunningham & Thompson, of Gloucester, are already ‘operating on the-western side of the Island, and large shipments of salt bulk are being made from that sec- tion to Gloucester. The ‘‘S.S. 33,’? employed by the Canadian Govern- ment Fishery Department arrived at Curling on Fri- ay, August 6, for the purpose of conducting scientific fishery experiments. The S.S. Primrose arrived on the following day, bringing Canadian fishery investigators. is caid that they have obtained permission from our Government to conduct investigations in the various rs along the coast. t is said that some 2,000 casks of last year’s fish still ‘stored unsold at Naples; and there is a fear amongst shippers that owing to the war, Italy will not take such large quantity of our fish as in former years. The reason assigned, is that owing to the high price of fish eaused by high freights, and exchange, Italian peasants cannot afford to purchase our products. ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND. (Special Correspondence.) _ The trapping season has just ended. The voyage on e whole has been fairly successful, and those districts where all along fishing had been poor the fishery pick- ed up considerably during the last ten days. No ex- ceptionally large catches have been secured, but on the whole the result is much better than for five or six years as nearly every fisherman has secured a saving voyage. In the district of Trepassey, where the out- look was worse for a voyage than anywhere else on the coast, large hauls of fish were secured last week. A day or two before the fishermen began to take in their traps for the season violent storms raged all around the coast. Nearly every trap has been more or less torn, whilst some were lost completely. - The hook and line fishermen have not done so well to date. Heretofore at this season of the year squid would have made its appearance, but as yet only a ‘sign has been secured at Bonavista and Lawn, respec- tively. The great majority of ‘‘‘hook and liners’’ are completely dependent upon squid for baiting, and if it fails to be obtained in any quantity soon it will mean that little or no fishing will be able to be done for the two months yet left to fish. The amount of fish usually taken on the squid baiting is about one hundred thous- and quintals. ‘Reports from the Labrador coast during the week ed, yet the prospects are for good work soon. The 8.8. Sagona reports on the southern end of the coast, when opportunity offers, good catches are be- ing made, but that the frequent gales are interfering with operations severely. Hook and line men are do- ing much better than trappers, as the large bulk of the fish still continues to remain off in deep water. CANADIAN FISHERMAN show that though very little fish has been actually land-’ 805 On the northern end of the coast, fish is just striking in, and from Makovick to Cape Harrigan, a very good sign is being obtained. The majority of the ‘‘floaters’’ are all down on the northern part of the coast with about one hundred quintals each. The very latest news received by Marconi from La- brador, says that on Southern Labrador fish has struck in, and since the 12th of the month good fishing is being done. Fish on the banks still continues very slack. Large numbers of bankers have gone to the Strait of Belle Isle and Labrador, there to continue the voyage till the season is over. Besides using trawls, some of these vessels will give the gill nets a try out. These vessels, from reports, have done well, since going to Labrador, and fine catches are being daily secured. The lobster fishery closed over two weeks ago. The catch is very short, being even shorter than last year, which was the smallest on record. Lobsters are be- ing sold locally for $12.50 per case. No new pack has yet been offered to the trade, but no advance in price is expected to take place this year. The turbot fishery—a new industry—proved most successful for those prosecuting it. In Trinity Bay particularly large catches have been secured, which have sold for $5.00 per barrel. During the last two weeks turbot have slackened off considerably, and little is now being caught. This promised to be a big fishery from now on. Common cod oil is still falling in price, whilst the refined oil shows an upward tendency. Common cod oil one month ago was sold for $126.00 per tun and with a strong market. This week few sales could be made for more than $100.00 per tun. This has been caused largely by the reports of good fishing voyages having been secured all around the coast. Refined oil advanced during the week from 95 cents to one dollar, and is certain to have a still further rise as the season advances, Very little refined oil has been preferred this season. The one whale factory operating on the Labrador Coast has to date secured about forty whales and the prospects for a very large voyage is good. Large quantities of herring are offering to the trade, but find few purchasers. Some of the herring packed during the herring season were found to be done poorly, and hundreds of barrels were found un- fit for use. This had the effect of demoralizing the market for all Newfoundland pack, which was felt by the good as well as the bad pack. Herring is now being offered to the trade at prices ranging from $2.25 to $2.70 per barrel. Large quan- tities have recently been shipped to markets in the West Indies. The following vessels took herring cargoes during the week for Canadian ports :—The Colonia, with 1,225 barrels, for Halifax; the Arthur D. Story, with 1,000 barrels, for Halifax; the Rupert, with 770 barrels for Halifax. Shipments of herring to Canadian ports have been made all during the summer. The price that is likely to be paid for this season’s catches of codfish is the most important topic in fishing circles just now. All during July the consumption of Newfoundland fish stocks in the markets was much greater than the Norwegian article, and consequently the price $6.25 was obtained for fish shipments locally. Last week, 306 however, the freight rate of $4.00, on a cask of fish across the Atlantic climbed up to $8.00, and partly in consequence no sales were made during the week at a figure higher than $6.00. The large majority of the fishermen, however, expecting that an advance will take place later in the season are electing to hold on to their catches. There is a possibility that if prices go higher, and this added to the exorbitant freight rates, that the great bulk of the people who buy New- foundland codfish in the market, will no longer be able to do so, and a decline will ensue in consequence. PORT ARTHUR, ONT. (Special Correspondence.) The fishing business has been pretty fair here this year. This is the slack season just now, but it will pick up from now on, and the big fish (trout) will be com- ing in the first of September. These are called Siscoes, and are salted, and put in kegs or barrels. There are two fishing firms in Port Arthur. The J. Bowman Fish Company, and the Dominion Fish Company. They have fisheries at different inland lakes, which are beginning to supply their share of fish to the Canadian and American markets. The quality of the fish from-some of these lakes com- pares very favorably with Lake Superior fish. There are vast numbers of these lakes that are not fished, on account of the poor transportation facilities. A railway that will open up a large number of these lakes for fishing purposes is the new Canadian Northern. In the vicinity of Port Arthur there are about twenty-five tugs, and a number of smaller craft engag- ed in the fishing industry, not counting those on the inland lakes, where gasoline boats are mostly used. Mr. Spooner from Montreal was a visitor here. He handles Lake Superior fish in the East. THE SEA LAWYER. I’ve sailed the ocean blue, I guess for nigh on forty years, I’ve laughed with South Sea Islanders and cried equator tears, But, mark me well, although the life is certainly not fair, It beats th’ land, for havin’ Peace, and sartin’ legal care. In town th’ Local Judge, says he: ‘‘ Bill Johnson—YOU once more!”’ And Me, sez I:—‘‘ Judge speak it out—I know you’ve got th’ floor.”’ Once let th’ sails bulge out with wind and salt spray douse me eye; And Courts, from here to Tim-buck-too can never ask me:—‘‘Why?’’ Sea lawyers take a fellow’s case once he gets back to port. And once a year you do your bit like any landsman sport. But days speed on an’ months drift past, with only sea and space And nary run of legal lore to poke you in th’ face. I mind that time when Me and Jim put in at Hoola Sound; CANADIAN FISHERMAN * long, as the connections will be made closer, and, of September, 1915. Hawaiian gals kept teasin’ Jim and yankin’ him around, And Jim—he grabbed one purty lass and kissed her, ; fair an’ fine ; . 3 With all them grumpy native guys a-watchin’, do th’ line. Before we knowed it—Bing! A cop—(They have ’em on th’ Isle). ; And Both of us was pinched fer fair for stealin’ of a smile. : 2 Sea Lawyer—sure—he got us out. That’s when they come in great But these here dry land shyster kind are sure to — seal yer fate, th I ree-collect down Hong Kong way, we rammed a Ke Ying boat, ma And six big yellow pig-tailed ghouls was tearing at me throat. : ee I stuck up one and knocked down four but, somehow in th’ fuss, ile Their local Law, such as it is, got speedy wind of us. 7 1 pS A Chinese Court, or Courts Japan, ain’t nothin’ for to brag, : But off we got, as slick as oil—with pearls—and other swag. ; mee T’was HIM, as done it—him as waits, around each ~ blooming port ee eat An’ for a pinch of Transvaal gold will help th’ trou bled sort. at And so it goes, th’ Four Seas ’round, from Boston out to Nome; $ I’d rather be pestered by ONE sea-shark than alluy th’ bunch ’t home. boa Th’minute that I pays my fine or serve my little term, And, Judges wise-er otherwise, give way to search ~ fer sperm, 3 When, in me face, th’ Trade Winds blow—th’ canvas whips a song, Soo And God, himself, smiles at th’ breeze that sends our craft along. Then—then serene content I know—my legal woes o’er, 5 I’d ruther face ten thousand sharks than them meets on shore. a W. LIVINGSTON LARNED. PRINCE RUPERT TO MONTREAL IN FIVE DAYS. From Prince Rupert to Montreal in five days is the record of the Grand Trunk Pacific and transcontinental train. The distance is in the neighborhood of 5,000 miles. This record was made by a recent train which had a big shipment of fish, which is one of the indu tries the Grand Trunk Pacifie is laying itself out to eater to in every way. As Mr. Morley Donaldson, the general manager, says, that is susceptible of almost in- definite expansion. The record will be bettered before course, there will be a saving by using the Scotia June- tion route instead of going through Toronto. The point of interest is, that according to the officials of the Grand Trunk Pacific, there are indications that the service will supply a large want, a want which will grow before one would ordinarily recognize it. September, 1915. TAN < l H})) Y)) ne / hom i| iN 1 ——— Oy CANADIAN FISHERMAN 307 Va > ON AES ‘fae » a THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) The Seattle halibut steamer ‘‘Zapora’’ has just been completely overhauled. Her hull has been scraped and painted and her engines thoroughly overhauled, and new water tanks installed. She has also had addi- tional fuel oil tanks put in which brings her capacity up to 800 barrels. The cost of the labor and overhaul amounts to $14,000. Mr. P. L. Smithers, Vice-President of Booth Fisheries Company, who has spent some time on the Pacific Coast looking into business conditions here, returned to his office at Chicago the latter part of July. While on the coast he visited Seattle, Vancouver, Prince Ru- pert, Ketchikan and Alaska points. He also negotiat- ed the sale of the Gorman cannery interests, which in- terests were taken over by his company. Mr. A. W. Sterrett, Superintendent of New England = _ Fish Company, Vancouver, B.C., and Mr. Harold Syn- nestvedt, resident manager of New England Fish Com- pany, Seattle, Wash., spent several weeks visiting Nor- thern British Columbia and Alaska Points in the in- terests of their company during the latter part of July. Mr. Russell Kearley, business agent at Vancouver of the Halibut Fishermen’s Union of the Pacific, visited the San Francisco Exposition during the latter part of July. He went there as representative at a Convention of the Sailor’s Union. His wife accompanied him. There was a serious ice famine at Prince Rupert the latter part of July, owing to the limited freezing capa- city of the cold storage there. The fish business was curtailed until ice could be imported from the plant of the New England Fish Company at Ketchikan. A number of Prince Rupert fishing vessels had to visit Ketchikan to procure their ice there. It is understood that the cold storage at Prince Rupert is increasing its ' ice capacity to avoid future trouble of this kind. Mr. Chris Olson and Mr. J. P. Todd, two prominent fish men of Seattle, visited Prince Rupert the latter part of July to look into the condition of the fish busi- ness there. * * * We understand that all stocks of mild cured salmon in British Columbia have now been cleaned up and ship- ped East, the last shipment leaving the coast about the first week in August. The refrigerator steamer ‘‘Elihu Thomson,’’ which for many years has transported frozen fish from Alaska to the rails has been chartered by the Alaska Steam- ship Co. The vessel will still ply in the Alaska trade. On July 29th the Seattle halibut steamer ‘‘Chicago,’’ of the Booth Fisheries Company, struck a rock off Race Point, Seymour Narrows. The ‘‘Chicago’’ was bound for the fishing banks with a heavy deckload of coal, and her usual supply of ice and bait. The vessel struck in a heavy fog while going at full speed, and the position of the vessel was so dangerous that some of her cargo had to be jettisoned. The vessel worked herself loose from the rocks, however, and returned to Seattle where she is being repaired by the Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co., at a cost of approxi- mately $10,000. Mr. E. 8. Busby, Chief Inspector of Customs for the Dominion of Canada, spent some time on: the Pacific Coast during the latter part of July, and the first of August. One of his missions while in British Columbia was to investigate the workings of the Order-in-Council, allowing American fish to be shipped through Canada in bond to the United States. It is understood that when Mr. Busby’s report is received, amendments will be made to the Order-in-Council now in force so as ta facilitate the handling of this business. Mr. George Cassady, manager of the Columbia Cold Storage Branch of the British Columbia Packer’s As- sociation, spent a month visiting the trade in Eastern and Western Canada, arriving home at New Westmins- ter the middle of August. Mr. J. Maddock, manager of the newly-formed Gla- cier Fish Company, returned the latter part of July from a visit to the cold storage hulk ‘‘Glory of the Seas’’ which is in Alaska freezing a pack of halibu‘ and salmon. * * * The canners at all other points along the coast reporé an exceptionally good season and all canneries, except to fill their cans. Figures are not yet available as to in the Fraser River district seem to have been able the total number of cases packed, but the canners have all had a good year, except in the Fraser River Dis- trict. 308 F. W. Wallace, the youthful looking but wise editor of the “Canadian Fisherman’’ and seeretary of the Canadian Fisheries Association, has just returned to Montreal after a prolonged visit to the Pacific. He was out in connection with the Association and also in the interests of the paper he edits. Mr. Wallace at the same time gathered the latest Western American slang, and was initiated into the mysteries of halibut fishing on the Pacific. Fred. William paid us the great compliment by stating that he would like to set- tle on this coast. We welcome all who have the cour- age of their convictions, and feel that Mr. Wallace’s old connections will have to be very nice to him to keep him with them. Whatever happens he will al- ways be welcome when he comes to British Columbia again, as he made a host of friends out this way. * * * The salmon run on the Fraser River has to date been almost a total failure. At the time of writing (Aug. 19th) the gill netters have delivered about 400 fish on an average to the canneries. The price started at 35c for sockeyes, but has been raised to 40c, with the pro- spects of going higher. It is hardly likely, however, that the sockeyes will run in any quantities at this late date. The canneries are now looking forward to be able to fill their cans with hump-backs and cohoes, the ruling price being 3c for hump-backs and 20¢ to 25¢ for cohoes. * * * Just before going to press a despatch reaches us to the effect that the hump-back run on the Fraser River has failed to materialize, and it now looks like a big failure for the canning season in the Rraser River District. The failure of the hump-back salmon to run is something unprecedented. In order to complete Chinese labor contracts and to fill the empty tins, it will be necessary for the cannery-men to operate throughout the fall season and run the canneries. This will undoubtedly mean that the fishermen will get higher prices for their cohoe salmon than for many years past. * * * On July 21st Ketchikan, Alaska, experienced one of the severest electrical storms in its history. The lightening struck the generators at the plant of the New England Fish Company, and they were complete- ly burned out. The lightning arresters, however, sav- ed the current from getting into the motors in the en- gine room of the plant. a * we Mr. F. H. Cunningham, the Dominion Chief Inspector of Fisheries for British Columbia, holds the rank of cap- tain in the Canadian Militia. War weddings being the fashion these days, he followed suit and went to Vic- toria a few days ago. There he was married, and is receiving the congratulations of his host of friends in the Province. * . * R. J. Graham, of Belleville, Ontario, who recently pur- chased the Scottish-Canadian cannery at Steveston, B. ©., reached the coast early in July. A company to be known as The Graham Company has been incorporated for the purpose of carrying on the business. Since pur- chasing the plant Mr. Graham has had it thoroughly re- novated, some new machinery added, and other im- provements made, and it is now in operation, Mr. Gra- ham is interested in several fruit and vegetable ecan- neries in Ontario. CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. a Mr. W. R. Spooner, selling agent for the National Fish Company was visiting Western Canadian points in __ the interests of his company. ae * * * 3 Some weeks ago a rumour was around to the effect that the Booth Fisheries Corapany intended operating at or near Prince Rupert. In June, P. L. Smithers, — the Vice-President of the company, visited Prince — Rupert and decided that his company had no inten- tion of making any immediate change. He advised the Northern port to try to build up its own fleet and if the business grew extensively enough, a branch of the Booth Fisheries Company at Prince Rupert was probable. * * * \ 4 An interesting case was tried in West Vancouver a few days ago. Peter Seelis & Co. were ipa ae for sending around a salmon collecting boat and ing fish from boats attached to various canneries. tice was given of the boats attached to the canneries and warning given. The canners took the ground that as they had contracted up with the boats and advanced gear and monies to the fishermen, the fis caught was the property of the canneries. The case was dismissed on trial. ; * * * Halibut is evidently getting scarcer and scarcer pice it looks as if there will be no cheap frozen fish this year. Seattle is getting very little, almost all the in- dependent boats landing their catches at Prince Rupert owing to its proximity to the grounds. It is even re- ported that Seattle will be asking 8¢ this coming vin: ter. ; PACIFIC HALIBUT FARES. (American arrivals at Prince Rupert from dy. 1940 August 15, APU) 1915. July 15—Shamrock .. Eureka . Cayreon A053 pee PROM oa ices July 16.—North Cape : WAYS ia bss u.s ls eee ae 17 Mars a. Oo a ee 18.—Doeiphim ...... °., sve sake eeuene Ola ee a SS Bie ee hy 19-Valhalla ¥ 25.009:% eae ; PAA ee 0) eee AEE eS Rg Dil im MGB. ss 50 «caw pcogeuoca lane 22.—Lillian §. . BS IK OORAK 9.6.6 > ap sc fe Ue ee WaMCOW < .. 4's. << Sis See eee 24.—North Cape ..... ... «.. RGinied sii 5.0- vy a eee MP ONG Ss «suis sae (iia aia ara 26—Eureka ..... De ON EG «5:5 ous. ins Sota ee PB — OR RUL] os os) ee be ae R AN vais ssa sale 2g SS a eas 20.—Athena i... a. se ee ee ee Shamrock ..... 30.—Jennie F. Decker J eee tae 31.—Vanecee .. .. . Aug. 3.—Northeape 4.—Vesta “September, 1915. 16.—Roald Amunaden, MENON 35) aero id. 9.—Tom and Al.... 10.—Athena Constitution 11.—Tordenskjold .. eer Mat 0 G05 85% wien data aoe ere Jennie F. Decker 14.—Lillian . Panama © spat a ae ee we Hee ee ee Pee) ja-ere ee Ss. Co., Ltd.) . (The. Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.).. zi 17.—Zorra, (Atlin Fisheries, Limited) 4 18.—Maud, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Oe LAG. 5.3 Skugaid, ano Canadian Fish & C. S.. Co., « Zibassa, (The Canadian Fish & C.8. Co., Ltd.) . ; 19.—Iskum, (Atlin. Fisheries, Limited). . Unity, (Atlin Fisheries, Limited) . 21.—Pandora, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) 22.—Kelley, (‘The Canadian Fish & C. 8. Co., Ltd.) . 1 Foster, (The ‘Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) . 24.Tuladi, ’ (Atlin Fisheries, Limited) . te Starratt, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) . 26.—Royal Til. (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd.).. 27.—Vasa, (The Canadian Fish & C. 8. o.,. Ltd): 22. 0 Zorra, (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd. yo pee 28.—Elola, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) . Borealis, (Atlin ‘Fisheries, Ltd.) . 29.—Skugaid, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) .. Carruthers, (The Canadian. Fish & C. 8. Co., Ltd.) . Lik eas 2.—Unity, (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd.) Pee Zibassa, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.).. 4,—Starratt, (The “Canadian Fish rY C. 8. Co., yA en ene eee i.—Ed. Rodel, (The Canadian Fish & ©. S. Co, ltd.) . 6.—Zorra, (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd.) . Rose H., (The Canadian Fish & C. Si. Co., Ltd.) 2... 9.—Skugaid, (The Canadian Fish & C. S. Co., Ltd.) . Chief Zibassa, (The Canadian Fish & ©. 8. Co., Ltd.):.. Tuladi, (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd.) . 11.—Celestial 1 Empire, (Atlin Fisheries, ) 12.—Manhattan, ‘US. (atti Fisheries, Ltd.) . CU GW ee Bt ated |S ee'se elelete o #76 16,000 (Canadian Arrivals at Pringe Bepevé fodite July 15 — 15, 1915). duly 15.—Anna D., (The Canadian Fish & C. 20,000 20,000 60,000 CANADIAN FISHERMAN Haysport, (Rorvik Fish Co.) .. .. 13.—Borealis (Atlin Fisheries, Ltd.) .. 14.—G. E. Foster, (The Canadian Fish & €. S. Co., Ltd.) . 5 Carruthers, (The Canadian ‘Fish & C. S. Co., A 7 OS Pia ie i 809 12,000 10,000 . 120,000 40,000 (Arrivals at Vancouver, B.C., from July 15 to Aug. 15, 1915). July 15.—Flamingo, (The Canadian _—. Company, Ltd.) .. .. . . 115,000 16.—Jessie, (Crown Fish Co.).. $ . 15,000 19.—Celestial Empire, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) .... .. 85,000 20:—New England, (New England Fish Company) . . 140,000 21.—Trapp, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ue" Seed DU 22,000 22.—Carlotta G. Cox, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd. p hes 62,000 26.—Pescawha, (The Canadian Fishing OG RIP oa co 62,000 26 -—Peseawha, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) . 60,000 Manhattan (Ne ew y England Fish Co. ) 82,000 27.—Flamingo, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) . 85,000 Aug. 2,—Celestial Empire, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) . 75,000 3.—Iskum, (The Canadian Fishing Co. BE Ltd. t aie 26,000 4.—Carlotta G. ' Cox, “(The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd. Des 75,000 Jessie, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) ae 35,000 9.—Flamingo, (The Canadian Fishing i Ong dtd.) 75,000 Pescawha, (The Canadian | Fishing Co., Ltd.) . 70,000 Emma #;, (The Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd.) . ; 35,000 Trapp, (The Canadian Fishing Co. # Eta y: 15,000 10.—New England, (New England Fish Company)... . 115,000 (Arrivals at Steveston, B. C., ‘ tom ‘Fup 15 tw August 15, 1915). July 16.—Roman, (Columbia Cold Storage Co.) . 100,000 29. —Onward. Ho, (Columbia Cold Stor- age Co.).. 115,000 Aug. Moc, (Columbia ‘Cold "Storage Co. 90,000 11.—B.C. P,, "(Columbia ‘Cold "Storage Co. 30,000 NOTE :—The Canadian Fishing ‘Company, Limited, and Atlin Fisheries, Limited, are subsidiaries of New England Fish Company. FISHING NETS FOR RUSSIA. An article in which Canada might take an interest is fishing nets, hitherto supplied from Germany. The measurements are 25 to 75 meshes broad, made in mesh- 15,000 es of 10 to 44 millimetres wide, of hemp or cotton of various thieknesses. Annual purchases amount 000 pieces, 160 metres each in length. to 75,- Larger nets 150 meshes broad, in meshes 16 to 57 millimetres wide. Annual purchases, 325 tons. 310 GASPE FISHING GOOD. That the codfish catch on the Gaspe coast this year is the greatest in history, being estimated at forty mil- lion pounds is the report brought to Fredericton this week by commercial travellers who have just covered the territory. The fishing district along the coast from Paspebiac down to Gaspe is starting upon one of its most pros- perous eras as a result of the great catch, the whole forty million pounds being taken in that district which extends over about 100 miles of coast line. Some remarkable reports of big catches are being made, three men in one week getting 72 drafts, a draft being 280 pounds of split fish with the heads and in- sides removed. Buyers are gathered along the coast from a wide range of territory, the buyer from Gor- ton and Pugh of Gloucester, Mass., having already bought about ten million pounds, while Mr. Fitzger- ald, the veteran buyer for Job Brothers, of Newfound- land, is one of the heaviest buyers. The latest price quotation was $5.50 per quintal of 112 pounds. INSPECTION OF PICKLED FISH. Department of the Naval Service, Ottawa, August, 1915. The following circular has been received from the Naval Service Dept. :— Sir :— You are no doubt aware that in the course of last year an Act was passed to provide for the inspection and branding of pickled fish such as mackerel, herring, alewives and salmon. The object of this Act is to make general the use of a strong, well-made barrel for the marketing of such fish in; also to raise the standard of curing and grad- ing the fish, so that the cured article may, with confi- dence, be bought and handled by dealers, to the ad- yantage and profit of fishermen and dealers alike. The inspection will be carried out before the fish leave the hands of the fisherman or packer, and the Department has provided a number of competent in- spectors whose services will be entirely free of charge to either the fisherman or the dealer. The Act does not make inspection compulsory, how- ever, and while fishermen and packers freely admit the need of inspection, it is expected that they will not be much inclined, especially at the beginning, to pay the higher price of the regulation barrel in order to secure the brand, without some assurance that they will be re- paid for the extra cost. By means of publie meetings and the distribution of printed instructions, the Department in the course of last winter and spring, explained to packers and fisher- men all over the Atlantic coast the meaning and in- tention of the Act, and pointed out the benefits that are sure to follow the adoption of the brand. It is realized, however, that the matter of inducing fishermen to pack their fish in accordanee with the Act can be most effectively accomplished by the deal- ers in and buyers of the eured product, and unless they heartily do their share along this line there ig little hope of speedy improvement in the business, CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. You doubtless know, by experience, something of the trouble and loss caused year by year by the persistent use of slim barrels and the unsystematie curing and grading, and, as a general application of the branding system will be directly beneficial to you as a merchant or dealer, the Department takes this means of appeal- ing to you, personally, to co-operate with it in its en- deavour to permanently improve conditions in the pickled fish business to the extent, at least, of intimat- ing to fishermen and packers, before buying your sup- plies of pickled fish, that you are prepared to pay more for and to prefer fish packed in the regulation bar- rel, bearing the Government Brand. I may add that the members of the Boston Fish Bur- eau, at a recent meeting with a representative of this Department, expressed their high appreciation of the Department’s inspection scheme, and assured the De- partment, through its representative, that they would gladly help by encouraging those who may ship brand- ed fish. I shall be very greatly obliged, therefore, if you will be good enough to give to this matter your serious personal attention, with a view to helping for- ward the work. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, G. J. DESBARATS, Deputy Minister of the Naval Service. Fisheries Exhibit, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, 1915. CURIOUS EFFECT OF WAR ON FISH. A report from Consul-General S. Listoe at Rotter- dam, published in Commerce Reports issued by the Department of Commerce at Washington, contains many detailed figures as to recent movements of com- merce at that important Holland port, with compari- sons showing the effect of the war on Duteh trade. Although Mr. Listoe does not attribute all the changes noted to existing hostilities in Europe, he eare- fully ineludes the following two interesting items: “Total number of shads offered for sale in 1914 was 1,559 against 1,156 for 1918. ‘““Three sturgeons were offered for sale in the Rotter- dam market during 1914, against one in 1918, while 26 were sold at Hardinxveld, or the same as during 1918.’’ _ While it is obvious that Mr. Listoe is a careful sta- tistician, it would seem that he might have figured out the percentage of increase, especially on sturgeon, for the benefit of his readers in the United States. _ September, 1915. The possibilities for enlarging the available fish supply of the United Kingdom by the more extensive use of refrigeration is discussed in the following article which appeared in the issue of the ‘‘Cold Storage and Produce Review’’ of May 20, 1915. This question is of direct interest to Canadians in view of the large sup- _ plies of fresh fish available from the Pacific coast, and it is important from its relation to the notices with _ reference to the market in the United Kingdom for frozen fish from British Columbia, which have appear- ed in recent numbers of the Weekly Bulletin. Fish and Refrigeration. Almost the only important food industry in Great Britain the members of which have so far considered it unnecessary to call in the aid of refrigeration, is the fish trade. The reason for this is not far to seek; Eng- land with its ample and accessible seaboard is in the exceptionally favorable position of being able to draw - immense supplies of fresh fish from the surrounding waters—there are no more famous fishing grounds the _wide world over than those of the North Sea. In fact, the quantity of fish landed on these coasts reaches such big dimensions that after the home requirements are fulfilled there is a substantial surplus for export to less favored countries. During 1913—the last com- _ plete year for which figures are available, and a better one for our purpose than last year, as conditions were normal—the quantity of fish landed on the coasts of the United Kingdom, totalled 24,056,519 ewts., and of this no less than 10,994,514 ewts. were exported (1,- 464,296 ewts. fresh and shellfish, and 9,530,218 ewts. cured or salted). Thus with regular adequate sup- plies of fresh fish there has been no inclination on the part of the trade to make any extended use of cold storage, while the public has shown little or no appre- ciation of frozen fish while fresh could be obtained. Shortage and Its Effects. Now, however, conditions have changed, as have many other circumstances as a result of the war. Land- ings of fish show a marked shrinkage and are still falling, and prices exhibit a corresponding rise. Na- tional requirements have resulted in exceptionally heavy calls on steam trawler owners for the use of their vessels for naval purposes, many trawlers have been lost by mines, submarines, ete., while the areas available for fishing purposes by the remaining boats are strictly limited by the Admiralty. Thus all things considered, the outlook for any increase in the land- ings of fresh fish is distinetly gloomy. As this is a fish-eating nation the question at once arises, are there any other countries from which we can draw supplies of fish? Canada, of course, possesses rich fishing grounds on the Pacifie coast, and for this great food supply as well as for men and munitions, this country may look to the Dominion for help in the hour of need. It must be remembered that with the CANADIAN FISHERMAN 811 THE USE OF REFRIGERATION AND FISH SUPPLY (Trade and Commerce Bulletin.) impossibility of importing turkeys from Central Europe and the Balkans last Christmas, Canada seized her op- portunity, and sent over a consignment of fine birds, the majority of which met an excellent market. The main consideration is that of prime Gosts. Freight is dear and difficult to obtain. Another point is wheth- er the fish would be best frozen or chilled; here again the question of expense is an important factor, chilling being the more expensive of the two methods. The Use of Cold Storage. Recently fairly large quantities of kippers have been placed in cold store, with success, as much as 1s per box profit being made in some instances. Kippers come out better frozen than chilled. Cured haddocks, too, are often preserved by refrigeration, but, in this case, the fish appear to ‘‘sweat’’ after contact with the outside air again, which rather goes against their sale. This, of course may be connected with the smoking and coloring. Shrimps are frequently placed in cold store, but if kept there for any length of time they become almost unsaleable when thawed out. Various kinds of wet fish are placed in cold store from time to time, but under normal circumstances refrigerated fish cannot compete with freshly landed supplies, the quantity of the latter being quite adequate, with reasonable prices. Great Untapped Supplies. It is interesting to note that in the report of the Dominions Royal Commission it is stated that the New- foundland fishermen searcely trouble to catch turbot or halibut, for which there is a market in England. Dur- ing the last year or two, several shipments of ‘‘ glazed’’ halibut has been received from British Columbia, and, as far as we can gather, the fish has been sold at prices nearly 50 per cent below those current for hali- but from home waters. Of course, with supplies of fresh fish reduced to the minimum, it should be possible to realize rates for frozen fish within 75 per cent at least of the average for fresh fish, providing it were marketed in good condition. The duty. of this article has not been to do more than, so to speak, set up a finger post. It remains for those interested to go more fully into the question, and ascertain ways and means. It may be that war with its waste may teach the lessons of saving which the fish trade, like other industries, can learn from refrigera- tion. A New Field for Cold Storage. Should any quantity of fish be imported into this country a new field of custom will be opened up for the public cold stores of the Kingdom, and as cold storage has an increasing circulation among the different branches of the fishing industry, owners and managers of stores should take advantage of the publicity afford- ed by the advertisement columns of this review to place before likely customers their facilities for storing fish. 312 CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. Fisheries at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto ne eS ae a Atlantic Sea Fish Exhibit, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, 1915. ot 63“ Lake Fish Exhibit, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, 1915. September, 1915. YANADIAN FISHERMAN The Distribution and Economic Importance of the “Inconnu’ 313 ’ ---Stenodus Mackenzie---in the Mackenzie River Valley Be 8-6 D, MELVILLE, F.R.G.S. Member of the Canadian Fisheries Advisory Board. The ‘‘Inconnu” or ‘‘Connie’’ (the name by which this fish is more generally known throughout the north) is a large, coarse salmonoid inhabiting, as far as the first rapids, most of the large rivers and streams of Alaska and Arctic Canada from the Yukon to the Anderson river. This fish is nearly identical with the Russian ‘‘Sten- odus Leucicthys’’ found in the Caspian sea and many of the rivers of Russia and Siberia. The general appearance of the ‘‘Inconnu’’ when freshly caught is somewhat like an Atlantic salmon: ‘*Baik-huli,’’ the name by whcih this fish is known to the Slave and Hare Skin Indians of the Mackenzie river, translated means ‘‘No-tooth’’ which is not quite accurate. **Stenodus’’ (literally ‘‘Short-toothed’’) the name of Greek derivation given to this genus by Sir John Richardson better describes their condition. “‘Theonnu’’ is a French word meaning ‘‘Unknown’’ and the name was doubtless bestowed on this fish by the French half-breed ‘‘ Voyageurs’’ of the old North- west or Hudson’s Bay Companies when first they , Cold Storage Show Cases, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, 1915. the head and mouth being larger, and the scales uni- formly, of a bright silver color. The flesh is white, very rich and oily, too rich in fact for a long diet. It must be admitted that its edible qualities are very much a matter of personal taste—some people liking it, others claiming it be too oily and coarse. Person- ally, I believe, as in many other kinds of fish, the cook- ing plays a most important part. However, there cer- tainly can be no disputing the “‘Inconnu’s’’ great va- lue as dog-feed, or dried and smoked for human con- sumption. In weight the ‘‘Inconnu’’ will average 15-20 lbs., but 48 Ibs. or even 50 lbs, is by no means uncommon. penetrated the remote shores of Great Slave lake and vicinity. The fish to them was new and unlike the familiar whitefish or jackfish, or anything of the kind ever seen before. The ‘‘Inconnu’’ is found on the Slave and Macken- zie rivers below the rapids at Fort Smith, as far as the Arctic ocean. They have never been taken above these rapids. On Great Slave lake they have been found as far east as the Narrows (Sir George Back reported taking one there in 1833). They also ascend most of the rivers flowing in from the north. But, the Riviere de Rochers, Stony Island, Buffalo river and Slave riv- er, all tributaries of Great Slave lake, are the locali- 314 ties where the ‘‘Inconnu’’ are, at spawning time, probably most plentiful. Sergeant Mellor, R.N.W.M. P., reports ‘‘that he was nearly able to walk across Buffalo river on their backs,’’ and the same has been said of Riviere de Rochers (some 50 miles east of Fort Resolution). This latter is a wide shallow stream. In the upper Mackenzie river the ‘‘Inconnu’’ are prob- ably not as plentiful as on Slave river, but some are taken in gill nets every summer at all the trading posts. They do not ascend the Liard or Bear lake rivers (two of the largest tributaries) and they do not oecur in Great Bear lake, although Thomas Simpson (Dease and Simpson Expedition 1836) reported that one was caught in a whitefish net near Fort Confidence (situated at the eastern extremity of the lake). In the lower Mackenzie the fish ascend from the Arctic ocean in great quantities as far as the Swift river (known as the Sans Sault rapids) above Fort Good Hope. The Indians establish fisheries below these rapids every year. The fish leave the delta of the Mackenzie river and Great Slave lake (at both of which places they undoubtedly winter) about June and begin to re- turn in October. They also ascend Peel’s river and many natives inhabiting that section of country de- pend very largely on them for their food supply. Con- cerning other tributaries of the Mackenzie river, I re- gret I have no data, and can, therefore, give no infor- mation. The ‘‘Inconnu’’ spawns at Smith from about the middle of September to the beginning of October, and it is at this time that the trading companies and others establish fisheries, for they are to be found in the ed- dies below the Smith rapids in great quantities. The fish are generally split and hung on a stage out of- reach of the dogs. On account of the large size of the ‘‘Ineonnu’’ it is not necessary to ‘‘put up’’ the great quantity that a whitefish fishery necessitates,—one good-sized fish being nearly a days ration for a team of dogs. The price asked by the Indian and _half- breed fishermen at Fort Smith is or was twenty-five cents a piece (for a fair-sized fish) they are usually caught in gill nets (51-inch mesh) set in the eddies of the rivers, but they also readily take a spoon or bait, the latter being a piece of fresh meat or fish. The Eskimo at the mouth of the Mackenzie river catch them through the ice by means of a hook and line bait- ed with a thin strip of bone or ivory. The ‘‘Inconnu’’ is a fish of no great vitality; it be- ing generally found dead in nets, as compared to the whitefish or trout which caught at the same cast are still full of life. This apparent lack of vitality or slug- gishness may possibly account for this species, al- though predominating in great numbers in the dis- tricts to which it is native, being very noticeably stop- ped by rapids or swift water occurring in the streams which they frequent. The first mention we have of the ‘‘Inconnu’’ is to be found in Samuel Hearn’s account of his journey from Fort Prince of Wales (Churchill) to the Copper- mine river. He records taking one of the fish in Great Slave lake in 1772. After mentioning all the other well known varieties, he writes, ‘‘Besides these we caught also another kind of fish which is said by the Northern Indians to be peculiar to this lake; at least none of the kind have ever been met with in any other. The body of the fish much resembles a pike in shape, but the seales, which are very large and stiff, are of a beautiful bright silver color; its mouth is large, al- CANADIAN FISHERMAN ; a though not provided with any teeth, and take a bait as ravenously as a pike or trout. The sizes we caught — were from two feet to four feet long.”’ af Sir Alexander Mackenzie in the account ‘of his jour- _ ney of 1789 down the great river which bears his name, mentions the ‘‘Inconnu,’’ but gives no deserip- tion. The fish was definitely described by Sir John Richardson after his first journey as naturalist and ~ surgeon to the Franklin Expedition. : Little or nothing is known concerning the food of the ‘‘Inconnu,’’ it being probably small aquatic ani- maculae or small fish such as minnows. An Indian told me it is also a great scavenger, devouring the carrion carried down by all rivers in a greater or less degree, but this statement needs corroboration. ke It will be readily understood that the ‘‘Inconnu’”’ — may be of vast importance and value if the Arctic and Sub-Arctie districts of the Mackenzie valley develop in the future, as is fully expected. : es, It is definitely known that these fish retire back from __ their summer haunts and spawning grounds in the riv- ers to Great Slave lake, the Mackenzie river delta and — bays of the Arctic ocean. The sixteen miles of rapids at Fort Smith are the only impediment to them pro- ceeding up stream to Lake Athabasca, Peave river, ete. Lake Athabasca and the delta of the Athabasca river _ are exactly similar to Great Slave lake and the delta of the Slave river, in which waters the ‘‘Inconnu’’ now flourish. This leads to the following reflection — which, while of no great economic importance at pre- sent, might perhaps in the future be worthy of consid- eration, and at any rate is, I venture to believe, of in- terest. 4 It would be an interesting experiment to transfer some of these fish over the ‘‘rapids’’—or otherwise stock the Upper Slave river. Peace river is not very plentifully endowed with fish life, and if it were pos- sible to introduce the ‘‘Inconnu’’ it would confer a great boon on the inhabitants of this at present sparse- ly populated country. In the years to come the value — of a great fishery in the heart of what is destined to be one of the finest farming districts in Canada can searcely be estimated. ie Little is known of the habits or life of the ‘‘Incon- nu’’ and that little is, I believe, all expressed in the foregoing notes. I have not the fatuity to pretend these to be a scientific or even a full practical report— but perhaps some attention may be drawn towards portance, but which is now indeed well named ‘“ connu.’’ In- . KNOCKED ITS HORNS OFF, ‘Panic seized skippers in Harwich harbour recently when an old Dover fisherman hove to towing a bi floating German mine, loaded with enough explosi to destroy a battleship. ‘‘Hit’s all right, guvnor,’’ the old fisherman yelle when the officer of a mine-layer in the harbour he a volley of excited curses in his direction. ‘I’ knoeked ‘er ‘orns off with a boat ‘ook.’’ ‘* Er ’orns,’’ the old fisherman was startled to le. were the projections on the German mines which, wh struck, explode the contents of the eylinder. Why th mine failed to explode is a mystery, \ September, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN $15 MAX FINKELSTEIN WHOLESALE PRODUCER OF SMOKED FISH 124 HAVEMEYER ST. 8 PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS P. C. PARKHURST BROOKLYN - ge NEY. Be ata gq SISCOES: cHURS: ommitsston eater im LIBEES; BLUE- FINS; white STUR- Salt Smoked a — = AND AND well as salted roun a HERRINGS. _ Red Pickled Canned and fat, Pacific Coast ao cured SAL- Office and Wharf : I pay market prices for all varieties of prime, fresh or frozen fish, suitable for smoking. Remittances upon safe and satisfactory arrival. Authentic reference. Communi- cate with me. 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. Correspondence Solicited LERRLSLRRSSSSS SSeS SSS SSS See PTT TTT Ter Teer tent ip BB GE 98 8 Ge GP Ge 8 Be 8 Ge 8 GG Be W. Irving Atwood, Prest. N. D. Freeman, Treas. i : ; W. Elmer wl eo E: Et mV ANY Oxi - ee Irving M. Atwood, <> “Fe ¢ — Vice-Prest. 2 cy Noe and Mgr. ALL WACHUSE » VARIETIES BRANO OF THE FINNAN HADD SEASON 31 Boston Fish Pier Boston, Mass. EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EERE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Inc. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in , Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited EEEPEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEE EE EEEEEEEEEEEE EEE EEE EEEEEEEE EEE EEE EEEEEEEE EEE Ee Ee eae ae PEEEPE PEED HE - eee eS ee ee EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE PEPE EE EEE EEE EEEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN ; FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (Puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTERS Phones: Bell, eke 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. PEPPER EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE EE EEEE PEPE EE THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S : COMMERCIAL FISHERIES : $1.00 Per Annum Canada and Great Britain. $1.50 United States and Elsewhere Send Your Subscription in NOW 316 WHY NOT FISH, TOO? The idea of the Government to stimulate the use of apples by newspaper advertising a year ago was a novel departure in the promotion of the agricultural industry. The advertising resulted in an immediate and wide- spread demand from the people for more apples. Those who had been in the habit of buying them by the dozen, bought them by the peck. Those who bought pecks be- gan to buy barrels. Retailers stocked up to satisfy the demands of their customers. Wholesalers laid in un- usually large stocks and the growers responded at once to the market thus created by picking and shipping their fruit. The fishing industry, particularly on the Atlantic Coast, presents a problem similar to that of the apple situation a year ago, with this difference—the apple situation was ephemeral but the fish situation is per- manent. Canadian fishermen are not now taking from the sea anything like the quantities of sea fish easily available and the people of inland Canada are not con- suming anything like the quantities of sea fish they would consume if they were more familiar with the nourishing qualities and the palatableness of a sea food diet. Thus a portion of our great natural wealth goes to waste. The fisherman and the consumer are affected by the same causes, but each in opposite ways. The fisher- man gets low prices and little market; the consumer pays high prices and gets little good fish. The reason for the fisherman’s poor market and low prices is the lack of transportation facilities. These facilities can be supplied only by increasing the de- mand for fish. If an increased demand is created, the consumer will not only only get more fish, he will get better fish. Along the New Brunswick coast, where catches of sea fish are often prodigious, cod sells for two cents a pound on the dock. The same fish in Ottawa—brought here fresh—would be cheap at 20 cents. Mackerel are sold at an average price of about 44%4c a pound. In Ottawa they are worth from 25 to 30 cents. Herring are taken by cartloads from shallow waters in spring and put on the land as fertilizer. - Very little deep sea herring fishing is done at the time when the fish are at their best. ‘‘Gaspe’’ salmon—caught in traps leased by the Government of Canada—sell to local con- sumers at 13 cents a pound. They are shipped whole- sale to Boston at eight cents a pound. The growth of the industry depends primarily on the consumer. He must be educated to the use of more fish.. He must be shown that fish is an all the week diet. He must be awakened on fish, just as he was awakened on apples. A steady demand having been aroused, the furnish- ing of regular and quick transportation is only a mat- ter of detail, and the supply of fish at the ports would almost automatically respond. The fisherman would catch more fish. He would get more money per pound for them. They would cost the consumer less per pound than now because transportation would be better and trading profits less. This has been proven in the United States where the experiment has been tried. Sir George Foster and the Hon. Martin Burrel solv- ed the apple problem last fall by creating a great con- sumer demand for apples through newspaper adver- tising. Sir George Foster and the Hon. J. D. Hazen could greatly improve the lot of the Atlantic fishermen, and supply the people of inland Canada with a great CANADIAN FISHERMAN September, 1915. deal more of the nourishing and palatable products of the sea if they would tickle the appetites of the people of these inland towns and cities with some news- paper advertisements on the cod, the mackerel and thé herring, of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.—Ottawa Free Press. GEO. L. CLAYTON CONSULTING ENGINEER PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FURNISHED FOR ICEMAKING, FISH FREEZING, AND COLD STORAGE PLANTS VICTORIA and PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. LAKE FIS® WHITEFISH ) We are established for handling DORE ordersincarloadlots. Shipment | JACKFISH | right from the Lakes. We TULLIBEES ( specialize in Lake Winnipeg fish, GOLDEYES | the finest Lake fish in the world. SUCKERS Pan-frozen and Winter weather frozen fish handled. : ; ; ESTABLISHED 1890 The W. J. Guest Fish Co. Limited ; WINNIPEG, MAN. 9 ©9O00OOOOOO 9940009 000600O0OO06 bi J.Bowman & Co. TROUT, WHITEFISH, JUMBO WHITE, YELLOW PIKE, JACKS, FRESH HERRING, SALTED HERRING, FRONTALCUT OR FLATS. WE ARE BOOKING ORDERS NOW FOR CAR LOTS. FROZEN HERRING, 100 LBS. IN SACK, 240 SACKS TO CAR FOR NOVEMBER ae DECEMBER DELIV- WRITE US FOR PRICES. e@ 4 POP PP DP PODDD® PYPOPPYIPPPPPGSISF OOOOH hh646 bb broly ere» OOOO é : BOO 90H O0O9 099 099099990999 HOO 565H909000 HOH OOO OGE HEAD OFFICE, PORT ARTHUR Toronto 26 Duncan Street Montreal 47 William Street 999999 HHHHHHHOHHHHOOOHOHOOO CANADIAN FISHERMAN 317 47 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL FISH BUSINESS New England Fish Co. ORGANIZED 1868 INCORPORATED 1902 HEAD OFFICE: WESTERN HEADQUARTERS: SEATTLE BRANCH: BOSTON, MASS. VANCOUVER, CANADA. PIER 6, Foot University St. American Steamers: American Auxiliary Schooners: Subsidiary Companies: Cold Storage Plants: KINGFISHER KNICKERBOCKER THE CANADIAN FISHING CO., LTD. KALAMA, WASH. MANHATTAN BAY STATE THE DOTY FISH COMPANY VANCOUVER, B.C. NEW ENGLAND PROSPECTOR NORTHWESTERN FISHERIES CO. KETCHIKAN, ALASKA. ATLIN FISHERIES, LTD. BOSTON, MASS. Places of Business: BOSTON, MASS. GLOUCESTER, MASS. VANCOUVER, CAN. NEW YORK CITY, N. Y. PORTLAND, MAINE. PRINCE RUPERT, CANADA. KETCHIKAN, ALASKA. KALAMA, WASH. SEATTLE, WASH. CHICAGO, ILL. Produce.s and Shippers of Halibut, Salmon and All Varieties of Fish Fresh—Frozen—Salt Canadian Fishing Co. LIMITED Vancouver and Prince Rupert, Canada. British Steamers Canadian Auxiliary Schooners FLAMINGO PESCAWHA — CARLOTTA G, COX CELESTIAL EMPIRE EMMA H. BOREALIS AURORA ZORRA Cold Storage and Ice Making Plant at Vancouver, Canada We are the Largest Canadian Producers and Shippers of Pacific Coasv Fresh and Frozen Fish CARLOAD SHIPMENTS MADE TO ALL PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 318 CANADIAN FISHERMAN The Canadian Fish & Cold : Storage Co., Limited : PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. PRODUCERS AND WHOLESALE FISH DEALERS PACKERS & SHIPPERS OF FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT & CANNED FISH LARGEST COLD STORAGE FISH PLANT . RUPERT BRAND FROZEN HALIBUT & |] sd 5 KIPPERS SALMON | “ “ FILLETS SMOKED SALMON" SMOKED BLACK COD SMOKED HALIBUT 66 66 66 66 PRESENT LARGEST DISTRIBUTORS OF HALIBUT IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE WE OPERATE THE LARGEST FLEET OF HALIBUT VESSELS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL COMPANY ON THE PACIFIC COAST Branch Establishments: VANCOUVER, B.C. - CHICAGO, ILL. Salmon Cannery Capacity 40,000 Cases Cold Storage Capacity 7,000_ Tons CANADIAN FISHERMAN 319 Dieleteteteleicicietsteleteicicteleleteteteteleleleteteteteteletotetetteleieieittiisieleltisiteetleiiiilecieliei tiie eiele lalallala FISH & OYSTERS — | FONARD BROS. | | Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, . and Prepared FISH in Season . (Near Custom House) 000006 MONTREAL OYSTERS A SPECIALTY ae 090000 $OOOOO ranches : y COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES ee ee re (OHCHOHOHOHOOOHOHOHCHO 0000000000000) 0H00s000 00H0H00-00 0000000 CHOCO OOOO COCO C00 OOOO O OOOOOOoooooo poiviisisieleivicieicielsicloicicioleloleisioicleioiolcieloleloleieteloloteiototeteletetototetetetetoleteieletotoieieioloiotoieisioisitieieieiel si seis 13) 9] “Inspection Certificates Furnished Where Required.”’ F. J. HAYWARD . SHIPPER OF : Frozen Salmon, Halibut and Black Cod.. Fresh Salmon, Halibut, and other fish. Pickled Salmon, Herring and Black Cod; Alaska Codfish and all other Pacific Fish in Carlots only. WESTERN AGENT:—ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN, LIMITED, Etc., Etc. Correspondence Solicited 912 DOMINION BUILDING - VANCOUVER, B.C. : oooooooonooOooooODoOOOOOoOOoOOOOoOoOoOOOoO OOOO oOODoOOoOoOOOOOoOOOOoOOOOoOoooOooooOS | SAFETY FIRST iekGon pepe DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. 320 CANADIAN FISHERMAN PEEPEEEE EEE EE LEE EEE EEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE PEELE EEE EE EEE EEE PEPE EEE EPEDE PELLET EEE EEE PEGS FISHING SUPPLIES } Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— PEPE PEPE ES Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA PEPE EEE hh SHEE EPH EPE EE EPL EEE EE PEPE PEPE EEE EE PEPE PEPE EE PEPE PEE PE PPP HS Re eGo obo Bobs Re oko be obs oboe Be oho ohooh obo oho oe oe fo ofe oBe ohe oR obo oho obs oho oe oR oe oe oso obo obs obo obo oe oho of Rooke Be oR edo os Beebe feof ode os oR oe oe nooo of ooo of oe oho ole ooo oe oe hoofs oes SPEEFEPE ESE PEPE EEG ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless — Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes PEEP EP EPEL EEE EP EE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE PPP Ph beh hehe doh eh oho oooh heheheh beh heheheh peheh hobhehepeh + mma staircase NE i 99 0A : Everywhere in Canada PEEPS ES SESE ESESSS FESEES PTET EE? * Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies Gateway Brand Boneless Fish 4 Orr ee aes Gateway Brand Threaded Fish f ATEW Ly F cH KI ask fi or Gateway Brand Pickled Cod Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. “GATEWAY’’ Brands of Fish Poisisicisislelsisieicieisivisisicieioivicieielsisivieivicielvisivicivicivicivicieiciviciviciviclsisieieisisicisisisicivicisisisleisieieisieivislelsicicicieleleleletel el a. | aia lahat acacia neers achecish = atatenmeshectabme ce xa TO THE FISH TRADE.:-.- LET US DO YOUR PRINTING. PRICE LISTS; TRADE BULLETINS, PAMPHLETS, BILL HEADS, LETTER HEADS, ENVELOPES, CARDS, ETC. Our staff is experienced in the technical work called o for in the Fishing Industry. INDUSTRIAL & EDUCATIONAL PRESS, LTD. 45 ST. ALEXANDER ST., MONTREAL, Que. ; (PUBLISHERS OF THE C ANADIAN FISHERMAN) a oocg0 coDooUOODOOOOOCOOOOOODODODOOODODODOOOOOONOOOOOONEOOOOOODOOOOONONOOOOOOONNOOCOOND Voi. I. MONTREAL, OCTOBER, 1915 No. TUTTI TUTTO TTL ILM LLU THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA'S COMMERCIAL FISHERIES TH Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association TT . ~ Ti AL ARAN ANS ALNZIN ZR IN AES CANADIAN FISHERMAN Producers and Distributors be A O O D of Atlantic Ocean - - } Y F | Our Specialties: Finnan Haddies, Fillets, Bloaters, Kippers and Fresh and Frozen Fish, of all kinds, for Home Trade * + an + be AY i *- Bi | ; t eee. 1 fl + if ‘ Ld A ol tt oe Ld i ol ol oe - + + : ' e ae th . *4 7 = be 5 ox oe a "a : “2a eoneeene. be See Oe See Pale eintn tt Mipbdte am + z Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. , + tN *- bk 4 : M it] : } + ay : arltiime [Is orporation i + ay ; - + LIMITED a t Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices 4 ; DIGBY, N.S. M | THROUGHOUT 4 ; CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. | Jrosbssbsbbsteadocsoocesvecsbabsbseesncieketiesices 7 CANADIAN FISHERMAN 821 ) Exceptional ; Angling Opportunities i) are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one YW that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large 9] areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- fi dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. ie W Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing 9) clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with fi the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on i the club territory. 10 fj On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and Bs hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and 19 the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident 3) fishing or hunting license ~N H To The Wholesale Fish Trade 0) The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from i} Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- 0) tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie FA des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their v own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit 8] of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- SOON == The MINISTER OF COLONIZATION, » MINES AND FISHERIES OF THE PROVINGE OF QUEBEC SNR me, _™ XX —d + 322 CANADIAN FISHERMAN - mianiainmesiasinian Department of the Naval Service Fisheries Branch LOBSTER FISHERY FISHING SEASONS IN FORCE ON DECEMBER Ist, 1913 VN LIMITS Fishing Season Size St.. John‘ and’ Charlotte Counties, NB. .03.0 cic cee cnevcessvcterececseveeesteebe ame Nov. 15 to June 15 | 42” carapace Albert County, N.B. and Kings and Annapolis Counties, N.S..............0200005 «+..| Jan. 15 to June 29 No size limit, DIQHY: COMME Ss ic dose ccs Lace Rented ans sn} CLA G SA CCLORROD EERE Cee odbn «mC eae Jan. 6 to June 15 No size limit. Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, and that portion of Halifax County West of al line running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, Halifax Harbour, and coinciding with Fairway DQOYS.< coc ca ha Gre seve see cence EA UR ECETE ee ee ee ee eT Dec. 15 to May 30 | No size limit. From line in Halifax Harbour running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, and coinciding} with Fairway buoys, eastwardly to Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, Cape Breton Island and including the Gut of Canso, as far as a line} - passing from Flat Point, Inverness County to the Lighthouse in Antigonish County) Pye |. Be OES bane pee en Eee ef ee KR eee ay OR TS BR Ry April 1 to June 30 No size limit. From Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, along the eastern coast on Cape Breton Island, around Ca North as far as Cape St. Lawrence; also the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from and including Blanc Sabion, west- wardly to the head of tide, embracing the shores of the adjacent islands, including Asiticoeel Leland sesso )o0 soc sive an pcb alee s ered «chs 00.) 45 Cele eid ea bare ale ee May Ist to July 31 | No size limit. The Magdalen Islands, including Bird Rocks and Bryon Island.............0+e.-s0e00+ May Ist to July 20 | No siee limit. Waters of Northumberland Strait, between a line on the N. W. drawn from Chockfish River, N.B., to West Pt., P.E.I., and a line on the S.E. drawn from Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., to Cape Traverse, P.E.I............ Renae sy May 25 to Aug. 10 | No size limit. The waters around P. E. Island except those specified in No. 8............00eeeeeeeeee April 26 to July 10 | No size limit. From, but not including, Cape St. Lawrence, Cape Breton Islands, south-westwardly to Flat Point, Inverness County, and from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County op- ite Flat Point, westwardly along the strait of Northumberland and coast of Nova Scotia to Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., and northwardly from) Chockfish River, N.B., embracing the coast and waters of a portion of Kent County) and of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche Counties, N.B., and the coast and waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River........ April 20 to July 10 | No size limit. Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. Tei Before lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of The Naval Service is required. Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Department, before they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the markets. ; Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements, copies of which 2 may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. Rieter patetetete iL teictey HSEseees ‘A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES (OF CANADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE FISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - _F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR The Industrial & Educational Be Press, Limited 35-45 St. Alexander St. - CANADA Montreal “— Toronto Office - 44-46 Lombard St. THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN SUBSCRIPTION: Canada and Great ‘Britain $1.00 United States and Elsewhere.. $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertisements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjectsTof practical interest. If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association Vol. II. MONTREAL, OCTOBER, 1915 No. 10 FISHERIES AT THE TORONTO EXHIBITION. _ The 1915 exhibit of Canada’s fisheries at the Can- adian National Exhibition was the best ever shown. The firms exhibiting, excelled themselves in the make- up of their stands, and the samples of Canadian fresh, frozen, cured and prepared fish included everything from the Atlantic, the Great Lakes and the Pacific. - The best feature, from a fish man’s point of view, was the Fish Restaurant in the Exhibition grounds. _ This was managed under the auspices of the Naval _ Service Department, and in our opinion, has done more to advertise fish as a food than anything pre- q viously undertaken by the Government in that line. - The restaurant had seating accommodation for two 4 _ or three hundred persons, and an excellent meal com- __ posed of various kinds of Canadian fish, tastefully _ eooked and served, was given for 25 cents. The popu- larity of the restaurant may be judged, when in one day alone, over 5,000 meals were served. A specially designed Menu Card, giving pertin- ent facts relating to fish as a food, was printed daily, and we give herewith a sample of one of the meals served. . Broiled Atlantic Kippered Herring “ or Fried Sole with Tartar Sauce or Boiled Haddock with Egg Sauce or British Columbia Red Spring Salmon Cutlets With Cream Sauce. Boiled, Mashed or Fried Potatoes. Choice of Fruit Pie. Tea, Coffee or Milk. The portions served were sufficient to provide a hearty meal, and the menu was changed daily—all varieties of Canada’s food fish being featured. As the guests left the restaurant, they were sup- plied with a copy of the Departmental Cook Book— ‘Fish, and How to Cook It’’—and it is safe to say that most of the people who partook of a fish dinner at the Exhibition, will be converts to the eating of fish foods. ALASKA SALMON FOR CANADIAN SOLDIERS. Our own province of British Columbia produces over $10,000,000 worth of salmon yearly. Of this amount, over $7,000,000 represent salmon packed in eans. The British Government knows all about B. C. salmon—or ought to know, as it accepted a shipment of 23,000 cases presented free by the Province to the Imperial Government last winter. A Vancouver correspondent sends us a letter, writ- ten by one of the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Ross Barracks, Shorneliffe, England. This gentleman was formerly in charge of the Fish Department of one of Vancouver’s department stores before enlist- ing, and therefore knows something about fish. In his letter, which is reproduced in our Pacific correspondence, he states that they received two ra- 324 tions of canned salmon for breakfast in eight days. The salmon was very pale in colour, and looked to the writer like Humpback or Dog, so, the fish trade instinct being strongly developed in our correspond- ent, he hunted around until he found the can in which the salmon was packed. Instead of seeing a familiar B. C. brand on the can, he found it labelled ‘‘Fancy Alaska Red Salmon,”’ packed by an American concern in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and sold through the San Francisco market. We do not deplore the business acumen of the Am- erican packer who managed to unload this stuff on to the British Government for soldiers’ rations. It was a mighty good stroke of business for him, but an unpatriotic piece of work on the part of the Imperial Government Department entrusted with the purchase of supplies for the troops, when one considers what the B. C. fish men and the Province have contributed in the shape of salmon, guns, and men. We are informed that the B. C. salmon packers have left no stone unturned to have Canadian packed fish served to the English and Canadian troops. It seems, however, that the British Army and Navy Ra- tion List specifies ‘‘Alaska Red’’ salmon, and with characteristic conservatism, the British commissariat buyers eliminate British Columbian goods. Efforts have been made to change this state of affairs, but with no avail, and the American packer can ‘‘horn in’’ and sell his goods, while a better article produced ‘‘under the Flag’’ looks for a market elsewhere. The soldier’s letter, with the label attached, was referred to the CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIA- TION, and forwarded to the Department of the Naval Service. The Association has since received an assur- ance from the Hon. J. D. Hazen that the matter will be taken up with the British authorities. CANADA’S FISHERIES NEED ADVERTISING. Elsewhere on the Editorial pages of this issue, we highly commend the good advertising work done by the Department of the Naval Service Fisheries Branch, at the Toronto Exhibition, The Fish Restaurant is a splendid scheme, and will undoubtedly be the means of bringing many permanent customers to the Fish Trade. The only drawback to the Toronto Exhibi- tion fish publicity, is that the effect will be only a local one. Toronto and its immediate vicinity will learn of the value of fish as a food, but the other pos- sible consuming centers will be none the wiser. The Fisheries constitute one of the most important industries of the country, and the Fishery resources of Canada are unequalled anywhere in the world, but we have to depend largely on an export market for getting rid of our catch. The amount of fish consum- ed in Canada is hardly worth mentioning, and is, in- deed, nothing to brag about. Other natural resources in the Dominion have been greatly assisted by means of Government advertising CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. campaigns, but if any particular resource and indus- try needs advertising, it is our Fisheries. When a glut of apples threatened to ruin the apple growers of Canada last year, the Government stepped in and advertised the food value of apples until the whole pack was sold at remunerative prices. Not only did this publicity benefit the apple men, but it helped the consumer as well, by bringing to his notice a palatable fruit which could be utilized in a dozen different ways as an economical food. One of the re- sults of the campaign is that the now universal ‘‘Baked Apple’’ replaces grapefruit or oranges as a break- fast fruit. At the present time, an ex- tensive advertising campaign is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture in favour of Canadian peaches and plums. Canada owes its existence to the Fisheries. It was the fishermen pioneers who first settled this country, and for over three hundred years the Fisheries haye been one of the most important industries of the Do- minion. At the present time, about 100,000 persons are employed, directly or indirectly, in the Fishing Industry. With a larger home market and careful attention to the building up of new export markets, there is absolutely no reason why double that number | aa should not make a living out of the Fisheries alone. The home market needs attention FIRST. The vast majority of the people of Canada know very little © 4 about fish as a food, and require to be educated. The educating must be done through the newspapers and magazines which reach the home and the housewife; by practical demonstrations in fish cookery at Exhi- bitions, Fairs, Domestic Science classes, Housewives’ Leagues, ete.; by the wholesale distribution of pamph- lets and cook-books to the public through the medium of the retailers and grocers. Once a demand is stimulated, the other problems of transportation and supply will be easily adjusted. The fish can be got, and with increasing orders from inland centers, the railroads will take care of what will be a lucrative haul for them. There is one thing to be remembered in connection with advertising fish. Once the demand is created, it will remain for all time and will not be a mere ‘‘flash in the pan.’’ The people who learned of the good quali- ties and the economy of fish at the Toronto Exhibition are now permanent consumers. Was it worth the money expended? There is not the least doubt of it. We might write in this strain for ever and produce absolutely no effect. Industries are popularly sup- posed to be looking for grants and subsidies all the time but there is no Industry where less has been spent for advertising and developing a home market than that of the Fisheries. Of course, this is War Time, and we will be told to go easy in our demands for advertising appropria- tions from the Government, but this War Time, owing to the forced economies now the order of the day, is the psychological moment to impress upon the At the Executive Meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Association held in Toronto on September 3rd, this “question was discussed in all its phases and it was unanimously resolved by the meeting that the Associa- ion make an effort to have. Canadian fish made the ubject of a special Government advertising campaign ong the lines of similar publicity propagandas in favour of apples and other productions. To this end, e would urge all those engaged in the Fishing Indus- try and Trade of this country to assist the Association in procuring the necessary appropriation for the work by petitioning the Department of Naval Service or by writing the Association endorsing the resolution and suggesting ways and means for developing a lar- ger market for fish foods here in our own Dominion. EDUCATE THE WOMEN! In the bad old days, before the French Revolution, when intrigues and plots were the social amusements, ‘much as Red Cross work and bridge parties are to- day, they had a saying, when a plot or mystery was to be unravelled: ‘‘Cherchez la femme.’’ Otherwise, “Find the woman!”’ _ Back in those times, women made kings, and held the destinies of nations in their fair hands. Coming along to modern times, and such a prosaic industry as the fish business, we can say the same. Yes! it may sound strange, but nevertheless, the whole future of the fish trade of Canada is in the hands of the wo- en. _ The wife is the Dictator of the Kitchen. It is she who decrees what Hubby shall eat, and what ‘Hubby eats, so shall Sonny and Sis and other members of the household. Fish is a food, and as a food it contes to the table via the housewife. The average housewife knows very, very little about fish. She buys salmon, lobsters and shrimps— ‘in cans, and knows how to make the most delicious _ salads out of them. She may even know the delights of a Finnan Haddie and maybe a smoked or kippered herring, but beyond that, anything in the nature of fish is a mystery—an experiment, which may, or may not, turn out all right. Occasionally she gets an insight into other kinds _ of fish when Hubby goes off on a week-end fishing : hohe and returns with a basket of trout, perch, white- _ fish, ete. As a rule, these captures are slapped into a frying pan and simply fried. When in doubt—fry! “ie In her daily aney of shopping, the average Can- adian housewife buys very little fish. All fish look alike to her, and in her imagination must neces- sarily taste alike. Salmon, cod, haddock, and hali- but are her commonest choices in fresh fish, and as a rule these are either fried or boiled and probably garnished with a plain egg sauce. With such a lim- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 325 ited viewpoint and such a restricted knowledge in fish cookery, how ean the Fish Trade of Canada prosper? The whole Fish Business of Canada and the De- partment of Naval Service of Canada, if they wish to develop a larger home market for our own food fish, have only one motto to blazon on their campaign flag, and that is ‘‘Educate the women.’ Teach them that there are at least twenty-four different ways in which ordinary codfish can be prepared; at least fif- teen methods of cooking halibut; twelve recipes for preparing mackerel, and as many for the dozens of other varieties they hardly ever heard of—shad, smelts, haddock, pollock, trout, whitefish, salmon, pickerel, pike, blue fish, swordfish, tuna, hake, cusk, flounder, herring, gold-eyes, carp, sole, skate, perch, bass, stur- geon, ete., ete. There are only a few varieties of meats in general use—beef, mutton, pork, lamb and veal—five alto- gether. Of fish, there are at least twenty—and all different, and half the cost of meat. Why hasn’t fish become more popular? Simply because the house- wife knows very little about it, and does not know how to cook it. Every retail fish store in the country should pro eure copies of the Government publication ‘‘Fish, and How to Cook It,’’ and distribute it to the housewives who shop there. A million copies of the booklet dis- tributed in this way would bring results, and lasting results. A well designed set of posters hung up in the store would call attention to certain varieties of fish in season and catch the housewife’s eye—stimu- lating curiosity and a probable desire to purchase. Practical demonstrations in fish cookery at Food Fairs will help greatly, and a series of well-written articles on fish as food, with recipes, should be run in news- papers throughout the country under the heading of ‘‘War Time Economies for the Table,’’ or some such title. There are a hundred ways of reaching the housewife and preaching the Gospel of Fish, but un- til something of the nature we have suggested is done, the fish trade will have but a tardy and local growth. Such a campaign will cost money, and would have _to be undertaken by the Government, through the Fisheries Department. The question is a national one, and is not for the benefit of the retailers alone, but rather for the many thousands who are employed in the fisheries from coast to coast. It will also be the means of giving an impetus to one of the Dominion’s natural resources which is simply awaiting development. Any publicity work undertaken along these lines by the Naval Service Department will be assisted by the Canadian Fisheries Association and this journal. ***Educating the women’’ remains the big task of the fish trade of the Dominion, and the sooner we get at it, the better, 326 EXECUTIVE MEETING CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION, An Executive meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Association was held on ‘‘‘Fisheries Day’’ (Sept. 3), at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto. The members who attended were the guests of the Exhi- bition Directors at a luncheon, with the Hon. J. D. Hazen, Minister of the Naval Service, Mr. G. J. Des- barats, Deputy Minister, and Mr. W. A. Found, Superintendent of Fisheries. At the Executive meeting a vote of thanks was ex- tended to the Exhibition authorities for devoting a day to the Fisheries. Applications for membership to the Assocation were read out and the applicants accepted. A suitable certificate of membership will be seeured and forwarded to members. Three important questions, viz: ‘‘Fish for Foreign Markets,’’ ‘‘Government Advertising of Fish as a Food,’’ and ‘‘Fish for Soldiers in Concentration and Training Camps,’’ oceupied the attention of the mem- bers. President Byrne outlined what the Association had done in regard to these matters, and resolutions for future policies were passed. Though in existence less than a year, the President remarked that the Association was already fully re- cognized as the representative organization of the fishing industry and fish trade of Canada. The mem- bership included all the important firms doing busi- ness in the industry, and the pioneer work of the As- sociation had already brought good results. Owing to the scattered nature of the business, work was ne- cessarily slow, but the organization was fulfilling its objects, and is destined to become of great assistance to the fishing interests of Canada. The Committee inspected the Fisheries Exhibit, and were entertained to dinner at the Government Fish Restaurant. NOVA SCOTIA BRANCH, CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION. Just as we go to press, we have received advice that a meeting of the Nova Scotia Branch of the Canadian Fisheries Association was held in Lunenburg, N.S., on Wednesday, September 22. President W. M. Hodge, of Lockeport, presided, and there was a large attend- ance—especially among the local fish men of Lunen- burg. The meeting was of an educational and mis- sionary nature, and several interesting discussions were held upon the questions of standardized packing and curing of fish, also transportation and inspection. At the close of the session, an important resolution was passed requesting a Government grant for the purpose of educational work in connection with the Fisheries of the Province. Transportation problems under discussion have been referred to the Executive Committee of the Association. The annual meeting of the branch will be held on the fourth Wednesday in January. CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. PISCATORIAL PARAGRAPHS. Montreal has recently lost one of its oldest retail fish merchants in the person of Mr. Henry Gatehouse. Mr. Gatehouse started business in a small way, and when he retired some years ago, he had built up one of the largest retail fish and poultry trades in the city. Mr. J. Edgar Gatehouse will carry on the busi- ness under the old name. The London (Eng.) Daily Mirror publishes the fol- lowing: (Censored for the benefit of Canadian read- ers). ‘‘I don’t like the oil you cook your fish with,’ | complained the epicurean customer in an English fried fish shop. ‘‘It ain’t the oil we use,’’ replied the diplomatic salesman. ‘‘It’s the gasolene from them sunken U boats wot flavors the fish these days!’’ Mr. H. C. Walby, of the Canadian Fish & Cold Storage Coy., Prince Rupert, B.C., was in Montreal recently, also Mr. Hugh A. Green, of Saskatoon, Sask. Mr. Walby is in the East in the interests of Pacific Halibut, while Mr. Green is busy leaving a trail of Northern Lake Whitefish in the retail stores of the towns he visits. Mr. H. A. Rice, of Canso, N. 8, passed through the city, after a visit to the Fish Ex- . hibit at the Toronto Exhibition. aa: Mr. D. J. Byrne, President of the Canadian Fish- eries Association, has been invited to address the Com- mission of Conservation on economic problems cote nected with the Canadian fish trade. In addition to the fast refrigerator freight service = on the I. C. R., which leaves Mulgrave, N.S., on Mon- days, Trursdere and Saturdays, a new service has been arranged for by the C. P. R. In future, a cold storage freight car will leave St. John, N.B., for Montreal on Tuesday of each week. While there are services from Mulgrave covering the Northern part of Nova Scotia, and from St. John covering Southern — Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it seems strange — that there is no cold storage freight service from Halifax. ‘ In a letter to the Editor, which is published on an- other page, Mr. W. Douglas, of the Guest Fish Com- pany, Ltd., Winnipeg, evidently means to ‘‘start something.’’ We shall be glad to print the views of — other correspondents on the subject. The speech of the Hon. J. D. Hazen at the Direc- tors’ Luncheon, on Fisheries Day, Canadian National Exhibition, which is published in this issue, so im- pressed the members of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Fisheries Association that a resolution was passed requesting the Minister to allow the ad- dress to be printed for wholesale distribution. We have been advised by the Department of the Naval Service that this will be done at an early date. October, 1915. CANADIAN Lieut. J. W. Nicholls, Comptroller of the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., Ltd., Prince Rupert, B.C., was called to military duty on September 2nd. Pre- vious to his departure, the office staff and heads of departments gave a banquet in his honor, when he was _ presented with a set of field glasses suitably engraved. The plate was in the form of a fish, upon which was engraved, the following: **Presented to Lieut. J. W. Nicholls, from the staff of the C. F. & C. S. Co., Ltd., Prince Rupert, B.C., on his departure for active service, Sept. 2nd, 1915.’’ The engine room staff presented him with a wrist watch for use while on active service. _ Mr. Nicholls was very popular, indeed, among all epartments of the company, and all wish him every __ success, as well as a safe return at the end of the war. The severe gale and windy weather which prevailed in Eastern Canada during the latter part of Septem- ber caused a great amount of damage to fishing craft and gear on the Atlantic Coast. In the Bay of Fundy, ‘several wires were carried away, and at other places, _ small fishing boats were driven ashore. The rough weather caused a scarcity in several lines of fresh fish. The United States Revenue cutter ‘‘ Androscoggin’’ will continue her previous good work as a hospital ship for offshore fishermen. She is at present being over- _ hauled at Baltimore, and will be commanded by Cap- tain C. Satterlee, Captain Hall having retired. FISHERMAN 327 The Gloucester halibuters ‘‘Teaser’’ and ‘‘ Robert and Richard” are rivals for high-line honours. Capt. Peter Dunsky, in the ‘‘Teaser,’’ is a few hundred dol- lars ahead of Captain Bob Wharton, but the ‘‘Robert and Richard’s’’ next trip may haul him ahead. Both craft have stocked over $24,000 since the New Year. The Gloucester schooner ‘‘A. Piatt Andrew,’’ Cap- tain Wallace Bruce, has just completed a banner year, stocking $48,669 from September, 1914, to September, 1915. The stock was made up by fresh fish fares— winter haddocking and summer shacking. The amount landed was around 1,500,000 lbs. altogether, and the crew shared $880 for the year. A monster salt codfish fare was freighted down from Grand River, Gaspe Coast of Quebee by the Glou- cester schooner ‘‘Annie M. Parker’’ recently. The shipment amounted to 444,000 pounds, and was bought by the Gorton-Pew Fisheries Co., of Gloucester. A booklet entitled ‘‘Investigations into the Natural History of the Herring in the Atlantic Waters of Can- ada’’ has just been issued by the Naval Service Depart- ment. The pamphlet forms the first preliminary re- port of Dr. Johan Hjort—the Norwegian expert, who has been investigating the subject of the Canadian herring during the summer. i - OCTOBER FISH a DAY CALENDAR Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. 18 24-31) 25 26 27 23 30 28 October 30th Day of Abstinence October, 1915. 7 Address delivered at the : luncheon of the Directors #% of the Toronto Exhibi- : tion Association on ‘‘Fish- §& eries Day,’’ Sept. 3, 1915. 328 CANADIAN FISHERMEN {AACR * Canada’s Fisheries --- Past, Present and : Future E By the Hon. J. D. Hazen, K. C., LL.D. MP. S| Minister of the Naval Service. & Mr. President and Gentlemen: I congratulate you upon the success of the Toronto Exhibition, an event which has come to be regarded with greater interest from year to year, and in spite of the upheaval caused by the greatest war of all ages, I am glad to find that you are still doing busi- ness at the old stand, ‘‘as usual,’’—only more so. It is peculiarly gratifying at the present time to know that business conditions in Canada, as compared with those in nearly all other countries in the world, are in a satisfactory condition. In conversation with gentlemen prominent in the business world of Ontario, here to-day, I have been informed that there has been a marked improvement during the past three months, and that there is no cause for despondency or even for alarm so far as business conditions in the Province of Ontario are concerned. Speaking of that portion of the Dominion with which I am most familiar, I may say that in the Prov- ince of New Brunswick, and the Maritime Provinces generally, conditions since the outbreak of the war have been practically normal. Never in the history of our Province was so high a price paid for the deals which are annually shipped from New Brunswick to the English markets and which make up one of our staple industries. Our farmers have received good prices for their products, and this year will be blessed with bountiful harvests, and the same is true of our fisheries on nearly all parts of the Atlantic coast. On the other hand, in our Western Provinces there is now being garnered the greatest grain crop in Canada’s history. When I was down in Gaspe the other day, investigating fishing conditions at first hand, I was informed that the catch of cod fish during the present year was unprecedented, and some of the fishermen attributed this to the disturbance caused by the sub- marines in the North Sea. I give you this reason for such consideration as.you think it is worth, saying at the same time, it is probably as good as reasons given by men of more scientific training from time to time with respect to the changed conditions that take place in the number of fish that seek our shores from year to year. Three years ago the Department of which I am the head determined to make an exhibition of the fishery wealth of Canada at this Exhibition, for the purpose of demonstrating to those from the inland part of the Dominion, who in tens of thousands come to visit you, the possibilities possessed by the Canadian fisheries and the advantages which are offered by the use of fish as a food. So successful was the exhibition in 1913 that we repeated it again last year, and on both oc- easions the Directors were pleased to award us a gold medal. This year we decided to carry the matter still further and established on the grounds a restaur- ant, at which a substantial fish dinner ean be obtained for the sum of 25 cents. During the few days that the Fair has been open, the success of this restaurant has been fully established. Yesterday about 1,600 meals — were served at it, and when I visited it a short time The fish served are from the Atlantic and the Pacific and Great Lakes, ago it was crowded with people. and I hope and believe that the result of this object lesson will be to largely increase the sale of fish in Ontario and the interior of Canada. (It is understood that on the day following the speech over 5,000 fish dinners were served in the restaurant). in I might say that the members of the Executive of the Canadian Fisheries Association, which meet here to-day, are delighted with its success, and men engag- ed in the fishing trade in your city have informed me this morning that their business has been very largely increased as a result of the exhibition made during the past two years. I have not come here, however, for the purpose of making a general speech, but of dealing particularly — with the question of the extension and growth of the fisheries. at once. History. di The history of the Canadian Fisheries is full of in- terest and adventure. Indeed, in it, is, in a large measure, bound up the early history of the northern — portion of this continent. Fishing may properly be classed amongst the an- — cient and honorable callings. It was a comparatively old means of earning a livelihood in the days of our — x Saviour, and it was from amongst the fishermen that He drew His most illustrious Disciples. At that time | the gill-net and drag-seine were used in a considerable way to supply fish to the inhabitants of the towns and cities of the Holy Land, lying around and in the vicin- ity of the lakes. There seems to be no record of when nets were first used, and there may be something in the opinion that it was the spider’s web that first suggested to reason- ing man the idea of capturing fish in a similar con- trivance. ; No doubt the earliest fishing ventures were confined to the lakes and rivers, and it was only as the demand for fish increased and the supplies in these waters were not adequate to meet the need, that fishermen began to venture forth to sea. In the early days, owing to lack of proper transpor- tation facilities, it was impossible to supply fresh fish to markets at any considerable distance from the coasts. Hence the necessity for curing arose. The fact that codfish dried in the sun and air, makes a palatable and nourishing food that can be sent any distance from the sea-coast, was early learned, and al- most immediately following the acquiring of this knowledge, boats began to venture farther seaward in search of fish. As early as the 12th Century, the hardy Basque (from the Bay of Biscay), and Norse fishermen, were faring north in their small unwieldy boats as far as I must, therefore, come down to my. text 4 CANADIAN Teeland, and it is claimed by some historians that even before the discovery of this continent by Columbus, ese fishermen had visited the coasts of what are now known as Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Law- ence, and English fishermen soon followed their lead. n any event, in the 14th Century, English fishermen deome as far westward as Iceland, and following he discovery of the North America coast by the Cabots, hey, almost immediately, extended their operations to the shores of what are known as Newfoundland, the _ Maritime Provinces and the State of Maine. In these ly days, foreigners called these Countries by the eneric name ‘‘Bacealaos’’, — the land of dried eod- Indeed, it may be said that the first and chief result of the discovery of North America, was the immediate establishment of a great fishery. In all ages of the World, the fishery has been the other of commerce and the parent of navigation, and was the cod fishery, first pursued at Iceland and lat- *on the coasts of North America, that made English sailors, and that made Britain a great maritime power. DeWitt says that, ‘‘The navy of England became for- midable by the discovery of the inexhaustible rich fish- ing banks of Newfoundland.”’ Extent and Value of the Fisheries. Canada is blessed with an inexhaustible fish sup- ply. Indeed, our fisheries are the most extensive in coves, about five thousand miles of seacoast, practical- every mile of which is stocked with excellent food fish, and the whole length of it is dotted with harbors ad coves from which the fishermen can carry on their calling with comparative ease and safety. Off the Pa- cifie Coast we have by far the richest and largest hali- t fishery in the world. The deep seas there are also stocked with many other excellent varieties of food fish, and along the shore line there are over seven thousand miles of coast waters into which flow such large glacier fed rivers as the Fraser, Skeena, Naas and others, up which every year swarm countless thousands of five different varieties of salmon. _ In addition to our sea fisheries, we have over 220,- 000 square miles of fresh waters, most of which are abundantly stocked with excellent fish, the supply of which is being kept up by our hatcheries. ' _ The annual value of the fisheries now runs from about $31,000,000 to about $34,000,000 depending on the extent of the salmon run to the Pacifie Rivers. In the Fraser River, there is a big run every four years, and in the three succeeding years the run to that river is on a sliding scale. _ The approximate total marketed value of all kinds of fish, fish products and marine animals taken by Canadian fishermen from the sea and inland rivers and lakes during the fiseal year ended March 31st, (1915, amounted to $31,057,550. The value of the fish- eries of each Province being as follows :-— British Columbia................ $11,487,312 MOTE ROOUE Sor cae. Vise eens 7,730,191 New- Brimswitk 30.03.45 ove cccs' 4,940,083 PC EB SS a a alt Da a 2,600,000 RPOIOG 5 aise doe e nee Bak kOe ve cao ely o's . 1,924,480 FISHERMAN 329 Prince Edward Island............ 1,261,666 PESTULGDG Ts in: evcis's bakCk s we RUR Os 825,417 Sasratahewan i 6.5) a8as dels woe en 182,017 ORD SS icra by ate eke Sard KA eee 86,659 TERME. SDs pay Wi dahe-o vie bieloare 69,775 Of this amount the sea fisheries contributed $27,170,- 483 and the inland fisheries $3,887,067. The fishing industry now gives employment to almost 94,000 people, over 84,000 of these being engaged in the sea fisheries. To carry on the fisheries 282 steam vessels, 1,236 sail- ing and gasolene vessels, 431 carrying smacks and 38,- 058 boats are employed. Of the boats, 9,261 are now fitted with gasolene engines. There is now invested in fishing gear, vessels, etc., about $24,500,000, over $22,000,000 being invested in the sea fisheries. While the fisheries are now one of the industries of first importance to the country, their present value and importance are merely an index of what they can and will be made in the next few years. Lack of Progress in the Eastern Fisheries and Dawning of a New Day. While it is true that the fisheries are now worth from $31,000,000 to $34,000,000 annually, and not so many years ago their value was less than $20,000,000, the fact remains that this increase is practically altogether due to the phenomenal development of the salmon and hali- but fisheries of the Pacific Coast and of the fresh water fisheries. ‘ Now, what is the cause of this non-progression in the Atlantic Fisheries? .It certainly is not due to any fail- ure or shortage in the supply, nor to the necessity of going greater distances to make catches, nor to the need of considerable capital to engage in the industry. The supply of fish in our waters is as great as it ever was, and the fact that in the European waters, where fishing is so extensively prosecuted by all the countries border- ing thereon, during every month in the year, there is no sign of depletion, is an evidence that we have little to fear in that direction. The whole difficulty in Canada, is the question of de- mand. The great bulk of the fish on the Atlantic Coast is being sold in a salted and dried condition. The market for such fish is limited, and is being adequately supplied each year; but Canada itself should afford an exceedingly large and continuously growing market for the products of the fishermen. We live in the north temperate zone, where fish are in greater abundance and of better quality, than in the southern waters, and where, consequently, they should form an important portion of the daily food sup- ply of the people. That the day is coming, when such will be the case, and when there will be a steady and rapid growth of the fishing industry, is evidenced by the development that has taken place in recent years in the freseh and mildly cured fish business in this coun- try. This will be referred to later on; but it may be here stated, that while this development has been a rapid one, it is merely a fraction of what there is room for. It is not surprising that in this new country, with its unsurpassed agricultural resources, and, until recently, with butcher’s meat readily available in all portions, at moderate prices, there has been little demand, away from the immediate water fronts, for fish; but a result of this condition is that the Canadian-born population has grown up without a taste for fish, and what is 330 worse, with little knowledge of our fisheries and of the value of fish as food. Even more unfortunate is the faet that comparatively few housewives have learned how to cook fish so as to make it attractive and tasty, and at the same time to maintain, and, as may be readily done, even enhance its food value. Canada is now face to face with the problem of a meat shortage. The settlement of those portions of the Prairies, which in past years formed vast cattle ranches, and at the same time the increase in the value of grain, has made eattle-raising for meat purposes on the small farm, a difficult problem. At such a time, it is of in- calculable value to the country, to be able to turn to its waters to make up the shortage and to find there an inexhaustible supply of excellent nitrogenous food, to be had for the catching. It is of the utmost importance at such a time, that the people should speedily become informed of the ex- cellence of fish as a food, as well as of its palatability, and of the fact that with the transportation facilities now available, it is quite practicable to lay down fresh fish, smoked fish, ete., in practically all parts of the country in as good condition as when shipped from the starting point. There seems to be a widespread opinion that fish is not a nourishing food, and that, consequently, it may not, with safety to health and strength, replace meat to any large extent. The sooner this impression is dis- pelled, the better. Not only is fish like meat rich in nitrogenous food,—that is, food which supplies the body with the strength to do its work and build up its tissues, but does not go to the supplying of fat and heat, —but high medical authorities advise that it cannot be too strongly insisted on, that for working people of all classes,—those who work with their heads, as well as those who work with their hands,—fish is an economical source of the energy they require to enable them to carry on their work, and it furnishes the very materials that children and young persons need to enable them to grow healthy and strong. How much more economical it is as a supplier of the bodily needs than meat, keeping in view the price that has to be paid for each, is little appreciated. Without going into the analysis of the different kinds of butch- er’s meat and fish, it may be stated in a general way, that fish is only about two per cent. poorer in nitro- genous constituents than meat; but on account of its greatly cheaper price, it is a much more economical food than meat. For instance, if dressed cod,—fish with the entrails removed,—can be purchased for 8c. per pound, beefsteak would need to be sold at 8 1-3e. per pound to be as cheap a source of nourishment. If fresh haddock can be bought for 8c. per pound, fresh mutton would require to sell at 7c. to be as cheap a food. If halibut sells at 16c. per pound, fresh pork would need to sell at slightly less than 15c. to be as economical a food, as halibut is even richer in nitrogen than meats. Also, sight should not be lost of the fact that unlike meat, up to a large measure the greater the demand there is for fresh fish, the more cheaply can that de- mand be supplied. At the present time there is no demand in this coun- try,—though there is an unlimited demand in Europe,— for the smaller sized fish. Hence, the fishermen do not find it worth while bringing these fish to shore, or if they do they receive very little for them. Further, there are different varieties of excellent CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. food fish that are taken in large quantities by the fish- ermen for which there is no market. Large quantities of skate, the wings of which are in demand in the Old Country, are caught by your fishermen; but there is practically no market therefor. Different kinds of flounders, like the English plaice and witches, are caught, which, though they make excellent eating, there _ is no market for. Many other varieties might be men- _ tioned. Obviously, if the fisherman could take his ~ whole catch to shore and be assured of a market for _ it all, he could afford to sell that whole catch at a cheaper rate per pound and still make the same amount — of money on it. f vet If the demand is large enough to enable the dealers _ to ship fish in carload lots, the cheapest transportation rates will be available, which will enable the dealers to sell the fish more cheaply without reducing their own profits. What the Government Has Done to Expand the x Industry. ‘ee a It is only a few years ago that the more important Canadian centres, such as Toronto and Montreal, were _ obtaining such supplies of sea fish as they were consum- __ ing, from United States sources, though in some in- stances the fish were first imported into that country in carload lots from Canada. The business from the — Canadian sea-coasts was so small, that the railways did __ not find it feasible to place refrigerator cars at the dis- posal of shippers, and the express rates were so high _ that successful competition with Portland and Boston — was not possible. ede The Government, with a view to overcoming these conditions, and to enable the dealers to expand the fresh fish business in this country, took up the matter; but it was found impossible to induce the express com- — panies to lower their rates. It was, however, hoped that if it were shown them that a large business were — available, they would find it desirable in their own in- _ terests, to make the rates such as would assure that _ business being handled by them. cae In the first place, an arrangement was made with the railways. whereby refrigerator cars to be hauled by _ fast freight, were placed at the disposal of the shippers. _ Such cars are now available from the Atlantie coast three days each week. The Government further under- took to accept responsibility for the payment of one- _ third of the express charges on less than carload lot shipments from the Atlantic coast to points as far west _ as the eastern boundary of Manitoba, and from the Pa- = _ as east as that boundary. It also, for a ime, had a refrigerator express service in operation _ from the Atlantic coast. ig ag The results have been highly satisfactory. The im- portation of fish from the United States to supply the Canadian markets, it may be said, has been stopped, only such varieties now being imported as are not available in Canadian waters and for which there is a demand at hotels. The increase in the shipments by ex- press alone, may be judged from the fact that in th fiscal year 1909-1910, the Department’s one-third of th rates, amounted to about $29,000, while last year it was _ in the vicinity of $80,000. In addition to the less than _ carload lot shipments by express, several carload lots _ per week, consisting of halibut and salmon, are shipped — from the Pacific coast to Toronto, Montreal, and _ Winnipeg, while from the Atlantic coast, large quanti- _ ties are shipped in refrigerator cars by fast: freight. — Moreover, during the whole winter season, large ship- ments of frozen fresh fish are made from both coasts _ by freight. To bring the value of fish for food before the public, my Department, as I previously stated, has for the past _ two years, arranged for a Fisheries Exhibit at this great _ Exhibition, which is visited by people from all parts of the country, and this exhibit is being repeated this year on a larger seale than before ,and in addition, an ar- rangement has been made for the operation of a first- - class Fisheries Restaurant on the grounds, where pa- trons of the Fair can be served with a first-class fish dinner for 25c. That much benefit to the business has resulted by bringing to the attention of the visitors in such a direct way, the different kinds of fish, shown in an attractive manner, there can be no room for doubt. My Department has also prepared and distributed a very large number of copies of a little booklet, entitled, “Fish and How to Cook It.’’ It not only contains a large number of recipes for preparing fish for table use in cheap and tasty ways, but it also embraces in a con- densed readable form, much valuable information about fish and its value as a food. To keep up the supply of fish in our fresh water lakes, and of such anadramous fish as salmon, which must ascend to the fresh waters of the upper portions of the _ rivers for spawning purposes, the Government operates _ what is probably the largest fish breeding services con- _ dueted by any one Government. There are now over fifty fish hatcheries propagating such excellent varieties _ of fish as salmon, shad, whitefish, salmon trout, pickerel, - ete., in addition to fourteen lobster hatcheries. The an- nual appropriation for this service alone, is now $400,- 000. Its effectiveness is no longer a question of doubt. _ Attention need only be called to Lake Erie, in which there is no close season, but on which extensive hatch- ing operations have been carried on, on both sides of the line, and as a result of which, the catches in the lakes have vastly increased in the past twenty years. In Lake Winnipeg, the fish supply was represented to be fairly depleted a few years ago, but it has now been so built up that during the present summer fish have been more abundant than at any time since the early days of fishing in this lake. In many other ways, the Government is giving direct assistance in the development of this great industry. a Need of Advertising. It cannot be expected that the Government can for ____ all time continue to pay a portion of the transportation __ eharges on fresh fish. Moreover, with a large enough 2 demand therefor, no reason for so doing would obtain, ____as earload lot transportation rates would be available, and if the express companies could not see their way ‘to make their rates low enough to enable the business to be handled by express, experience has shown that it _ is perfectly feasible to transport fresh fish in refrigera- tor cars by fast freight. Indeed, shipments proceeding ____ in the latter way are surer of reaching their destination in perfect condition than iced shipments in ordinary express cars. As has previously been indicated, the growth of the industry from now on depends primarily on the con- sumer. He must be educated to use more fish to give ____ it a daily place on his bill-of-fare. To accomplish this, the dealers must do their part by proper advertising. It may be well to call their attention to the fact that __ notwithstanding the enormous proportions to which the CANADIAN FISHERMAN 331 fresh fish business has grown in the United Kingdom, those in the business there realize that there is room for greater expansion, and to bring this about, they are, by united effort, carrying on an advertising cam- paign to encourage the use of more fish. They have formed themselves into an Association known as the ‘“‘National Sea Fisheries Protection Association.’’ Its members embrace all branches of the industry, and the advertisements made by this Association, embrace the publishing at large attractively colored posters of fish- ing scenes, calling attention to the publie of the de- sirability of using more fish, as well as colored wall- eards and the distribution of booklets containing use- ful information regarding the value of fish as food and recipes for cooking it. It is encouraging to know that an Association having similar aims in view, has recently been formed in Can- ada, known as the Canadian Fisheries Association, and it is hoped that much will be done by its efforts to edu- eate the public into freely using fish. Possibly the greatest outstanding need in developing the fish business in our different cities, is the absence of proper fish stores. The general practice is to sell fish in meat shops, the sellers not being persons who are skilled in handling fish, and the fish itself is often dis- played in anything but an attractive way. The time has surely come when up-to-date fish stores, from which all kinds of fish in perfect condition and pre- pared ready to place in the oven can be obtained, would be a paying venture if properly operated in all our cit- ies and more important towns. What energy in pushing the sale of fish, combined with advertising, will do, is evidenced by the fact that in one of our growing towns this year, a concern in- creased its sales of fish in one month by $10,000. A Possible Field for Expansion of Trade. One effect of this disastrous war, is to very seriously curtail the fish supply of the Motherland. Not only have a large number of the most efficient fishing ves- sels there been taken over by the Admiralty for war purposes, but the area in which fishing may be carried on has been much restricted, so that there is little like-- lihood, until the war is over, of a normal supply being available from the usual sources. It seems quite feasible that this shortage should be made up by Canada. While the shipping of fresh fish packed in ice, to the Old Country, may not be practie- able, the shipping of frozen fresh fish there has already passed beyond the experimental stage, and, no doubt, properly smoked and filleted fish would also be ac- ceptable. I, therefore, think it well to direct the at- tention of the fish dealers to the possibilities of the business to be done there. When I was here a year ago the Canadian Expedi- tionary Force was being mobilized at Valcartier, and I then took the opportunity of saying that I believed that when that great foree,—twice as great as the Spanish Aramada, and 50 per cent. greater than the force of Britishers commanded by Wellington at Waterloo— crossed the seas to take its place side by side with the British, French and Belgian troops, on the battlefields of Europe, that the conduct of the men composing it would be worthy of the traditions of the races from which they sprang and that they would act in a manner as to fill with pride the breasts of all,—Canadians and British. That that prediction has been amply borne out is witnessed by what occurred since the Canadians took their places in the battle line, and individually and 332 collectively, acts of heroism have been performed by them that will live in the history, and redound to the glory of Canada and the Empire for all time to come. Other contingents have since gone and more will go, and I desire to congratulate this city on the very gen- erous response thus given to the call to serve our King and country, on the splendid showing made by its sons and on the fact that large numbers are being recruited here every day to be sent forward, as more will be sent forward to the front so long as their services may be required. Canada has taken its full share in the war. This is being done by the Government with the approval of the great majority of the people of our Dominion, and I am sure that they will continue to support the Admin- istration in doing all that it can in order to preserve in- violate all those institutions and liberties and that dem- ocratic system of government which our fathers fought for and achieved, which we have inherited and which it is our duty to hand down, inviolate, to our children and our children’s children. The patriotism of Canadians may be evidenced in many ways, and if the result of the steps being taken at this Exhibition by my Department is the cause of a larger consumption of fish than at prseent, those who assist in that laudable undertaking will realize that they are not only doing something for their own ma- terial and physical benefit, but that they are also per- forming a patriotic act in developing and extending one of Canada’s greatest natural resources, which is cap- able of endless expansion, and are also encouraging the employment upon the waters in and about Canada of a hardy, honest and God-fearing race of men who can be called upon when the occasion may require for the pro- tection of the country in which they live, and the main- tenance of its cherished institutions. ALLOW FISHERMEN ON INLAND LAKES. Commercial fishing upon the inland lakes of Ontario is likely to be permitted by the Government should the report now being prepared by the fish culture ex- pert of the Fisheries Department, Mr. Fielding, recom- mend that course. Mr. Fielding has completed a sur- vey of the inland waters, and his report is now in course of preparation. According to Hon. Findlay Macdiarmid, it is felt that the introduction of commercial fishing with proper safe- guards for the protection of game fish would have a beneficial effect upon the lakes, in addition to provid- ing revenue. Fish, such as whitefish, etc., are not game fish, and are not taken by the line, while pike and carp, which could be taken by commercial fisher- men, now make the problem of restocking the lakes with commercial fish much more difficult than it would be if they were kept within limits. Should commercial fishing be permitted the inland lakes could be stocked with whitefish and herring just as Lake Erie is now. Special efforts are being made by the Fisheries De- partment this Fall to secure large supplies of herring spawn for planting at Lake Erie and other waters next Spring. While Hon. Mr. Macdiarmid has pretty well made up his mind regarding the most suitable spot for the establishment of the projected new pro- vincial hatchery, no start is likely to be made before next year, but by co-operating with the Dominion Fish- eries officials in securing a large supply of spawn for the Sandwich hatchery, good results will be obtained. Most of this spawn will be secured from the Port Stan- ley fishermen. CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. _ 4 FISHING STATISTICS FOR JULY AT BOSTON, PORTLAND AND GLOUCESTER. The fishing fleet landing fish at Boston and Glouces- __ ter, Mass., and Portland, Me., during the month of July, included 277 steam and sail vessels. At Boston 425 trips were landed, aggregating 8,968,604 pounds of fresh and salted fish, valued at $332,334; at Glou- cester the number of trips landed was 154, aggregat- ing 7,840,862 pounds, valued at $199,001, and at Port- land 15 trips were landed, amounting to 2,304,313 pounds, and valued at $30,906—a total for the three ports of 19,113,779 pounds and valued at $562,241. On July 8 a trip of 350,000 pounds of fish was land. ed at Portland, Me., by the otter trawler East Ham: ton, which is the largest amount of fish ever brought in by an American vessel of this class. On July 20 th same vessel landed at Gloucester, Mass., about 300,000 — pounds. a The vessels engaged in the salt-bank cod fishery have done well, their fares ranging from 250,000 to 370,000 pounds of salted cod. Swordfish in consider- — able numbers were marketed at Boston during the month. The largest number landed in one day was on July 19, when 1,124 fish were reported averaging about 200 pounds each, or approximately 225,000 pounds. The catch of mackerel for the season, up to near the end of the month, was 4,818 barrels salted, and 37,420 barrels fresh, against 8,031 barrels salted and 53,651 barrels fresh for the same period in 1914. The following table shows the fish landed at Bos- ton and Gloucester, Mass., and Portland, Me., by Am- erican fishing vessels in July, 1915: Boston. Pounds. Codsein yk (Peed ee eee Haddock .. .. 3,187,000 Hake i 614,865 Pollock .. 661,652 Cusk .. 102,040 Balibut sgl. ote 54,734 Mackerel’... ..°.. 1,084,744 Miscellaneous .. .... 1,200,904 otal iat sig 8,968,604 Gloucester: ; God: 303 Bers 4,503,466 Haddock . : 1,151,170 Hake ante oes 610,588 ‘POLGGH cs ii Gees 95,650 Cusk ce 290,217 FeR bit oe eae. 274,638 Mackerel .. .. 369,925 Miscellaneous . 545,210 Total .. 7,840,862 Portland: COd IG eee 96,850 Haddock .. 2,104,974 Fiske. css 23,910 Pollock .. . 4,575 Halibut .. es 55,213 Miscellaneous . 18,791 Totsl ai 2,304,313 Grand Total .. .. .. 19,118,779 October, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 833 RM Ra a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a YR aD ((Photographs by the Author.) When the Hero of the Johnstown Flood went to Heaven, he was very much annoyed by an old gentle- man who used to give a sneering laugh every time the Hero related his experience in the Johnstown inunda- dation. At last, the Hero became so aggravated by the old man’s persistent sneers, that he sought out St. Peter and asked him: ‘‘Who is that old fellow who gives a jeering laugh every time I relate my story of vhe Johnstown Flood?’’ St. Peter smiled. ‘‘Oh, you mustn’t mind him,’’ he said. ‘‘He thinks he knows something about floods. That’s Noah!’’ Much the same kind of thing happens when an Atlantic man _ starts to talk about halibut fishing to a Pacific hali- buter. We Easterners in the fish business of Canada must keep quiet about our Atlantic halibut while on the Pacific Coast, for out there they catch in hundred- weights what we catch in pounds. _ he writer had the good fortune some years ago to ___ make the high line Canadian trip on the halibut fish- ing schooner ‘‘‘ Albert J. Lutz,’’ of Digby, when, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Anticosti grounds, we The Log of a Long Line Halibuter By F. WILLIAM WALLACE. Being an account of Pa- cific Halibut Fishing by the long line trawl sys- tem from a steamer. stand being hoisted bodily out of the water with men, fish and gear in them. The fish caught are laid on a strong net in the midship pen of the dory, and when the vessel comes alongside to lighten the dory, the fish are hoisted aboard in the net, and not by the hand gaff common to the Atlantic trawlers. In such heavy dories, the men do not do much pulling to the vessel— the schooner, using her engines, runs down to the dor- ies and the dory-mates do very little of the back-break- ing plugging to windward incidental to Atlantic bank fishing. Though fitted with sails, the Pacific schooners seldom have them out of the stops on a trip and use the engine almost exclusively. Sails are only used with a fair wind; to heave-to-under, or in event of accidents. Block ice for icing the fish is rarely used—crushed ice is loaded into the pens when fitting out and the’ men are spared the work of chopping ice at sea. The trawl gear used is practically the same as in the At- lantic halibut fishery—a 28-lb. tarred cotton ground line with a 14-lb. gangen rigged two fathom apart and fitted with Mustad’s No. 6283 or Arthur James halibut fetched home a fare of 82,000 pounds. The fishing, in that case, was done from dories; the trip lasted four weeks, and each man shared $137. Out on the Pacific Coast, halibuting is the principal fishery engaged in, outside of salmon, and from the ports of Seattle, Vancouver, and Prince Rupert, a large fleet of vessels sail forth and fish for halibut from the Oregon Banks to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. All the Pacific halibuters are auxiliary gasolene or steam propelled craft, and with the exception of three steam- ers out of Prince Rupert, they fish by the dory and usual halibut trawl method. There are several differences, however, from the At- lantie style of halibut fishing. The dories used are larger and heavier built, and are strong enough to hooks. The gear is coiled down in skates running about 6 to 8 lines of 50 fathoms a line. As the Pioneers in Pacific halibuting were fishermen from Gloucester and the Atlantic ports, they used the same methods—chang- ing them slightly to suit the requirements of the coast. Several schooners of the Atlantic type have been built in the East and sent around to the Pacifie, but they have been found unsuitable for the existing condi- tions. In the first place the motive power changed places. Instead of the gasolene engine being but an auxiliary for the sails, the sails became auxiliary to the engine, and in most cases the topmasts and light sails were discarded as being of little use. The main- sail, mainboom and gaff were taken off and the riding sail used for after sail. Derricks were fitted on the main- 334 CANADIAN FISHERMAN mast and used for hoisting dories and fish, and dories were shifted from their usual nesting place amidships and nested on the quarters. In some cases, derricks were fitted on the foremast and the dories nested in the usual place, but the altering of former Atlantic fish- ing schooners for Pacific halibuting is not satisfactory. There are too many erections on their decks, space is at a premium, and having been built for windward sailing in heavy weather, they are too sharply built and draw too much water. The Pacific built type of halibut schooner is a straight stemmed beamy craft of about 75 to 95 tons, with two stumpy masts fitted with hoisting derricks and small sails. A pilot house is placed either for’ard or aft, and the dories are nested on the quarters. The fish are dressed and handled amidships and hoisting is done by gasolene winches. Owing to their light draught, they can poke into inlets and channels where the deeper draughted Atlantic schooners could not go, and as halibut fishing on the Pacific is carried on inside the inlets and channels as well as offshore on the banks, October, 1915. practised in the North Sea and Iceland fisheries for many years. With a desire to see, at first hand, the work of a long line halibut fisherman, the writer made the trip to the Alaska grounds on the steamer ‘‘James Carruthers,’’ owned and operated by the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Company, Prince Rupert, B.C. The ‘‘Car- ruthers’’ is one of three English built steamers engag- ed in long lining—the others being the ‘‘ Andrew Kelly’’ and the ‘‘George E. Foster’’—and it may be mentioned that the trio are all making a great success of the busi- ness in Pacific waters. Description of Steamer. The ‘‘ James Carruthers”’ is a steel, screw steamer of 104 tons gross and 95 tons net, and about 110 feet in length by 22 feet beam; built and engined in Hull, Eng- land. She is built on the lines of a British steam trawl- er, and was fitted out for that work when originally constructed. After coming out to the Pacifie Coast via the Straits of Magellan, the gallows and trawl gear The Crew of the ‘‘James Carruthers’’ this type of craft, on tug-boat lines is the most satis- factory. In addition to the schooners so-called, there are a number of large steamers employed in dory halibuting. These are fine steel craft built something on the lines of the English trawlers, and many of them are oil burners with a great cruising radius. The steamers fish exactly the same as the dory schooners, but carry larger crews—usually a twelve dory gang, and altoge- ther about 35 men including fishermen. These halibut steamers fish from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the grounds off the Aleutian Islands, and run their trips to Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Steveston and Seattle. Out of Prince Rupert, B.C., there are three halibut fishing steamers engaged in a method of fishing with- out dories. This method, known as ‘“‘long lining,’’ is a common mode of fishing in Great Britain, and has been were taken off and the steamer equipped for long lin- ing. The crew are berthed forward and aft in forecastle and cabin. The former is a very lofty apartment en- tered by a companionway located under the whaleback forward. It contained three tiers of bunks sufficient to accommodate 24 men—nine of the berths being dou- ble. The galley and mess table were situated in the forecastle and all hands ate there. The cabin under the maindeck aft was a small apart- ment with a table in the eenter and six bunks built into the port and starboard sides of it. Two small rooms—one for the Chief Engineer and the other for the Mate and Second Engineer—were located in the forward portion of the cabin. Fifteen men could, if necessary, be berthed in the eabin, and the extra ac- a ve a q . q October, 1915. ' ¢ommodation was put in the ship in the event of her being used for dory halibuting. _ The master’s room is situated aft of the pilot house _ amidships, and did duty for a chartroom as well. The steamer was fitted with steam steering gear in the pilot- house, and could be swung 90 deg. inside of two ship’s - lengths. The steam gear is invaluable in the naviga- tion of the narrow Alaskan channels, and for tending the long line gear while hauling. - Steam is supplied from a single Scotch boiler fitted with three furnaces and rated for a working pressure _ of 180 pounds. The engines were triple expansion and eapable of driving the ship at an even speed of 10 knots _ perhour. There is no bulkhead between stokehold and engine room, and the engine room watch consisted of - engineer and fireman, with a deckhand to assist in hoisting ashes. The Crew. The ‘‘James Carruthers’? was under the command of Captain Knighthall, a former Grimsby (Eng.), fish- ing skipper with a lengthy experience in working long line gear in British waters. Captain Knighthall, though a young man, has commanded the ‘‘Carruthers’’ for CANADIAN FISHERMAN 335 whom were members of the Halibut Fishermen’s Union, were on shares and were paid a certain sum for the catch. We had a very fine crowd of men—many of them being the strongest and biggest I had ever been shipmates with. Most of them had been deepwater sailors and had come out to the Coast in square-rigged ships. Having been all over the world, the forecastle yarns of our crew were rich with anecdotes of South America, the Continent, East Indies, and the out-of- the-way places of the Earth, and there was hardly a place on this old globe where one or other had not been. ; Bound for the Halibut Banks. On Thursday, July 15th, 1915, we left the Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Company’s wharf, Prince Ru- pert, at 11 a.m., bound for Ketchikan, Alaska, where we had to stop and procure a lading of ice. As we had to go to the grounds up off Mount St. Elias, we car- ried some twenty tons of coal on deck—the usual bunk- er supply not being enough to last us for a possible three week’s cruise. Frozen herring bait and some ice were already aboard. It was raining when we left Prince Rupert, but as two years, and has made a success of long line fishing for halibut in Pacific waters. The second in command was the mate, Mr. Robert Whettem, also a former Grimsby long line skipper experienced in the work. The deck and fishing staff were made up of ten fishermen and one watchman. The engine room staff consisted of Mr. Hugh Troland, Chief Engineer, ‘‘Gus,’’ Second Engineer, two firemen and one coal passer, who hailed from Iceland, and was universally known as ‘‘Chris.’’ The last, and most important member of the crew was the Cook, Jack Hodgson—a one-time Gloucester fishing skipper. With the writer, who signed the Articles as ‘‘deck- hand,’’ we carried twenty hands all told, and, unlike the usual run of Atlantic bank fishermen, we were a cosmopolitan crowd hailing from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Newfoundland. The master, mate, engineers, firemen, coal passer, watchman and cook are on salary—the fishermen, all of soon as we steamed around the Georgia Buoy and in- to Chatham Sound, the weather cleared and a day of sunshine, smooth sea and warm wind replaced the drizzle common to the mountain hemmed Rupert har- bour. Steaming past Cape Fox, after passing Portland In- let, we entered the Revillagigedo Channel about four in the afternoon, and we headed for the Tongass Nar- rows. The fishermen busied themselves rigging and overhauling the long line gear—seizing halibut hooks, sticking beckets into new groundlines, bending gang- ens, and overhauling old gear ready for the call to ‘Bait Up!’’ At 7 p.m. the channel narrowed into a defile be- tween huge snow-capped mountains tree clad from the snow line to the water’s edge, and threading the Narrows, we came in sight of Ketchikan at 8.30 p.m., and moored at the town wharf. As Ketchikan is an United States port, and the Chief Port of Entry for Alaska, we had to pass the 336 U. S, Customs before being allowed to take on ice or go ashore. An official and the Port Doctor read off the Articles from the wharf, and we, on the ‘‘Carruth- ers,’’ stepped over to port when our names were eall- ed. After this formality we steamed down to the New England Fish Company’s wharf and procured a few tons of crushed ice. Ketchikan is a frontier town of the typical Alaska type. It is the base of supplies for a large mining district, as well as an important port of call for fish- ing craft. Though boasting a residential population of some 2,000 souls, Ketchikan has all the trimmings of a city—being brilliantly illuminated with electric- ity and possessing several first class stores, hotels, theatre, moving picture ohow, and three elegantly appointed saloons. At the elaborate bar of the ‘‘Poodle Dog,’’ sundry members of our gang fulfilled the sac- red rites of drinking to a ‘‘high line’’ trip. After looking the town over and laying in a stock of American tobacco, we repaired aboard the ‘‘Car- ruthers’’ again, and at 4.30 a.m. on Friday, July 16th, east off from the wharf and headed on our way to the halibut banks some four hundred and fifty miles to the northwest. Over three hundred miles of our course would be through the wonderful inland chan- nels of the Alaskan coast. Leaving Ketchikan and the Tongass Narrows astern, we steamed into Clarence Sraits—a broad channel with the mountainous shores of the mainland and Prince of Wales’ Island looming to starboard and port. At noon we entered Snow Passage between Zar- embo and Printe of Wales’ Islands, and bucked the tide rips swirling through the narrow rock-bound channel. Wrangell Narrows—an exceedingly diffi- cult strait, lay ahead—and as it required careful navi- gation. we kept the engines turning dead slow until the tide tnrned so that we could make the Narrows with the flood. At 3.45 p.m. we started full speed ahead for Point Alexander, at the entrance to Wrangell Narrows, and shot into a mountain hemmed fjord where the tide set through like a mill race. Steam was turned into the wheel gear and the ship did some fancy swinging as the Skipper headed her around ‘the buoys marking the channel. In some places there was only room enough for one ship to pass and kelp covered reefs edged the waterway. One minute we would be head- ing with the wheel at steady, the next minute we were swinging hard aport, and a minute later the ‘‘Carruthers’’ would be looking at her wake with the wheel hard astarboard. At 6 p.m. we passed Petersburg—a cannery village at the northern end of the Narrows—and a ©. P. R. Coast liner with a crowd of tourists aboard. Steaming out into Frederick Sound, the mountains took on a more rugged appearance, and reared aloft from two to seven thousand feet in continuous suc- cession on our starboard hand. Against the deep blue of the clear Alaskan sky, their snow-capped peaks stood out in startling contrast to the green verdure of their lower slopes, and the greeny-blue of the water. A wonderful country this. A land of sky- soaring mountains; great primeval valleys, titanic gorges, nameless rivers and mighty glaciers—a coun- try given over to the mountain goat, bear, deer and animals of the wild, and with but few inhabitants other than the salmon cannery establishments in some isolated fjord or the mining camps in the river valleys. At 7 p.m. we passed the Thomas Bay glacier and CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. held on up the middle of the Sound for Turnabout Is- land. It was broad daylight then, and the sun shone clear and bright. At 10.25 p.m. we passed Turnabout Island on the port hand—the Island being clearly vis- ible in the long Alaskan summer evening—and steer- ed W.S.W. for Point Gardiner on Admiralty Island. At 11 p.m. it was light enough to read a paper. j Saturday, July 17th—Passed up Chatham Strait — during the night, and made Point Augusta on the N.E. ~ end of Chicagof Island at 9.30 am. Entering Iey Straits, the weather turned hazy and the air became perceptibly colder. The great Muir and Brady gla- ciers open out into these straits and discharge great — a quantities of slob ice and small sized bergs into them. At 2 p.m., after Cape Adolphus was passed to port, we commenced to run into the scattered ice from the glaciers, and steam was turned into the wheel gear for sharp steering: : Great flocks of puffins and ice birds would rise from the water at our approach—the latter slopping lazily along the calm surface of the water with their tails dragging—too heavy to fly. Salmon would leap high into the air—a glitter of silver in the sunlight, and on the gleaming masses of glacier ice, hundreds of sea — birds calmly regarded us as we forged past. Some of — the ice cakes were veritable bergs, and reminded one of the white terrors of the Banks of Newfoundland | and the Labrador coast. eg Holding along the north channel of Lemesurier Ts- land. we entered Cross Sound. and at 5 p.m. passed out into the open Pacific by Cape Spencer. A haze came in from the sea and obscured the land—a shore, bold, rocky and practically uninhabited and unlight- ed for a distance of 150 miles—from Cape Spencer to ae 4 Ocean Cape. at the entrance to Yakutat Bay. veg Sunday, July 18th—The day opened fine and sun- nv, with a haze obscuring the land, though the loom of the snow-clad mountain tops could be discerned towering as high as 13,000 feet into the sky. We wete _ 4 well offshore, and at noon the Skipper took an observa- tion and made the ships position as 59 deg. 34 min. : oe North Jatitude. Mount St. Elias—one of -the highest mountains in Alaska—could be seen away to the north. : a snow-capped dome above the clouds. 18,074 feet high and almost 60 miles away. 2 p.m.—The weleome hail of ‘‘Bait up!’’ sienalled the fact that we were on the grounds, and readv to begin fishing. The fisher- men opened up the hold and got frozen blocks of her-_ ring bait up on deck, and commenced work chopping uv the fish into the proper proportions for garnishing the hooks. While the gang were thus engaged. the Skinner was busy feeling the bottom with the lead and looking for a favourite ridge which he felt sure was good for a haul of halibut. (To be continued in the November issue.) THE N. S. FISHERIES EXHIBIT. The fisheries exhibit at the Nova Scotia Exhibition, — aside from the interesting demonstration of entting and nacking for the boneless fish trade by Robin Jones and — Whitman Limited. was not more successful than usual _ this year. The difficulty with this exhibit is that the men who could make it interesting. the fishermen, are — content to leave it to the fish merchants, : Fancy, how successful the apple exhibit would be if the producers were content to leave it in the hands . of the Halifax produce dealers.—Maritime Merchant. October, 1915. That fish has not yet reached the consuming classes I am ready to assert, and I don’t expect to be con- tradicted. To my mind, fish is used more as a specific food than asa general and necessary one. It answers in certain places to religious precepts, such as abstin- ence from meat amongst Catholics, and on festival oc- easions under the Jewish rites. It is also used as an adjunct to special meals, or as an adornment at elabor- _ ate dinners and banquets. It has not yet been thought _ of as a substitute for one of the largest food commodi- ties in usage, yet it is the only true substitute for meat, and whether the meat consumers like it or not, as our capacity to supply meat will fall short before very _ long, they will have to change their diet, reluctantly, - but certainly. - Our Association does not intend to threaten a meat : famine or to unduly influence consumers to the fish diet; we simply foretell what will certainly happen, and our prophecies are based on reliable statistics. 2 Fish food has certain merits which cannot be denied, and it is on these merits alone that we intend to ap- peal to the consumer. Nor do we want to appeal to him with interested motives. Our Association is above favoritism. We want the good and welfare of each one and all. Collectively we have faith in the indus- try, and we know that by constant efforts, constant ap- plication to improvements, the country at large should _ derive immense material benefits. I should, perhaps, before going any further, note the -_ eauses or elements which, to my mind, retard the adop- tion of fish as a general article of diet. One of the _ stumbling blocks is the primitive and inefficient way in __-which this commodity is handled from the retailer to _ the consumer. How many establishments are there, for ___ instance, in these prosperous and progressive Canadian __ eities which handle fish, exclusively, as an article of daily consumption? Very few, comparatively, I am sure, _ Let me tell you that in Montreal—the Metropolis of _ Canada—the city that boasts of being the sixth on this _ Continent, relatively to population, we have not one ____ retail store that deals with fish exclusively. We have __ certain stores (and not very many), which carry fish as a specialty, and perhaps a few whose main commodity of commerce is fish, but most of the fish that is handled by the retail trade to the consumer is served out from butchers’ shops, grocers, provision dealers, ete. In the city of Montreal there are certain regulations by which ' the butchers only can retail fresh fish, while the groc- ers can retail only prepared, smoked or cured fish. How these regulations can be enforced with justice and equity to the consumers, it is not my concern. But what ____ is more strange, during certain periods of the year, par- ___ tieularly during the winter season, nearly every kind of trade handles fish, and it should not surprise any one of you if, on coming to our great city during the month of January, for instance, you should find at the ____ door of nearly every iron, leather, dry goods merchant, ___ saloon and eafe keeper, fish for sale, mixed up with all sorts of inconceivable promiscuities. Under these circumstances it is surprising that this CANADIAN FISHERMAN 337 * PS + . : By J. A. PAULHUS §& -¢Some Reasons for the Small Consumption Chairman, Editorial’ and Pub- & 4 of F ish in Canada gaa carson Re mpeor et TIiiiiiiiiiriiirrrriiiiiiittiiiiitiii COC ECC Cee C Oe eC eee ener form of handling a food which necessitates so much care, should not give satisfaction to the consumer. Even most of the butchers who handle fresh fish, devote very little care, and are indifferent in most cases to a sur- prising degree. Once a wek a certain amount of fish will be brought from the wholesale house and thrown in a heap in some corner of the shop, to wait a couple of days, sometimes, for the exposition in front of the store on Friday morning. And what a sight is offered for sale. If isis in the summer time, after two or three hours on a piece of wood or in a box without ice, the appearance of the fish is not only non-inviting to the purchaser, but, in some instances, it is really shock- ing. Have you ever seen the pitiful sight of a large codfish with sunken eyes, the skin parched for want of moisture, lying on its side with its mouth wide open! It is a horror capable of disarming the heroes of Lange- marck and St. Julien. Let us turn our attention now to the grocer, who handles only cured, pickled or smoked fish. There is a corner street which you pass every morning and evening when’ going to and coming back from your work. Have you noticed that lot of smoked fish that is lying by the door, with some carrots, apples, ham, ete. ? If it is in winter this fish stays out all day and gets subjected sometimes to a temperature of zezro or below zero. At night this same fish is brought into the heated store. Next morning it goes out again. After a week of this treatment—cold, heat, dust, snow, ete., who is going to buy this fish? Is it to be wondered at that certain prejudices exist against fish as food, and that we talk so much of education in the question. I do not say that all the fish that goes to consumption is handled this way from the retailer to the consumer, far from it. I know of good, reliable, well-equipped stores provided with all modern conveniences and up-to-date in every way. In them I recognize their co-operation with our efforts and with the Association. We give them our most sincere thanks and congratulations, and I believe ‘I voice the sentiments of the Association when I say we shall give them our support. We shall issue rules and regulations, if it is in our power, to stop such de- gradation of our valuable industry by ignorant and careless dealers. Another cause which retards the popularity of fish as a food is the insistence of the re- tail trade to put a uniform price the year round, whe- ther the product is rare or abundant. With a little dis- crimination it would be so easy to fix attractive prices when occasion should warrant it, and in this way draw the attention of the consumer, interest him in some way, teach him that in the fish business, like any other busi- ness, there is speculation, and that he has to use his own judgment and discretion once in a while. A good deal more could be said on the matter. I hope I shall have the opportunity later on to write again on a subject which, for more than one reason, is very fascinating for me. Let me say I shall persist in my in- tention to agitate the fish question until every one in this country is convinced that I am right, or until the Canadian Fisheries Association orders me to stop. 338 Last Parcel «:: . i The All that now remains of the once vast empire ruled by France in North America—the last parcel afloat— is the Archipelago of St. Pierre and Miquelon lying off the south coast of Newfoundland at the mouth of For- tune Bay about twelve miles distant from Dantzic Point. ; bose This little group of islands has a most interesting, if chequered, history; and as it is likely to become ‘prom- inent indiplomatiec circles at the conclusion of the war, the story of its vicissitudes will be of interest to read- ers of the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman,’’ as the traffic with St. Pierre has been frequently the subject of discussion in Canadian prints. Not long ago, a Montreal newspaper stated that some of the parishes of the lower St. Lawrence have become completely demoralized by the illicit traffic emanating from one of the greatest smuggling centres in the West- ern Hemisphere. Farmers neglect their land and fish- ermen their nets’ to engage in ventures that promise such large returns as the smuggling of whisky blanc, gin and tobacco, and the excitement attendant upon it offers great attractions to the venturesome fisher-folk in the Gulf ports. The parish priests complain bit- terly of the demoralizing effects upon their people of the intemperance that prevails wherever the whisky blane is sold or landed; and many of the country cures have complained of the traffic to the government. St. Pierre was evidently known to Portuguese and Basque fishermen at an early date. In a map drawn in 1508 the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon are re- presented by ‘‘Barbatos In.’’ Cartier visited St. Pierre in 1535 when returning from his second voyage to Hochelaga, and found several fishing vessels there; but there is no historic account of its importance as a French fishing base till 1662, when Placentia, in New- foundland, was taken possession of by Gargot, its first Governor. It is doubtful if St. Pierre was perman- ently inhabited until about the end of the seventeenth century. cs Then, a small fort, mounting six guns, was erected, to prevent incursions by the English. This was des- troyed in 1702 by Captain Leake, R.N. When all the French inhabitants were compelled to leave Newfound- official returns show that only one hundred and eighty land by the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the persons resided permanently at St. Pierre. From 1713 to 1763 St. Pierre remained in possession of the English. Then, by the Treaty of Paris it was re- stored to France to serve as a port of refuge for her fishermen; but it was stipulated that it should not be fortified, and that only fifty men should be kept there as a guard for the police purposes. On July 14, 1763, Baron L’Esperance, captain of in- fantry, was given possession of the colony; a consider- able number of the new settlers were Acadians who had refused to become British subjects. The local catch of fish, from 1763 to 1777, averaged about six thousand quintals a year; there being, be- sides the fish caught by the two hundred and twenty fishing vessels from France, manned by eight thousand sailors and fishermen. St. Pierre, during this period, carried on a large contraband trade, both with New- foundland and the other British provinces; and New CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. & : & : By P. W. BROWNE. . ® [3] Englanders especially did an extensive business in French wines, brandies, silks and velvets. At the outbreak of the War of Secession, in 1778, Rear-Admiral Montague, Governor of Newfoundland, captured St. Pierre, destroyed all the buildings, and deported to France nineteen hundred and thirty-two inhabitants—fishermen and farmers. From 1778 to 1815, the inhabitants, who had returned after thee lose of the American War, were chucked around like shut- tlecocks by battledores. 5 The history of St. Pierre from that time has been un- eventful. It gradually increased in population and im- portance as a fishing centre, its exports (dry and green fish) being over 25,00,00 kilogs in 1890, while its im- ports amounted to nigh 18,000,000 franes. The abnor- mal showing of imports is explained by the fact that St. Pierre was a literal smugglers’ paradise until with- in a comparatively recent period, when the passage of the Bait Act by the Newfoundland Government made it prohibitary for Newfoundland fishermen to sell bait to the French. In this smuggling business the Pierrais plundered the revenues, not only of Newfoundland, Canada, and the Maritime Provinces, but for years they made even greater depredations on the revenues __ of France; thousands. of quintals of English-ceaught fish were taken to St. Pierre by sale and barter, ree ceived the enormous bounty paid by the French Gov- — ernment (about $2 per quintal), and went to swell fic — titiously the French eatch of fish. é Some Newfoundlanders are enaged in the smuggling — business. They sail from St. Pierre to some unfre-— quented part of Canadian Labrador, where (choosing __ foggy weather for the run), amongst the inner islands, __ they meet smaller craft; these smaller boats again _ tranship their cargo into punts and dories farther up __ the St. Lawrence; and lastly, it is distributed about the Province of Quebee in carts. The activity of the Canadian cruisers and the operation of the Bait Act have now largely curtailed the illicit trade. The sta- — tistics of St. Pierre show that from these causes the __ imports have fallen from twenty million to eight mil- __ lion franes. A conservative estimate of the illicit trade between _ Newfoundland and St. Pierre in former years sets _ down the loss to the revenue of Newfoundland as be- __ ing about $100,000 annually. Though the smuggling trade has been curtailed, yet Newfoundland still suf- fers considerable loss. A Government cruiser patrols the coast around the Burin peninsula and Fortune Bay, — but that considerable smuggling still goes on is known to ag iowa! except, perhaps, to the Government offi- © clals. a Formerly no British consul was allowed to reside at _ St. Pierre; but since the settlement of the famous _ French Shore Question, a British trade agent has been — tolerated. ae St. Pierre has never recovered from the effects of the _ Bait Act passed by the Newfoundland Legislature in 1885, and its prosperity has since been waning. The _ population continues to decrease rapidly; and at pres- ent writing it is almost a ‘‘deserted village.’ ae There are only two or three local banking vessels prosecuting the fishery; and owing to the withdrawal CANADIAN of all able-bodied men within the last year, trade has beeome paralyzed. The large fleet formerly outfitted from the ports of Dieppe, Granville, and St. Malo, have almost disap- d; and steam trawlers are now engaged in prose- euting the bank fishery. Though shorn of its former commercial importance, t. Pierre is an interesting spot. It is really a bit of old ance within an Anglo-Saxon horizon. The town fronts a large roadstead sheltered on the eastern side yy the Isle aux Chiens, extending rearwards to the dge of Mt. Calvaire, which forms the summit of the rocky backbone of the island. The harbor is protected by a stone breakwater, with substantial quays. The Government pier fronts on the public square, on the ‘north side of which are located the official buildings; Court House, Ministry of Marine, Custom House, and ‘the Official Residence. The streets are unpaved, and present a rather unkempt appearance, due presumably to the decadence of the town. _ The people present a very picturesque appearance ; ‘men wear gaudy shirts and loose, ill-fitting trousers; the women wear bright blouses and short skirts, not unlike those seen at Douarnez or other Breton towns. The click of the sabot may be heard on the wooden trot- toirs which front the numerous cafes and cheap cab- arets on the main thoroughfare, where “‘high jinks’’ ‘are in progress nightly till the town ecrier makes his rounds about 10 p.m., when the populace are notified to betake themselves homeward, and the fishermen to hie to their vessels. The town is policed by fifty gendarmes armed with swords, and ‘‘defended’’ by some ancient cannon plac- ed at the approach to the harbor. The island of St. Pierre is encircled by beaches of smooth-worn cobbles which are used as fish-drying areas. The curing of fish is not permitted within the municipal limits. The fish industry is maintained by an elaborate system of bounties covering almost every phase of the business. The fishery is regarded by France as the ‘‘pepiniere’’ (nursery) of the French Navy, and even beachcombers are provided for in the bounty system. It is quite within the bounds of possibilities that ere long France will be prepared to surrender this erst- while valuable possession to Great Britain, in return for some compensating advantages elsewhere. This were a consummation devoutly to be wished for by New- - foundland fishermen who have to compete in foreign markets with the bounty-fed exportations of French codfish. _-——s MODEL FISHING DORY AT HALIFAX 4 EXHIBITION. The Shelburne, N.S., Gazette and Coast Guard man __-was hurriedly informed on Saturday last that two __ dory mates were in Mr. John Etherington’s boat shop. _-He at once proceeded to that establishment to inter- __ view the men thinking that they had probably drift- ed from their vessel, and had a story of hardship to tell. ~Arriving there he found the dory mates sure enough. They were sitting upright on the thwarts of a trawl dory and from appearances belonged to the old school of fishermen, probably about 70 years of age. + They were dressed in oil clothes, with rubber boots, sou’wester, mitts, and had the old time muffler. FISHERMAN 339 whiskers, and in each mouth was a.T.D. pipe.,,In the stern of the boat was a water keg and in the bow a tub of trawls. A pair of oars rested beside each of the old salts. On the outside of the dory was painted **Shelburne No. 1,’’ and on the inside appeared Mr. Etherington’s name as maker. The weather beaten faces of the men would lead one to believe that they had sailed the briny deep for many a year, but no in- formation could be gathered from them. As the little child would say they were not ‘‘really men’’ at all. They were dummies, but true to life and were all ready to start for the provincial exhibition. It was a clever get up, and depicted two old salts setting out for the fishing grounds in the days that are gone. SCHOONER WITH MONSTER SALT COD FARE AT GLOUCESTER, Gloucester, September 10.—Hailing for the magnifi- cent fare of 475,000 pounds of salt cod, the schooner Tattler, Captain Alden Geele, dory handlining, is home after nearly five months absence, bringing one of the largest trips in his career. _ The Tattler arrived yesterday afternoon, loaded right down to the scuppers. She looked every inch the amount for which she hailed, it being the largest dory handline fare since 1909, when the craft weighed off 479,433 pounds, the stock being $15,277.31, and the second largest in Captain Geeles’ career. Captain Geele, who is a Nova Scotian from the southern part of the Province, has established an en- viable reputation as a ‘‘‘killer’’ in this particular branch of the fishery. In addition to the fares above mentioned, the craft has done well in other years. In 1913 the vessel had 364,000 pounds, stocking $16,874 and last year, 379,00 pounds, which the stock was $14,382. WANTED TO BEAT HIM UP. The moving picture actors who have been here for some time taking pictures, had quite an exciting ex- perience, on Saturday afternoon, says the Lookout, in the Gloucester Times, I am told, while they were en- gaged in picture-taking at Rocky Neck. The camera man at the time was filming a lively fist fight between a small and larger member of the company, and it looked like the real stuff to the on-lookers. Everything was getting along nicely until a husky fisherman from one of the vessels tied up at Rocky Neck, spied what was going on. The fisherman was somewhat worse off for intoxicants, my informant tells me, and was in no mood to see the little fellow get a beating from a larger man, as was taking place at the time. The fish- erman lost no time in interceding in behalf of the lit- tle fellow, and started to do up the larger of the movie actors who was taking part in the ‘‘fight,’’ and for a time things looked pretty blue, for the fisherman said he wasn’t going to allow a little fellow to get licked if he could help it. Prompt explanations and intereeding by the camera man and other members of the company standing near finally convinced the fish- erman that everything was all right, and he finally meandered off. The interested onlookers, however, dah a good laugh over it, as probably did the actors after it was all over. oe 340 (28 8 GG) DB 6 Ya] a a 2] LETTERS TO WHY NOT FISH, TOO? Editor, Canadian Fisherman :— Dear Sir,—I note and have read with deep interest the article under the above heading which appears on Page 316, of the ‘‘‘Fisherman’’ for September. The suggestion contained therein appealed to me last fall when the advertisements issued by the Trade and Commerce Department were appearing in almost every daily newspaper from the Atlantic to the Pacifie I made the suggestion from a personal standpoint to the Fisheries Department, but, the reply was that the powers that rule did not view the Fisheries Industry in quite the same light as they do the Apple Industry. I am yet of the opinion that the Fisheries Department ought to institute some similar propaganda in the in- terests of our fisheries. But, evidently, the grave ques- tion arises, ‘‘‘Where will the necessary money come from.”’ With the anticipation of rousing the wrath of other dealers in the business, and probably, obtaining an edu- cational discussion in. the column of our ‘Official Or- gan,’’ I would suggest that with the close of the cur- rent fiscal year, the Canadian Fisheries Association ask the Department to divert the enormous amount now spent in subsidising Express charges and utilize a simi- lar amount towards the end suggested in the article now under review. According to Clarence Jamieson, M.P. (page 202 Fisherman, July, 1915), it cost the Department last year over $80,000 to cover the subsidy on the Express charges. If this amount is diverted to a proper adver- tising campaign, I can see no other result but that the public interest will undoubtedly be awakened to ‘‘Fish Facts’’ and the benefit to the industry through the medium of advertising will be far in excess of the pres- ent supposed benefits from subsidized Express rates. It is stated that codfish is bought on the docks in New Brunswick at 2c. per lb., and is sold in Ottawa at 20c. The Express charge, even with the subsidy, has not re- duced the cost to the consumer. The same remark will equally apply to the other varieties named in the ar- ticle ‘‘Why Not Fish.’ Mr. Jamieson again in his article that ‘‘in view of the assistance in the trans- portation charges, ete.’’ “The tendency of the price has, however, been ra- ther to go up than to become less.”’ This is practically an admission that the subsidy paid year by year by the Government has not accomplished one of the most vital factors expected, namely, pay part of the transportation charges and the cost being thus reduced, the ultimate benefit will be reaped by he con- sumer. Now, we must all realize that the most important in- dividual in the development of fish as a good is not the fisherman, not the Express Company, not the whole- saler, nor yet the retailer. It is the consumer. I am of the opinion that whilst the cost to the dealer who now receives the benefit of the one third subsidy will be slightly increased, the actual retail price on almost every variety of fish caught in Canadian waters will be unchanged. I am sure dealers will admit this fact CANADIAN FISHERMAN & 8 FC 6 8 dR 6 DC GD DY DG EC) EG) DE) DE) YY YS October, 1915. THE EDITOR «. «. { if they want to be honest in their opinions. Then, if so, why not ask the Government to discontinue pay- ing the subsidy and institute an advertising cam- paign similar to the Apple Campaign of a year ago. The Government is no more entitled to pay Express charges on fish than they are on apples, small fruits, oysters, milk or any other commodity. In fact, the — impression formed by the writer is that the parties who have benefitted more than any other by the in- stitution of this one-third subsidy are those who need less assistance than any, ie., the Express Companies. They have reaped the benefit of increased tonnage, for we cannot ignore the fact that more fish has been sold in Canada during the past seven years than in preceding seven years, but has the fish-eating public really bought fish at prices which justifies the expen- 4 diture of over $300,000 in seven years? I don’t think SO. Personally, I cannot see that the one-third rebate is very essential to the cheap marketing of fish. The wholesalers in different centres can lay in fish cheaper by fast freight services or in car load rates than is ob- tained by the local Express rates even minus the one- third rebate. This fact maintains the eurrent whole- sale prices in the various centres. What is required is _ a co-operative action between the Government and of our Association in an endeavor to minimize retail prices and at the same time institute advertising in the Press, which will appeal to the housewife and cause a greater activity on her part towards fish as an — article of diet. : _ Without doubt the increased consumption will real- ize increased sales and the profit thereby gained will more than offset the advantage of the present one- _ third subsidy, which, in the opinion of the writer, is not of the material benefit to the consumer which it was expected to be. : I hope to see the views of others expressed in columns of the ‘‘Fisherman”’ in an early issue. Yours truly, W. DOUGLAS. the Winnipeg, Man. FISHERIES ADVISORY BOARD MEETING. A meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Advisory om Board was held in Charlottetown, P.E.L, on Septem ber 30. The man who does not advertise because it costs — money should quit paying salaries for the same rea- son. “ The man who does not advertise because he doesn’t _ know how to write an advertisement should quit eat- — ing because he can’t cook. a The man who does not advertise because somebody ia said it did not pay, should not believe the world is round because the ancients said it was flat. oS October, 1915. Who’s Who in the Fishing World *¢ CANADIAN FISHERMAN 341 seleheeleleeleeiaiabeliedebeeiaiaieiaiteleiniabieisiainisideieinidabeiaiaieiataieatthdeetainletelsinieieteteige tee sala The advance that has recently taken place in the de- velopment of the fishing industry of Canada is exem- plified by the growth of the company known as Robin, Jones & Whitman, of Halifax, Nova Scotia. ' Although Robin, Jones & Whitman, Ltd., was incor- porated only in 1910, the history of the company reaches back to the early days of the industry. The company is an amalgamation of the C. Robin Collas MR. A. H. WHITMAN, Company, Ltd., A. G. Jones & Company, and the At- -lantic Fisheries Company, Ltd. The C. Robin Collas Company, Ltd., was one of the pioneer Canadian fish- ing enterprises. It was founded by Charles Robin, Jersey Island, in 1776, by whom business was inau- gurated at Paspebiaec on the Gaspe coast. As the busi- ness developed branches were established in different parts of Gaspe, as well as in New Brunswick and in Cape Breton. To-day there are twenty-nine fishing and trading establishments, including the headquar- ters at Halifax, twenty-four branches in the province of Quebec, Caraquet in the province of New Bruns- wick, and Eastern Harbour, Ingonish, Annapolis and Lunenburg in Nova Scotia. The firm of A. G. Jones & Company was established in 1885, and brought into the new company, an estab- lished business with old and valuable West India ex- port and import connections. By taking over the At- lantie Fisheries Company, Ltd., the concern acquired a large outfitting establishment at Lunenburg, shares in fishing vessels, and a boneless fish business, supply- ing the domestic trade. Mr. A. E. Jones, the President of Robin, Jones & Whitman, gives his particular attention to the West India export and import trade. Mr. A. Hanfield Whit- man, the Managing Director, has charge of the Brazil business of the company, which is conducted from Halifax. Mr. W. F. Hamon is the resident director at Paspebiac. He manages the company’s store business and has charge of a staff of about one hundred agents and clerks. For over a century the company’s trade mark, C. R. C., has been the standard of the south Brazil fish trade, to which country about half its exports of fish go. Dry and pickled fish are also extensively shipped to the European and West India markets. The com- pany have extensive premises at Halifax excellently equipped for their business with large warehouses suitable for handling their products. The real estate, ships and plant are valued at considerably over one million dollars. FISHES’ EYES. The dim water-countries, which cover so large a portion of the world’s surface, must always have a strong fascination for the human body, which may only peep into them from the border, and the fishes, free to wander and explore where they will, are .a source of envy to many of us, says the Glasgow Her- ald. Still, it is a great question how much the fish takes of the wonders which surround it and there are cases had a good laugh over it, as probably did the actors in which discrimination of colour has been proved. The archer fish, which shoots a jet of water at insects on the banks. above, must have good sight in order to be able to take accurate aim, and the fastidiousness of salmon and trout in regard to the different kinds of ‘*fly’’ also speaks well for their powers of sight. The most extraordinary fish in this respect, how- ever, is the anableps, which swims with its eyes half out of the water, the upper curvature being suitable for seeing above the surface, and the lower for seeing below. The other extreme is reached in those fishes living in caves or in the profoundest depths, which are quite blind. In come cases the eyes increase in size and power with an increasing depth of water, in order to take advantage of the dim green light and phosphorescent gleams which glow in the immensity. The majority of fishes have very well developed eyes, but usually lacking in lids, though some of the skate tribe have a flap of skin which they can draw over their deeply sunk eyes. Every one is familiar with the flat fishes as they lie on the fishmonger’s slab, with their queer contorted mouths and goggle eyes. These eyes may be number- ed among the most mysterious objects in Nature. At birth the eyes of the flat fish are on different sides of its head, like those of other fish; also the fish swims upright, and is not ‘‘flat.’’ Then as it acquires the habit of swimming and lying on one side the under eye gradually changes its position to the top of the head, alongside its fellow, and the whole character of the fish becomes changed. 342 CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES CANSO NOTES. (Special Correspondence. ) On Tuesday, August 24th, under beautiful weather conditions, Canso’s annual Regatta came off success- fully. ‘there has been but one break-in the successive holding of this yearly sporting event since its begin- ning in 1884, and that was last year, caused by the dis- turbing war conditions at that particular time. In the old days, before the gasoline engine became such a power in the land and on the waters, the sailing races of the several classes of fishing-boats were stirring and artistic sights for the spectator. Cleaned up spick and span for the event, with all sails flung to a fresh breeze, the craft seemed like living things as, listing, tacking, running off and beating to wind’ard, working for all those little advantages, which may mean so much in a close race, they chased one another over the course. Anyone with an ounce of sporting blood in his veins, or with the smallest eye for the beauty of graceful lines and curves in motion in a background of blue water and the breezy out-of-doors must feel the charm of such a seene, There was plenty of room also for the display of skill in boat-handling and seamanship. The almost universal introduction of the very useful motor in Can- so’s fishing fleet has robbed the sailing races of much of this charm for the eye of the spectator ; but, though it must be admitted as not quite so pretty a sight, yeta good motor or auxiliary boat-race has plenty of inte- resting and exciting features. The day was an ideal one, and everything passed off pleasantly. Excursions were run from outside points, bringing a large number of strangers to mingle with the townsfolk in the sports and pleasures of the day. The Canso Band was in evidence, and gave that. spe- cialenjoyment to the day, which only musie can give. Among the out-of-town visitors was Hon. E, H. Arm- strong, of the Provineial Government, and J. H. Sin- clair, M.P. The Prizes were given out by the latter gentleman. A notable feature of the list during the last few years has been the large number of additional useful prizes donated by various dealers in motors, oil and fishing supplies. A few of the results in the boat- races were as follows: There were three prizes for auxiliary boats, measur- ing 35 to 50 feet waterline, the first, ($50 with a pair of binoculars) being won by Capt. Jacob Manuel in the Jessie M. For the class of motor-boats not over six horse-power, seven prizes were given, the first consist- ing of $25 in cash, together with a barrel of Premier gasoline from the Imperial Oil Co. Motor pleasure boats made up the third class, for which there were two prizes. Oapt. Jack Smith. in the ‘‘Guysboro,’’ won first place, receiving as his reward the sum of $10 and a lifebelt donated by the Fairbanks-Morse Co. The swordfish season here, which is now on the wane, has been a good one. A large total of nice fish have been brought in and shipped off to the market. A good many American sword-fishermen have been off the coast and dodging into port during the summer. Up to about mid-September Capt. Frank Lohnes had totall- ed, so the writer was told, 109 fish. The local price to the fishermen has hung around 4 and 5 cents, mostly at 4, : Throughout the month of August, many Lunenburg vessels were in port looking for bait. Some great schools of squid chanced along during a couple of weeks, and Mr. George Scott and others did a fine busi- ness trying to supply the demand while the run was on. The Dogfish Reduction Works are again in opera- tion, handling the catches which are being brought in daily. One can depend on the delightful ‘‘dogs,’’ the bugbear of the fishing grounds, putting in an appear- ance about this time every fall. The 8. 8. Thirty-three is again in attendance on the plant. During the sum- mer months she was engaged in some fishery experi- ments, being conducted by Capt. Hjort, the Norwegian expert. Since the middle of August, the Lobnitz Rockeutter No. 3 has been operating in Canso harbor, cutting down a ledge of rock, which, lying just about the centre of the harbor, has always been a danger, and a defect to the value of the port. Although the rock is of an ex- ceptionally hard character, good headway is being made. When a weight of 22 tons is set in motion, some- thing has to happen. It is to be greatly hoped that the work will be carried to a satisfactory finish, as the deepening of this part of the harbor will prove a wel- come boon to shipping. BAY SHORE OF NOVA SCOTIA. (Special Correspondence.) One of the old fishermen on the Bay shore relates a story of his experience the past season that was most exciting at the moment. While the skipper was at the wheel and the vessel gently gliding through the water, — . of a sudden a monster swordfish rushed right over the taffrail and bounced on the deck at his feet, and almost knocked him overboard. The big swordfish, finding himself in a new world, flopped around pretty lively, and the crew tried to kill him. After several desperate jumps he made an extra effort, and away he went over- board again. The water being churned into foam as he headed for the bottom. The skipper explains the un- usual incident by saying that two swords that had been taken from other fish were tied over the stern dangling _ in the water. Evidently the fighting fish had made a dive at these, and came flopping in on deck. ) October, 1915. A Bay shore fisherman relates to a ‘press correspon- - dent that when he visited his mackerel nets recently he discovered a big shark entangled in the net, and slashing the fish contents right and left. With the aid of several other fishermen, and after a most exciting encounter they succeeded in lassoing his tail, by which he was dragged ashore. The huge man-eater measur- ed a little over ten feet long and weighed nearly one thousand pounds. It was stated that the shark was sold at a ood price and cut up for food at a big black ' fox ranch. The season on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy side of Nova Scotia is about closed for fishing. Very _ few fish come into the Bay after the month of Septem- ber, although hake are being caught in large quantities during this month. The season’s catch is now dried and salted, and most of the fish will go to the Parker’s _ Cove shipping house of Captain Herbert Anderson, and freighted to Annapolis Royal for the West Indies mar- ket, handled by Mr. Whitman. Probably seventy-five per cent. of the north shore haul will be handled by Capt. Willard Anderson in the schooner Lloyd. In the big storm recently the Lloyd broke away from the pier, and bumped up on the rocks, and punched a hole in her bottom. Only the afternoon before, the writer had advised the Captain to have his craft insured. ‘‘Oh, no,’’ said he, ‘‘I am always in her, and she will go safe and sound.’’ That night she dragged ashore while he was at home on the cliff. The Andersons do a big trade with the fishermen, and are a source of great assistance to them. An uncommon accident happened on one of the fish- grounds in the Bay recently. A fisherman named Smith - Howard was about to harpoon a big sword fish at the boat side. His feet slipped and over he went headlong. The man in the motor boat stopped the engine, but the boat passed over Howard and fortunately he went clear of the propeller blade. As he went under the stern he grabbed a loose rope that ran through his hand to a _ lueky knot tied in the end, which held him till his com- panion pulled him to the boat and hauled him in. Said he to the correspondent, ‘‘Davy Jones ‘locker would have been my next call.”?” | DIGBY, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) first offshore haddocker to get away from here this season, having already secured a good trip and sailed again on the 11th. The main haddocking fleet is getting in shape for the fall and winter fishing, but are not hurrying, owing to the very warm weather which has prevailed during the last few days. Unless the off- shore fleet strike fairly good haddocking, there is like- ly to be a shortage of this fish for a while at least, as the shore boats have never had such poor eatches of haddock at this season as they are having this year; although hake and cod continue to be fairly plentiful. The demand for fish seems to be good; but the curers have had great difficulty in preparing and holding season. The vessels have landed here within the past month as follows: “‘Grace Darling,’’ August 23, 32,909 Ibs. ; “‘Britannia,’’ August 23, 3,165 Ibs.; September 6, 3,335 lbs. ‘‘Lila G. Boutilier,’’ September 9, 94,919 lbs. CANADIAN FISHERMAN The Dorothy M. Smart, Capt. Wm. Snow, was the © their stocks, owing to the prevailing humidity this . 343 fresh fish ; 29,327 lbs. salt fish. ‘‘Dorothy M. Smart,’’ September 14, 87,671 lbs. ‘‘Loran B. Snow,’’ Septem- ber 1, 74,775 lbs.; September 8, 58,300 lbs.; September 14, 18,248 lbs. ‘‘Trilby,’’ September 15, cargo salted and dried fish to the Maritime Fish Corporation from Digby Neck. Schr. ‘‘ Albert J. Lutz,’’? Capt. John D. Apt, is at present fishing for halibut off the south coast of the province. . We understand she is coming to join the Digby fleet after a few weeks’ more of halibut fishing. Sehr. ‘‘Myrtle L.’’ is fitting out for haddock- ing, and will be sailed by Capt. Frank McCaul. Capt. Arthur Casey is having the ‘‘Lila Boutilier’’ well over- hauled before starting at the fall fishing. We under- stand that Capt. Ansel Snow, after making a high line suminer stock in the ‘‘ Loran B. Snow,”’ intends taking charge of the ‘‘Dorothy G. Snow’’ for the winter fish- ing. Capt. Sims, of Yarmouth, it is said, will command the ‘‘Loran B. Snow”’ this winter. The following is an extract from fishery overseer Torrie’s report to the Department from this district: Fish caught during the past month, 590,600 Ibs.; cod, 186,000 lbs. ; haddock, 1,134,400 Ibs.; hake, 269,400 Ibs. ; pollock, 885,200 lbs.; herring, 11,400 Ibs.; mackerel, 4,500 Ibs. ; albacore, 248 Ibs.; clams, 24, 600. Ibs. LUNENBURG, N.S. The Lunenburg fishing vessels, says the Halifax Herald, are arriving from the Banks, the most of them with full fares. The following have got home to date: Schooners. Qtls. Ad Westhaver enn). seas soe op a 1,350 Coamilie Betws foeit dene. bideeccas 500 Gapriess lise tle 53 os 5s ie Fe oe hein 1,250 AE atiis ifsc isis vices Gass eral oles 500 WAMU AMOR ee SOS eit k oo. ie minials tae 900 VeeO: SISIOMOIMON oc fi ad sc sou elas oe 1,600 MEO WV AICOTH 2S opie aie w oie.wibeols ok 1,250 Phyllis Westhaver . 2,100 ee at ECR acy atte eG sheen abd wang Sod Saco 1,200 BE Nis ERI os a hess tasak bolivia as oes oe 500 PIANOS Pic OVO Tips bes heals stag: 5.9% sin 300 PSS PIP caer SE Ae gaa Sg 1,700 MNO eg ee one a ya cna nag 900 1 OST 1 stl RR BRS ie ea Ge 200 TOMER AICI cies os Ss hao ee 1,400 LE SOETES SPURT Se Mle ot RS ee aE 1,500 RRLOUOR nese bor Nik ir ko ake ce 600 Douglas Conrad .................... 850 MOON TP ROK ss aie ies tee ak ace. 2,600 RRO WRTUOP Recah koe ok cec caves 900 VEU Ty AE Es ibe ap a FS a 800 PIN WRU VED reso ster Soa bos ae 1,000 MVEAVER MIUOP Sige ose 4a cao oes 775 Re OP ra ne Ce Us tieas es aac he bes 1,400 CHEGGTB fone i Basse Saree 1,200 PVEOURE ROU eich ce vb eb sect eLe 1,200 EBA V ECR. MINIGR wile ees SURE ee 1,150 TERRES fre Sy here e, 1,100 WV GRON OOM is ss css eee tN coe es 1,100 MUNG OPINGIEF sy ce eke sett hele 1,000 MNOVO-GGUPGON: cif ocxwiee sc cee eles 800 RBOGIALG ce esse ret a Fed 1,800 Wren ;DrentOts 645580. deel 3 1,100 Prancis :-W.. Smith wis 6s Soe is eds 1,400 The balance of the fleet have taken another baiting and gone out on the Banks, and as the weather has been very favorable for fishing the last month, they ‘should obtain good catches. 344 er | The schooner Ida M. Zinck is on a passage from Newfoundland to Barbadoes. The schooner Mary D. Young is on a passage from Turk’s Island to Lunenburg with a cargo of salt. The schooner Mayola now out 28 days from Turk’s {sland, is due at Lunenburg with a cargo of salt. The schooner Mark Tobin is now at Turk’s Island, where she will take a cargo of salt for Lunenburg. The schooner Canada is due at Lunenburg. The schooner Lottie A. Silver has been chartered to take a load of fish from Newfoundland across to Oporto. The schooner Mary Flemming has left on a-fall fish- ing trip. Smith and Rhuland launched another specimen of their good work on Sept. 23 in the handsomely modeled schooner ‘‘Lucille B. Smith.’’ The vessel is 119 feet long, 26 feet beam and 11 feet depth of hold, and is fitted with all the latest modern apparatus for vessels of her kind. As the craft struck the water, she was christened by Lewis H. Smith, and named after his youngest daughter. Captain Abbott Beck is the lucky and proud commander of this new addition to the fleet, and she will be one of W. C. Smith and Company, Limited, outfitters. Se mma ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND. (Special Correspondence.) The Labrador fishery is now practically over, sevy- eral schooners have already arrived from the coast, the majority of which are fairly well fished, but yet it is almost impossible to ascertain with certainty what the actual catch is.. This may be accounted for in part by the fact that many of the fishermen are purposely underestimating the sizze of the catch. Formerly, when big catches of Labrador fish were reported, the prices declined, and unjustly so, at the expense of the fishermen, and having been bitten in this respect, they have learnt the lesson. To what extent, therefore, many of the reports given out may be re- lied on it is difficult to say. The Trade Review, which is often a keen judge of matters pertaining to the fishery, has this to say of the situation at Labrador: ‘‘The Labrador fishery is not by any means a bad one. There are some places on Labrador as every summer where the fishremen have not got large voyages, but in the majority of fishing ports the fishermen have done very well, and are doing well to-day. Down about Cape Mugford and Ryan’s Strand there is a large fleet of Northern schooners, and we believe they will have good trips. For our part we believe that when the total catch is totalled up bye and bye it will be fifty per cent. over the catch of 1914. It seems, however, that the fall fishery on the New- foundland coast which fromerly could always be looked to, to measure up at least one hundred thousand quintals, is going to be a complete failure. The absence of squid for bait is going to affect this great shortage, the bulk of the fish was prime merchantable, and the shortage therefore in the catch will tend to keep the price firm for this brand of fish. Several of the Grand Bank fleet, which, equipped with gill nets, proceeded to the Labrador coast to fish, owing to the absence of fish on the banks, have been do- ing fine, and it is more than probable that this fishing will become a much larger industry in future. There is little doubt that the prices for fish on the CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. whole this year will be exceedingly good. Firstg rade of Newfoundland shore cure is finding good demand at $6.00 per quintal, but many of the fishermen seem con- tent to hold on to their catch in expectation of a higher price all round soon. Small lots of extra good fish have found sale at $6.50. Perhaps the best prices for some years are now offering for Labrador soft cured fish. The market price generally is $5.00, but several shipments have been made at as high as $5.50. This is accounted for largely by the fact that Newfoundland fish on the whole is better cured than ever before. In consequence the Spanish market which took large quantities of soft cured fish, was unable to be supplied, and efforts are being made to fill the vacancy by Labrador soft cured fish, for which in some cases contracts were pre- viously made. Cod oil is again mounting up from its price two weeks ago at $90.00 per ton, and sales made recently fetched from $105 to $110 per ton. Refined oil is firm at $1.05 per gallon, with not much offering. The lobster market is the dullest at this season, last year excepted, for years. The best price realized for new pack is $13.00 per case. More than half the pack still remains in the hands of the packers unsold. Herring has a much better demand than at any time for the last three months. The shortage of arrivals of Seotch and Dutch pack in the United States is affect- ing the local market. Since August Ist, 8,000 barrels of herring have been shipped away, almost all of whic went to the United States. Exports of cod fish from Aug. 1st to Sept. 10th:— Quintals. To Bragil oe ce, Va eke ea To British West Lndies.......... 10,510 To Portugal. <, suns ovis woe cues oe To Bngland’ 4: <<, ¢5.<- + dep ie se eee (ROTARY yy cvs 1,744 Returns compiled for the Board of Trade state that the Newfoundland shore fishery to date is 480,000 quin- tals. Recently in the local market 669 barrels of trout were auctioned and good prices were secured. These trout came from Labrador ,and is the first of this com- modity that has offered locally for a long time. This fish is very plentiful in Labrador, and it is a wonder it is not more generally engaged in. ; Mr. M. Condon, an enterprising fish merchant of Cape Broyle, has introduced squid traps. The traps are now being given a try out, and the result of the experimen will be watched with general interest. ; A fish phenomenon occurred quite recently, when a school of caplin came into the shore at Bonavista Bay. This little fish generally leaves the coast before August 1st. They have never been know nto be seen so late in the season before. The good fish cure this year is the result, in a measure. from newspaper agitation carried on for a time by the ‘““Trade Review,’’ with but little apparent success till now. At the present time there are a great number of green fish buyers on the coast, Canadian and United States. This industry, though only three years old, is growing fast. The desirability of establishing squid bait depots around the coast has become more apparent this year than ever, owing to the lack of bait around the coast, and the consequent poor fish catches. Much represen- tation has been made to the Government re. the matter, October, 1915. and it is expected that at last something practical will be done The ways and means to secure a better herring pack is now being quite generally discussed in the local press. We have the goods, but up till now we have been un- able to deliver it, when in competition with other pack of no better quality but of attractive pack. YARMOUTH, N.S. (Special Correspondence.) As a general rule everything in fish circles com- __ menees to liven up during September—that is, in this locality—and this September seems to have been no exception. During the hot summer months fishing is -_ earried on in rather a desultory manner. What few __yessels and boats are out seem to have all they can do to dodge the dogfish. The majority of the boats haul ___ off. Perhaps the principal reason for this is that our boat fishermen are nearly all farmers in a small way. _ They own their own places, and there is the haying and the necessary cultivation of the crops to do, and as the season for this work comes along about the same time as the dogfish season, it can easily be seen that it does not take much persuasion to get a man to haul his boat up. It is also a good time for painting and overhauling, as in many instances the boats have been at work all winter, lobstering, and they sorely need paint by the time summer arrives. When Sep- tember arrives, however, this work is practically all over, the dogfish, although they have not gone, are far less troublesome, and one by one the boats are put off until by the end of the month they are all active again. And they are doing fairly well this month, too, that is, as far as the quantity of fish is -_ eoneerned, but the market which has been in a very nervous and jumpy state almost ever since war broke out, shows no sign of improvement, and the shipment of fish to Boston is still a great gamble. Nevertheless the shipments have been better this season than usual. The steamers have averaged larger cargoes, and there has been any quantity of fish to go forward. Mackerel have been coming forward steadily, and in fair supply. Since the early part of the season there has been no- thing phenomenal in the mackerel catch, but there has been a fairly even run all through. Albacore and swordfish are growing in volume every year. Two years ago there had not been a swordfish landed in Yarmouth for commercial purposes; this month alone 938 cases—about half a million pounds—were shipped. Less than ten years ago Albacore was a nuisance. They were killed in the weirs and their bodies set adrift, or if brought ashore were used for compost; this month alone 444 cases were shipped. In this month’s exports there is one item—a small one—which is very unusual. It is that 13 barrels of fresh herring were shipped to Boston. I have followed up these exports for years, and this is the first time I ever saw ‘‘fresh’’ herring on the outward manifest, although thousands of barrels of salt herring go over. Herring have been running fairly well this season, and immense quanti- ties have been taken all along the shore. Ward Fisher, of Shelburne, the Fishery Inspector for Western Nova Scotia, has been promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries at Ot- tawa. His successor has not yet been appointed. On Sunday, September 12, about noon, George Le- Blane, (son of Benjamin LeBlane, lightkeeper at Can- dlebox Island) went down to the wharf to move his motor boat, and as he did not return for dinner search CANADIAN FISHERMAN 345 was made, and his body was found on the shore of a nearby island. He had been absent less than an hour. He was subject to heart trouble, and it is thought he must have met with an attack and fell overboard. He was 27 years of age, and was unmarried. Following are the exports for the month: Fresh Mackerel, barrels .. .. .. .... 1,928 IOMBOLO COMO 5 5 hee Seas ahs 444 Swordfish, cases .. .. .. 938 NUN OBLORIR Ci p's! ak We. 5s os cencaeeas 304 Dry ‘Salt. Wish, cases... os ees 2 Fish. Clippings, barrels .. .. .. .... 9 Boneless Cod, boxes .. 1,890 Fresh Halibut, cases .. . i 196 Salt Herring, barrels .. .. .... 339 Salt Mackerel, barrels .. . 217 Pueeied Nish GAGE oes) Vac eka ee 439 en OR BOs ee ie aa as ba 56 Salt Haddock, drums .. .. .. .. .. 73 Codfish Skins, barrels .. .. .. .. .. 73 Smoked Halibut, boxes’... .. .. .... 2 Codfish Bones, barrels .. .. .. .. .. 8 Pish Waste, barrels .. 9... . 2. oe 0% 78 airy: Peal PEARS SS 5 Dry Fish, drums .. .. .. . 809 Hake Sounds, bags .. .. .. .. .... 730 Fish Scrap, barrels .. .. 1. 14 case 40 Dry Cusk, Grins parses isc wa paces 184 Tongues and Sounds, barrels .. .... 8 Periwinkles, barrels... 620s. 66 eek 1 PNY COG MEBMN os ik ha RI 663 . ae eae wie aia Por eee re oF ee 35 es WEEN eatin oni ky es GOR Ce 2 tf HAVAON is ssa eds 34 s OES Chests SR ee ee 82 Fresh Herring, barrels .. .. .. .. .. 13 Fish Bones, barrels .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Mish: Bones; BAR 6) 66 te oe eles 5 To Brazil: 200 tubs dry salt fish. To Havana: 88 drums dry salt fish. To Rio Janeiro: 400 drums dry salt hake. 400 tubs dry salt fish. FISH FOR THE SOLDIERS. A highly interesting film of some four thousand feet has just been authorized by the authorities to be shown throughout the Dominion, says the Winnipeg Commercial. It shows a large number of scenes from the every-day life of the soldier under canvas, and was taken by special permission at Sewell Camp in this Provinee. Among the many prominent features of this re- markable picture is the loading of five tons of halibut and kippered herring on military transports, under the personal supervision of the well-known Saskatoon fish merchant, Hughie C. Green, who recently return- ed from a trip East, where he was successful in secur- ing the consent of the Powers-that-be to place fish on the soldiers’ ration list. This change from an all-meat diet has not only prov- ed very pleasant to our gallant soldier boys, but has also been beneficial from a health standpoint. More- over, it has relieved in no small measure the heavy congestion of fish that threatened the market earlier in the year, and the consequent suffering on the part of the native fishermen to the North. 346 CANADIAN FISHERMAN October, 1915. BKK THE PACIFIC FISHERIES ene ; (Special Correspondence.) VANCOUVER, B.C. Reports to hand so far this season point to this year being a most unusual one. Several expected runs of fish have not yet materialized, and the season is getting on. Better news comes from the North, and some of the canners there have done very well indeed. But the Fraser River has been disappointing. Although a small run of the Sockeyes was expected and prepared for, no one looked to see it as small as it has been. According to the laws of rotation which govern the different runs of salmon, the season of 1915 was due to see a large quantity of the Pinks or Humps. Amongst the Canadian canneries of Puget Sound, conditions are’ worse than on the Canadian side, if one may judge by the number of packers up around there looking for fish. In a previous number of this paper, it was stated that Puget Sound prepared for a pack of a million and a quarter cases of Pinks. So far about one- tenth of that has materialized. Cases were prepared, and these have to be filled; at the same time labour con- tracts were entered into which call for a forfeit of 35ce. per case for short pack according to contract made. This may perhaps assist the British Columbia fishermen, for these American canners will put Chums into cans. America has a market for these iower grades with her negro population that we have not. We can give to our cousins a fair amount of Chums, if they will make it worth our while. There appears to be a lull in the canned salmon mar- ket just for the present. I think it is safe to say that this apparent lull is only temporary for the following reason. The year 1916 is due for a short run of both sockeyes and pinks, and the carry-over from 1914 has not been large. Buyers will therefore have no diffieul- ty in getting rid of their purchases. In fact, they will, if anything, have to go slow if their customers are to be supplied until the 1917 pack is ready. Many en- quiries are stated to have been received for large quan- tities. Amongst these enquiries are several so-called Government contracts. But in all branches of the fish- ing industry, we are getting sceptical about Govern- ment orders. The rumours of them only tend to raise the hopes of somebody who has got wind of them, and who is looking for a commission. Candidly speaking, we have done all we can to get our fish where it is want- ed, and ought to be, but we are now giving up hopes. We have the satisfaction of knowing that all interested have done their best to help out those who want fish and who ought to be given it. I publish herewith a letter that will be interesting to many. Our canned salmon associations have done all possible to get this most desirable article of food on the Army list. It appears that on this list (and unless this all-powerful list contains the article, it is quite hopeless to expect to have it used by the Army) ap- pears ‘‘ Alaska Red’’ salmon. We all know that Alaska does not belong to Canada, although it certainly should owing to its geographical position alone. Here is the letter written to the writer of this Vancouver contri- bution. My friend is the late manager of one of the largest fish stores in Vancouver, and knows what he is speaking about. ‘Dear Sir,—I am over in this country, and have started to find out things already; and I want you to publish this in the ‘‘Canadian Fisherman,”’ for it is a great wrong to both the public of British Col- umbia and also to the B. C. canners. Well, we had tinned salmon for breakfast twice in eight days. I did not get a look at the first tins, but did the second lot. By the colour I would swear it was either hump or dog salmon, for it was very pale. But then I looked at the label, and you have an idea of what I felt like when I read of an Am- erican firm supplying the Canadian troops with canned salmon. I am sending you a label off one of the tins, and you can use it any way that you like. I have lots of the boys to back my state- ments. So give them hell in that magazine. It does not seem right after what the British Col- umbia Canners have subscribed to our Boys France. This is ‘‘some’’ letter, and written by a man who knows what he is talking about. The label is with the original of the above letter, and is a nice red gaudy one de- scribing the fish as ‘‘Fancy Alaska Red Salmon,”’ pack- ed in Alaska for some San Francisco firm. CANADIAN FISHERIES ASSOCIATION, get busy. The sea-lions of the Pacific are a distinct menace to the lives of all salmon and other fish. This has been recognized by the Dominion Government with the re- sult that a royal commission has been appointed for the — a purpose of adopting some scheme to get rid of these pests. The members of the commission consist of Messrs. _ : C. F. Neweombe, of Victoria; C. McLean Fraser, of Nanaimo; A. T. Cameron, of Manitoba University, and W. Hamar Greenwood, of Vancouver, who is also see- retary of the commission. Whilst these gentlemen cer- tainly have a job on their hand, we wish them every success in their good work. We shall send the ‘‘Can- _ } adian Fisherman’’ the first photograph obtainable of Mr. Greenwood putting a strangle hold on a husky male sea-lion. _ There is a great dearth of shipping felt on the Paci- fic in the lumber trade. Now that the fleet of Alaskan eannery boats are coming South, it is proposed to util- ize these to relieve the situation. There are some forty ships of all sizes in the fleet, and the high rates they could command for carrying lumber to Australia and South America during the winter is stated to be most inducive to the owners. _ Vancouver waterfront has been singularly scarce of fresh supplies of fish of late. Many of the sheds are cleaned out by noon. Herring and cod fish have been articularly noted for their absence. It may be that the former are still ‘‘anchored.’ It so it is time they et go now. Halibut and salmon are quickly snapped up for local consumption. Prices are mentioned for the different frozen fish. Buyers are said to be holding off owing to supposed _ heavy stocks on hand. But as the season advances, no _ lower prices are anticipated, especially in halibut. Great Britain is open to buy frozen British Columbia fish, but there again we are up against it. Orders are easy to obtain, but refrigerator space on the Atlantic side is simply out of the question. A new poet has arisen in the West. Readers of the “Canadian Fisherman’’ who would care to see the su- perlative efforts of this Kipling of the Vancouver fish merchants, may obtain a copy by applying to the Poet Laureate, care of the Dominion Fish Company, Gore Ave. Wharf, Vancouver, B.C. _ At various times there have appeared items in this paper about the codfish of the Pacific. As far as Brit- ish Columbian waters are concerned, with the excep- tion of the black cod, the local article has yet to find ts market when cured. But the cod known as the ehring Sea cod is a different proposition. Analysis has proved that compared with the Atlantic cod, the _ Pacific is the winner. It is also stated that the banks are larger than all those known elsewhere in the world put together. ; _ Some years ago, when conditions were not ripe, an _ attempt was made to bring this fish into British Colum- __ bia and dry for the market. San Francisco, Seattle, and Anacortes have been doing this for years with sue- cess. A few weeks ago the fishing schooner ‘‘ Wawona,”’ owned by the Robinson Fisheries Company of Anacor- _ consisted of 258,323 fish ; or 575 tons, or in other words, tes, Wash., arrived with a world’s record catch. It 1,150,000 pounds of codfish. Nothing else was in the eatch for hake, haddock and such species are not to be had on this coast. This vessel was gone from port about four and a half months. The writer saw the fish, and it was worth looking at, too. Some gentlemen closely associated with the old time ___ sealing and later on whaling business of Victoria, B.C., have lately organized a fish company known as the _ Ocean Fisheries, Limited. The scope of the company isa large one, but all connected with fish, and especial- _ly the codfish. The company will shortly purchase two ___-vessels of carrying capacity 450-500 tons, and will send these to the Northern banks early in the new year. _ Later on, as the business develops, it is proposed to __ have a considerable fleet owned by the company, and _ this fleet to prosecute other branches of the industry. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 347 The camp at Vernon is shortly to be closed down for the winter, and the different troops drafted back to the Coast. The question is now raised as to when that promised Order-in-Council will be forthcoming which will inelude fish on the Army list. PRINCE RUPERT NOTES. (Special Correspondence.) Reports of the receipts of fish at the Port of Prince Rupert for the month of August show still further in- crease over those of July. Of halibut 2,106,400 pounds was landed, and mostly shipped over the G. T. P. Ry to the Eastern market. Forty-seven trips were landed from American bot- toms, as against 26 in July. Of salmon. approximately 12,999,700 pounds were taken. Of this 406,800 pounds was shipped fresh. About 22,300 pounds mild cured, and the remainder canned. A total of 149,527 cases were used in canning. In addition, 14,000 pounds of cod, and 1,000 pounds of flounders, and 400 pounds of crab were landed : making a grand total for the month in all lines of 15,- 121,500 pounds. All the canneries on the Skeena and Rivers Inlet re- port a good pack for 1915. The actual returns will be available later. According to latest advices the San Juan Fishing Co. of Seattle, intend making Prince Rupert a buying port for their interests in the near future. The directors of the Prince Rupert Fair are fea- turing a Fisheries Exhibit at the Third Annual Exhibi- tion of Prince Rupert, which will be held on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th September next. Gold medals and di. plomas are offered for competition in all lines of the Pacifie fishing industry. A novel feature of the Fair will be a fish restaurant, conducted in the interests of educating people to use more fish as a food item. Although Prince Rupert is a fishing centre of increasing importance, the local publie are still behind in taking advantage of the cheap line of food offered through the fish caught there. The idea is that demonstrations as to the best ways of cooking fish will be made by experts, and the proceeds will be devoted to the Red Cross Fund. The various fish companies at Prince Rupert are donating the fish, and the Prince Rupert and other hotels lend- ing chefs for the occasion. PACIFIC HALIBUT FARES. Canadian Arrivals at Prince Rupert from August 15th to September 15th, Aug. 17.—Grier Starratt, the Canadian Fish & Crete, Tite. ee 16,000 23.—Haysport II., The Canadian Fish & Wey LAG eS eg de 15,000 Iskum, Atlin Fisheries, Limited .... 20,000 25.—Chief Skugaid, The Canadian Fish & Mee BMG Fe esl gn. 30,000 Chief Zibassa, The Canadian Fish & Oo BiOey Tide ee. 88 es be 20,000 348 26.—Andrew Kelly, The Canadian Fish & 27.—Borealis, Atlin Pihetion, Ltd. 30.—Seymour, The Canadian Fish & C. S. 31.—Unity, Atlin Fiaherian, ténited 1.—George E. Foster, The Canadian Fish Sept. 2.—James Carruthers, Fieh &:C: 8. 'Co.,Dtds: 35. 62 2. a naa Atlin Fisheries, Ltd. .. 5.—Haysport II., The Canadian Fish & 9,—Iskum, The Canadian Fish & ©. 8. C. 8. Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd. . & C. 8. Co., Ltd. C. 8. Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd. CANADIAN FISHERMAN : . 100,000 . 20,000 . 45,000 5,000 60,000 The Canadian 120,000 5,000 . 12,000 . 20,000 11. —Zibassa, The , Canadian Fish ‘& C. Ss. Co., Ltd. . 40,000 12. —Skugald, The Canadian Fish & C. S. 13.—Zorra, Atlin Fisheries, | Ltd. Co., Ltd. Andrew Kelly, The ( Canadian 1 Fish & C. 8. Co., Ltd. 30,000 . .100,000 5,000 American Arrivals at Prince Rupert from August 16th Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. to siglgse nares 15th. 16.—Panama .. ... 16,000 Omaney . 22,000 Bi —Tdahe 53.2. SS 30,000 19.—G. Theckla .. .. 7,000 20)—Alaskei se fa eee 35,000 Republic: sche es a ee 22.—Knickerbocker .. .. . 40,000 23.—Shamrock .. 25,000 Olea eae 5,000 Liefe E. .. 15,000 Athena .. 35,000 Lister . 15,000 . 24—Fram . 10,000 Vesta . 20,000 , 25.—Aurora .. 2. %. 10,000 ieee hE ee 3 TOLOOU . 27.—Jennie F. Decker Oe Ke ete Oe Gilford . ; 5,000 Daisy .. SE La Aa eat = Re . 29.—Constance .. .. .. .. .. 25,000 La Paloma .. .. .. .. .. 40,000 Decorah). F100 30.—Seymour .. eriguareenr thr SP 02 POE i ees eee ae 31.—Olympie .. peo Wd ira Oe 3.—Myrtle Enderson oe Vice! het OO Corena...°.. . 40,000 Lillian M. 10,000 5.—Vansee .. 35,000 Stranger... 2.6 cc 1a OOO AEIOCRIG soe a a vss cae ge ee Oe 8—Bitka: i ie 66,000 Shamrock v0... 3% 5» © 26,000 Qin Bb Or ie Ne ara 10,000 Sea Gull ess gaes es tee 8,000 11—Tom & Al, .. .. .... .. 170,000 Venus). cies 10,000 IZ —Alten .... ide ks 25,000 AGPOPA » Fe eg bs 7,000 ROAINIOMi as 1s se ee Oe 13,—Jennie F. Decker .. .. .. 8,000 14.—Idaho .. . ra 55,000 October, 1915. ae Arrivals at Vancouver, Aug. 16th to Sept. 15th. Aug. 21—Carlotta G. Cox, The Canadian Fish- ing Co., Ltd. : 70,000 Celestial Empire, The Canadian Fish- = ing Co., Ltd. : s -100,000 Aug. 23. —Flamingo, The Canadian Fishing Co. EMae Ltd. j Trapp, The. Canadian Fishing Co., Ltd. .. ie Aug. 24.—Pescawha, The Canadian Fishing Co., “ aes Ltd. xg te Oo Jessie, Canadian Fishing Co. clin 5,000. ; Aug. 27.—Manhattan, New England Fish Co.. ‘100,000 4.—New England, New England Fish Company .. . -115,000° 1 5.—Flamingo, The Canadian Fishing Co., ay © Ltd. "95,000 i 7.—Carlotta @. "Cox, The Canadian Fish- ees ing Co., Ltd. . 55,000 8.—Celestial Empire, The Canadian Fish- H ing Co., Ltd. he od tT - Ld de ote ES; niin presi & uameoe feos he od + Be BaF me er oh t + td ; i. A A Ld Ld A Lo Ld Ld Co Ll A Ld A A - + z Wharves and Fishing Vessels at Digby, N.S. Plant. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Branches: Main Offices: Sales Offices DIGBY, N.S. THROUGHOUT - CANSO, N.S. Montreal, Canada CANADA and U.S. # - ° 9 Er? ——— eee ee PPS PPT TTT TTT EE EEEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EEE EE EEE EP EEE EEE EEE PEPE EEE EEE ESE PEPE EE EE November, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN PODPORONY < > el > Neti © Neto eer we < SODAS x x OC SONKOONNS e/g fp rng ~ MOOS eles 4 TIOSy tT = » oa ee ee, mip), jpeg, ili.) «ui. io que. oy So SSS SSS Ss Ss SS ass Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MINSTER OF COLONIZATION, 354 CANADIAN FISHERMAN ayers Department of the Naval Service Fisheries Branch LOBSTER FISHERY FISHING SEASONS _ IN FORCE ON DECEMBER Ist, 1913 LIMITS Fishing Season Size St. John and Charlotte Counties, N.Bis iis oe. ioe a bea oe os ec wneieun ssieevurdesia’ Nov. 15 to June 15 | 42 carapace Albert County, N.B. and Kings and Annapolis Counties, N.S...........0000eeeees «+.+| Jan. 15 to June 29 No size limit, PROS COGS 6 05s oon kp oe Aske OER ec Ow ec kNbe sible bile aWleks sb 40d Cb Oe a eee Jan, 6 to June 15 No size limit. Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, and that portion of Halifax County West of a) line running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, Halifax Harbour, and coinciding with] , Fairway buoys.........0.e-68 Valse 9 0he'n Bir wlarb.b S's Cliore aia pie a.0'6 e-takbiciend War ale eaiaienae Dec. 15 to May 30 | No size limit. From line in Halifax Harbour running S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, and coinciding) with Fairway buoys, eastwardly to Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, Cape Breton Island and including the Gut of Canso, as far as a line passing from Flat Point, Inverness County to the Lighthouse in Antigonish County) 3 é ry EL Nt a MM Per ree WEEE CE OTN TRAE ey. or oe April 1 to June 30 No size limit. From_Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Michaud, along the eastern coast on Cape Breton Island, around Cape North as far as Cape St. Lawrence; a'so the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from and including Blanc Sabion, west-| wardly to the head of tide, embracing the shores of the adjacent islands, including| MnticeeGl Malan i siia bese u aie.g 9.5.6 0 odie Ka ARR DROS UCR eee we OnE Te wee Sinn May Ist to July 31 | No size limit. The Magdalen Islands, including Bird Rocks and Bryon Island..............-+eeeeeee8 May Ist to July 20 | No siee limit. Waters of Northumberland Strait, between a line on the N. W. drawn from Chockfish’ River, N.B., to West Pt., P.E.I., and a line on the S.E. drawn from Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., to Cape Traverse, P.E.1.........ccceceeccesceecevees May 25 to Aug. 10 | No size limit. The waters around P. E. Island except those specified in No. 8............0eeeeeeecees April 26 to July 10 | No size limit. From, but not including, Cape St. Lawrence, Cape Breton Islands, south-westwardly to) Flat Point, Inverness County, and from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County op- ite Flat Point, westwardly rH the strait of Northumberland and coast of ova Scotia to Indian Point, near Cape Tormentine, N.B., and northwardly from Chockfish River, N.B., embracing the coast and waters of a portion of Kent County) and of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche Counties, N.B., and the coast and waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River........ April 20 to July 10 | No size limit. Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. Before lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of The Naval Service is required. Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Department, & before they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the markets. Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements, copies of which may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. ebetebebe bebe be ieee ecb cbt j | = VALUE OF FISH PRODUCTS - 35-45 St. Alexander St. - Toronto Office - 263-265 Adelaide St., W. Garland’s Book Store, St. Johns, N.F. TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF CANADA, THE SCIENCE OF THE FISH CULTURE AND THE USE AND _F. WILLIAM WALLACE EDITOR The Industrial & Educational - Press, Limited Montreal CANADA Newfoundland Agency ‘THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED SUBSCRIPTION: Canada and Great Britain $1.00 United States and Elsewhere.. $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of adverticements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the Editor items of Fishery news, also articles on subjects of practical interest, If suitable tor publication these will be paid for at our regular rates. Official Organ of the Canadian ‘Fisheries Association Vol. II. MONTREAL, NOVEMBER, 1915 No. 11 ae THE MODUS VIVENDI LICENSE. By virtue of the Treaty of 1818 between the United States and Canada, United States fishing vessels are permitted to enter Canadian territorial waters and the harbours therein for the purpose of obtaining wood and water, to repair damages, and to shelter from bad weather. In 1888, what is known as_ the ‘“‘modus vivendi license’? was introduced, which gave - United States fishing vessels the privilege of purchas- ing in Canadian ports, bait, ice, fishing gear and sup- z plies; also the right to tranship their catches and forward them to United States ports in bond, and to ship crews. The license fee is $1.50 per registered ton, and during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1914, some 93 American fishing craft took out licenses on the Atlantic Coast, for which the Canadian Govern- ment received the sum of $11,728. Vessels equipped with auxiliary gasolene power are not allowed the privileges of the license. With the exception of Georges Bank, Nantucket _ Channel and certain ‘‘spots’ adjacent to the United States coasts, all the great fishing grounds upon which the majority of the American fleet operate are off the Canadian shores, and within easy sail of most Cana- dian ports. Yarmouth, Shelburne, Liverpool, Hali- fax, Louisburg, North Sydney, and Canso are ports which are excellent bases from which to pursue fish- ing operations, as they are handy to the principal fish- ing areas and Banks of the North Atlantic. The Am- erican vessels holding modus vivendi licenses use these ports a great deal, and spend quite a little money in them by purchasing bait, ice and supplies. ‘Since the United States Government abolished the tariff on imported fresh fish, and reduced the duties on other lines of prepared fish, the American fisher- men feel that they ought to be allowed to use Cana- dian ports as a base of operations for fishing without shaving to pay the fee called for by the modus vivendi license. The fishing craft equipped with auxiliary en- gines are especially anxious to have the restrictions against them abolished. While there are many sides to the question, and a host of arguments for and against, yet we cannot but feel that a modification of the modus vivendi to, say, 50 cents per ton register, and the issuing of the privi- lege to auxiliary vessels will be beneficial to the Cana- dian ports on our Atlantic seaboard, and without any bad effect upon our fisheries or fishing industry in general. The Boards of Trade and Municipal bodies of several Nova Scotian ports, Halifax included, hava expressed themselves in favour of abolishing the li- cense and granting the privileges of the modus viven- di to American auxiliary vessels. In the ports mentioned above, Yarmouth, Shelburne, Canso, ete., the American licensed fishing craft have been valuable customers to the merchants of these places. The purchase of ice and bait is a considerable item in itself, while trawl gear, hooks, rope, dories, oars, fishing and vessel gear, and food supplies consti- tute valuable purchases from the local merchants. There is a saying among the fleets that ‘‘a fisherman never runs into a port without spending money in it!’’ They will always buy something, and their pur- chases benefit the town. The transhipment of fish in bond to the United States benefits the port of Yarmouth principally at the present time, as it has direct steamship communi- cation with Boston, but other of the Nova Scotian ports have, and can tranship American fish cargoes to the States. Were the license modified and auxiliaries allowed the privilege, there is no doubt but what the transhipping of fish would encourage steamship and railroad companies to put on services to take care of this traffic. These extra transportation facilities would benefit the inhabitants of our coast towns as 356 well, and give us opportunities to ship fish ‘and other eommodities to the American markets. It is interesting to note that during the fiscal year 1913-14, no fewer than 219 different American fishing vessels called in at Canadian ports. About 80 or 90. of these craft held modus yivendi licenses, the others ealled in for shelter or for wood, water and necessary repairs. Many of these schooners called in at certain ports five and six times within the year, but as they held no license could not purchase bait, ice or sup- plies. We quote these facts to show how much our ports are frequented by American craft. Is it not reason- able to suppose that if the license were modified and extended to include auxiliaries that all of them would become habitual visitors and incidentally good cus- tomers? We suggested a moderation of the fee to 50 cents per registered ton per annum. Our Canadian fisher- ies need administration and development, and a rev- enue is necessary to pay for the same. This actuates our suggestion that a moderate fee be collected. With , regard to auxiliary: vessels, there is no reason nowadays why these craft should be barred. We are living in a modern age, and most fishing vessels built now are equipped with the auxiliary engine. To prevent them _ from enjoying the license privileges because they happen to be up-to-date is penalizing progress, and shows a spirit which is medieval in its inconsistency. Their purchases in gasolene and oil will run to a con- siderable sum. : Out on the Pacific Coast, American vessels have been given the right to purchase supplies, bait and ice, and to sell their fish in bond to Canadian dealers. Prince Rupert has benefitted considerably by this new law, and the American fleet, which is beginning to call in there in increasing numbers, are an unquali- fied boon to the merchants of the city, as well as to the many who are given employment by the shipping of fish. Reduce the license fee, allow auxiliary vessels the same privileges, and the sight: of thriving ports on our Atlantic seaboard will soon show the wisdom of such a move. CANADIAN FISH FOR BRITISH MARKETS. Under the auspices of the Canadian Government and the Canadian Fisheries Association, a large ship- ment consisting of samples of Canadian fish were for- warded to Great Britain from Montreal recently. The samples are of frozen, smoked, cured and fillet- ed sea and lake fish, and were collected for the Gov- ernment by the Canadian Fisheries Association from the concerns identified with the organization. The fish is being transported in refrigerator. chambers aboard the steamer, and will be taken care of on ar- rival in England by representatives of the British De- partment of Agriculture and Fisheries. The samples will be on exhibition in London, and it is hoped that a luerative trade will be built up in our fish foods with the British market. Owing to the war, many of the fishing grounds of the British coast are closed areas; thousands of steam fishing craft have been commandeered by the Gov- ernment for mine-sweeping and patrol duty, and many thousands of British fishermen have joined the CANADIAN FISHERMAN November, 1916. colors in the Naval Reserve and Patrol fleets. As a consequence, many varieties of fish are scarce, and the demand is greater than ever. Canada, with her inexhaustible fisheries, is in a splendid position to export certain lines of fish food to augment the supply in British markets, and the samples now being forwarded will show what we can do. For some years now, British Columbia frozen salmon and halibut have been regularly exported to England and hold a good market. Canned salmon and lobsters have been on the British markets for many years, but it is the other varieties of our food fish—haddock, cod, pollock, skate, whitefish, herring, ete., smoked, filleted, cured and in a frozen state, that we wish to introduce, and it is these lines which com- — § pose the bulk of the samples shipped. ty The importance of this venture cannot be underesti- mated, and it is sincerely hoped that a permanent trade—apart from a temporary war-time demand— will be built up and a new export business be inau- gurated for the products of our Canadian fisheries. PISCATORIAL PARAGRAPHS. —S——tw Rev. P. W. Browne, of St. Johns, N.F., a well- known writer on fishery subjects, and author of ‘‘Where the Fishers go—the story of Labrador,” is visiting Eastern Canada. Bon 5: z Mr. J. W. Johnson, of Hull, England, visited Prince Rupert recently. Mr. Johnson is a brother to Mr. T. H. Johnson, manager of the Canadian Fish & Cold — Storage Compay, Ltd., Prince Rupert, B.C. schooner ‘‘Elk’’ landed 11 eases of halibut at She- burne for shipment to Boston. The schooners ‘‘John Hays Hammond’’ and ‘‘Harmony’’ also landed 14 eases of halibut and 11 cases of cod for shipment to the States, while the schooner ‘‘Mary A. Gleason’’ en- tered the port to purchase herring. All the eraft have modus vivendi licenses. A good many more vessels would make use of Shelburne if the license fee were reduced and auxiliary craft allowed the privilege. The British Fishing News tells the following: Tinned __ salmon packers are evidently adopting the ‘lucky —_ bag’’ system to popularise their delicacies. The first: discoverer of this ‘‘all prizes and no blanks’’ business 5 4 is Private William Cockerill, whose home is in Victor This gallant soldier was on service in Street, Hull. the Dardanelles, where he got wounded. He is now all right again, and is at a camp in Dorset. He writes — a to his wife, Mrs. Ellen Cockerill, that he had opened a tin of salmon in camp, and was turning out the con- tents, when he found a girl’s silver watch imside the tin. He of course wound the watch up and to his sur prise it went for three days. From this experience we ~ can deduce that the salmon treatment is hig “a ficial. A watch which runs three days without wind- ing is truly ‘‘some watch.”’ coe We wonder if this was British Columbia salmon? Probably not. ernment prefers to supply instead of our Canadian — product. the American product is so popular with the British Commissariat Department. We are inclined to think it was a can — a of the famous Alaska ‘‘Red’’ which the British Goy- With such valuable contents, no wonder November, 1915. The Montreal oyster market continues quiet. Un- seasonable warm weather is affecting the demand. Prospects for the future are bright, however. It is reported that several Newfoundland sealing ships will proceed to Hudson’s Bay next summer and _ investigate the fisheries there. Another Puget Sound fishing firm will establish a business in Prince Rupert. This is the Klopeck Fish _ Co. of Seattle. E. W. Ingalls, assistant manager of the concern, was in Prince Rupert recently, and stat- ed that the port far exceeded his expectations. It is reported that over one million copies of the Departmental publication ‘‘Fish and How to Cook It”’ -_ are being printed for distribution. We consider this ____ @ good move, and the broadcast publicity given our fish foods through the cook book will benefit the in- - dustry. ‘The Commercial Aspects of the Canadian Fishing Industry,’’ is the title of an address to be delivered ____ by President D. J. Byrne, of the Canadian Fisheries Association before the Commission of Conservation, -_—-which sits in Ottawa on November 1. The Gloucester schooner ‘‘Volant,’’ Captain Vau- ____ tier, landed a record fare of mackerel on October 25. The vessel hailed for 75,000 mixed fresh, and 210 bar- rels of salt mackerel. The trip was taken off The Race, and is a record. Mackerel are being seined and netted in huge quantities of late. 3 Scientists now claim that vegetable oil poured on the surface of the sea will clear fog. The oily film prevents the air from coming in direct contact with _ the warmer water, and thus prevents the condensa- tion of water vapour. This might work with good effect on fishing craft at anchor on the grounds, and aid in the prevention of collisions. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 857 WESTERN CANADA EXPORTING LARGE QUANTITY OF FISH. First Car Lots Sent to Chicago Market From Lesser Slave Lake—Prince Rupert Has Record Catch. Notable developments are taking place this Fall in the fisheries of Western Canada. The announcement is made by the Grand Trunk Pacific authorities that white fish is now being shipped in ear lots from Lesser Slave Lake in Northern Alberta to Chicago. The construction of the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway northward from the main line of the G. T. P. has made this lake accessible, and in its waters are great numbers of fish. Two companies have been formed to carry on the fishing in the lake, and the Canadian Express Company is being called upon to supply special refrigerator cars to take the fish to Ed- monton and thence by way of the Grand Trunk Pacific to Winnipeg, and by connecting lines to Chicago. A great distributing point for fresh fish, the Chicago Market states that it can take all the white fish that can be sent from Western Canada, and the transporta- tion companies, it is expected, will have to enlarge their arrangements next year to meet the growing traffic. Chicago is also taking from Canada large quantities of fresh Prince Rupert halibut, and the fishing indus- try is very brisk at the new Pacific Coast port. Over fifteen million pounds of fish handled in the month of August was Prince Rupert’s record. While the sal- mon end of the industry was the largest part of the business, halibut showed up well, with 2,186,400 pound, landed at this port. The salmon pack for the month represented 12,999,700 pounds of fish, representing at a modest valuation well on for three-quarters of a mil- lion dollars. Of the salmon eatch, 4,060 hundred weight was used fresh or shipped fresh. There was about 223 hundred weight that was mild eured,: while the remainder was canned. In the canning process, 149,527 cases were taken care of during August. There were 14,000 pounds of cod taken and used fresh, and flounders represented 1,000 pounds. NOVEMBER FISH DAY CALENDAR Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. 1 2 8 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 4 s, a | 12 18 19 20 25 26 27 358 CANADIAN FISHERMAN November, 1915. GG FRG 6 6 GR 6 GG DG Ga SF) CDG CD) YG GY RY DR DR ((Photographs by the Author.) ROBE ee ewe eee PART 2. Sunday, July 18, 4 p.m.—The Skipper picked up a favorite halibut ground on a ridge some 20 to 25 miles off the land, with 85 to 120 fathoms of water on it, and the word was passed to ‘‘shoot’’ the gear. Long line trawls are put up in skates of eight lines of 37 fathoms, making a total length of 296 fathoms to a skate. The ground line is a specially imported rope of about 7ths circumference, laid up of three- stranded Italian hemp, and very strong. The new gear is usually tan barked, after the English fashion with fishing gear: The snoods or gangings are of the The Log of a Long Line Halibuter By F. WILLIAM WALLACE. (Sy FS a SR GG GR OD RD) RY GD ED) GF) AY) DD) } DD) YD) DR DD Being an account of Pa- cific Halibut Fishing by the long line trawl sys- tem from a steamer. buoy used is usually a keg or a cork float with a twelve foot spar through it, and a colored flag. The bottom of the spar is weighted to keep it floating upright, and the whole gear is similar to the ‘‘watch buoys’’ used by Atlantic halibuters. The anchors are a trifle heay- ier than the usual halibut trawl anchor. When the first skate has been bent on, the anchor is hove over the stern of the steamer and one of the fishermen commences to heave out the baited trawl by means of a heaving stick. When some 50 to 100 fathoms have been hove out, the fisherman ’vasts heaving and the Mate or another fisherman lays his Deck Scene Showing Fishing Operations. usual 14-lb. tarred cotton, one fathom long and bent to beckets hitched into the ground line at 8 to 9 feet intervals. The hooks are seized on to the ganging with tarred seizing stuff and those used are either Mustad’s No. 6283 or Arthur James’ halibut hook. When ready to set the already baited gear, the skates are all placed aft on the quarter of the steam- er. With the vessel steaming slow or dead _ slow ahead, the fishermen heave the first buoy over, and while the buoy line is running out, the first end of the baited trawl is made fast to the buoy anchor. The weight on the trawl to straighten it out, then the work of paying out the gear goes on again. The work of heaving trawl requires care on the part of the man heaving. Should a flying hook get snarled in his clothes, he is liable to be suddenly yank- ed over the rail. The Skipper, on the bridge, keeps watch on the operations, and can stop or ring the en- gines astern should the gear get snarled or accidents happen. } After five skates had been set in the manner deserib- ed, another buoy and anchor was bent both to the ovember, 1915. . end line of the fifth skate and the first end of the sixth skate and cast over. These five buoyed and an- chored skates are known as a ‘‘shank.’’ In our first set off Cape Yakataga, we set thirty skates or six shanks, and after setting the gear, we stopped the engines and came to an anchor. With a powerful steam windlass and a good many hundred fathoms of strong Wire cable, anchoring was an easy matter with us. Aboard of an Atlantic sailing halibuter we would have thought twice about anchoring with a hundred and fifty fathoms of cable out for a few hours. It would have taken a gang half the day getting the an- chor up. _ It was 9.15 p.m. and broad daylight when we fin- ished setting the trawls, and even at 10.30 p.m., it was light enough in the forecastle to read a paper. The quiet peacefulness of a fine Alaskan summer even- _ ing brooded over the smooth sea and the snow covered _ dome of Mount St. Elias and the great ice field of the mighty Malaspina Glacier lay like rose pink clouds in _ the blue of the semi-Antarctic sky many miles away. The long twilight deepened into dark about 12.30 a.m., and with but the Watchman in the pilot-house, all hands slept. Monday, July 19.—Five in the morning and broad _ daylight—in fact the dawn came about three o’clock. _ The days are long in the high latitudes in summer, _ and are ideal for fishing operations’ The anchor was _ hove up by the steam windlass and the cable came in _ roaring alongside my head, (I slept in a peak bunk and the hawse pipe was just overhead), but it was _ the frying breakfast that wakened me, not the cable. _ This may present a scientific problem as to whether the olfactory nerves are more sensitive than the auri- eular. «We steamed up to the first shank of gear set yes- terday afternoon, and after grappling the buoy, - brought it aboard and hove the buoy anchor up. De- taching the end of the trawl from the anchor, it was led over the roller placed on the starboard rail of the steamer, and thence with a turn around the wheel of the steam gurdy located in the centre of the fore- - deck. Steam was turned into the gurdy and the gear - eame slowly up from the bottom. One fisherman stood by the roller at the rail and gave a pull on the line every now and again when the trawl ‘‘hung up.’’ Primarily, his work was to clear the gangings, knock off dogfish, skate, unmarketable _ fish and the various corals and sea growths which get - ¢aught on the hooks. Also at the rail were station- __ ed two fishermen armed with long gaffs. As soon as a halibut appeared on the gear, they immediately | ___ gaffed it and hove it up over the rail and on to the platform upon which all the long line hauling was done. So expert were these men at this work that during the whole trip I saw but one halibut escape. It also speaks well for the muscular ability of our fishermen when I mention the fact that almost any one of them would gaff a hundred and fifty pound _ halibut just as soon as it broke water and heave it up and over the rail—a good seven or eight feet. At the steam gurdy machine, another fisherman stood and tended the line as well as clearing the hali- but or codfish off the hooks. From him, the trawl passed over to another of the fishing gang, who cleared and straightened out the gangings, knocked the old baits off, and coiled the gear down into skates again. The hauled skates were immediately carried aft and CANADIAN FISHERMEN 359 re-baited again by the fishermen told off for that work, Even while the fishing was going on, two or three of the gang were ‘‘dressing down’’ the fish and stowing away on powdered ice in the hold. The halibut were gutted in the usual way and passed over to a man equipped with a rubber hose—the nozzle of which terminated in a sharp scraper. With this he scraped the blood from the backbone, and as the water was continually running through the hose, it cleaned the fish as well. Our fishing gang of ten men were all working, and each spelled the other at the various jobs during the day. On a long liner, the fishing crew did nothing but the actual work of fishing. The only ship work they were called upon to do was in taking a trick at Gaffing a halibut as it comes up to the roller. the wheel when the vessel was under way and mak- ing a passage. The whole success of the long line method of fish- ing rests with the Skipper and the Mate. When the gear is being hauled in, either of these officers are watching it from the pilot house and _ tending it. Should the line lead out ahead of the ship, they ring the engines ahead slow until it is practically up and down alongside and then stop. The steam is turned into the wheel gear, and the helm is worked almost continually to ease up on strains. Constant vigilance is necessary to prevent the line parting, and the en- gines and helm are being worked all the time: Con- trary to the general belief, the steamer is not hauled 360 CANADIAN FISHERMAN along by the gear as in a dory, but she @dges along with it in a sidling manner and at no time, if the offi- cers are watchful, does she lay her weight on the trawl. When the long line trawl was first introduced on the Pacific Coast, some craft were fitted out with the roller and gurdy fitted on the bows, just as in a small dory. Needless to say, the line always parted, and the enterprise had to be given up. In the system prac- tised on the ‘‘ James Carruthers,’’ and her sister ships, the lines do not lead dead ahead. If the vessel is handled properly, the buoys should be sighted from two to four points off the bow—sometimes just a cou- ple of points for’ard of the beam. Of course, in this work, the judgment of the Skipper is of the utmost importance. The set of tides and currents, wind and sea, have to be allowed for, and the success of long line fishing depends largely upon the person in com- mand. The successful long line men on the Pacific Coast were apprenticed to the system in British ves- November, 1915. at 10.30 p.m., we had 13,000 pounds of fine medium halibut aboard. : The day was ideal for fishing—sunny and warm, with a smooth sea and a light breeze from the S.W. Icey Bay and Mount St. Elias bore about N. by W. % W.—the former about 30 miles away. Several por- poises played around the ship, and the numerous red cod floating around the vessel attracted a number of great gooneys who swooped down and picked out the bulging eyes of the fish. Tuesday, July 20.—During the night we steamed to new grounds some seven or eight miles northeast, and at 3.30 a.m. we run out 45 skates of gear. At 9 a.m. we started to haul, and by 6 p.m. had all the gear aboard, and 14,000 pounds of prime medium halibut. The day was dull, with an overeast sky and a moder- ate sea. Set 45 skates of gear in the evening. Wednesday, July 21—Sky overcast. Sea smooth. Barometer steady. Started hauling gear at 6 a.m. Fishing in 110 to.115 fathoms grey glacial mud bot- The steam Gurdy in operation. sels, and understand the work thoroughly. Cana- dian or American fishermen could not jump in and take command of a long liner without a great deal of experience, and the same applies to the British fish- ing skipper, who would be absolutely lost in dory fisherman of the Bank type. During the day, the line came monotonously in and fine halibut were gaffed and hove in on our decks. Nil Previous Week Quintals Stocks (Newfoundland) .. . 14,980 Consumption 374 GANADIAN FISHERMAN Stocks (Norwegian) Consumption ... ... eR sy ae 350 Semaine ae 120 The following comparative figures showing the catch of codfish in the different districts up to Sept. 25, were posted at the Board of Trade rooms Satur- , Oct. 16 Dinirict 1915. 1914. 1913. Ferryland ..... .. -. nigh yh OER i St. Mary’s 44, : ts “on pe : bess sigs . 141,280 95,180 103,265 Fortune Bay ........ 86,715 37,320 49,645 Burgeo & LaPoile .. .. 34,515 34,295 24,760 St. Barbe .. 11,545 12,165 18,925 St. George’s .. .. .. 12,070 4,845 2,625 Twillingate .. ..... .. 18,680 24,525 52,575 Wiig Xie. oo 3 7,840 55,000 Bonavista.......... 36,260 44,435 57,520 £14101 5 5 ae gene cone 22,820 23,545 31,905 Bay de Verde .. .. .. 38,400 21,300 11,465 Port de Grace... .. .. 2,920 2,600 1,905 Carbonear . 2,755 19,00 7,310 Harbor Grace .. . 7,075 5,803 8,220 Harbor Main .. . 1,790 2,400 3,935 Straits .. 13,650 7,530 17,000 Motel Gi2 i. ss se 4, O14 190 374,668 470,400 A message from the customs official in Labrador dated October 12, to the Deputy Minister of Customs in Newfoundland, stated the following vessels had cleared from Labrador for Market :— i The Elizabeth, from Smokey, sey 4,015 quintals of shipped by Hiscock, for Gibraltar. rhe M. Lloyd Morris, Indian Harbor, 4,550, Jerrett, Gibralter. ; Elizabeth Bennett, Holton, 4,500, Hiscock, Exeter. Hilda R: Grady, 4,000, McRae and Son, Gibralter. M. A. James, Smokey, 3,846, Hiscock, Gibralter. David Morris, Dark Tickle, 4,827, G. and M. Gosse, Plymouth. Wm. Pritchard, Indian Tickle, 4,720, P. Temple- man, Gibralter. Elizabeth Pritchard, Domino, 4,800, Green and Bishop, Gibralter. S. S. Fagertun, Flat Island, 14,370, Munn and Co., Gibralter. ; Cariad, Black Tickle, 3,700, P. Templeman, Gibral- ter. Besides these, the following shipments bring — the total quantity exported from Labrador up to 87,387 quintals. Mabel Lloyd, 4,000; Mabel D. Hines, 3.700; Ellen James, 4,000; L. Riisdahl, 3,600; Maolin, 4,000; Elizabeth Elinor, 4,500. About four- teen ships cleared from different points since the first of the month, and most of them have sailed. . All qualities of codfish are advancing in price, Lab- rador (soft cure), has advanced this week to $5.70 per quintal, and in a few instances $5.80 was paid. The tendency in price is still upwards, and it is thought that $6.00 per quintal will be paid within a few days for this quality of fish. No. 1 merchantable shore fish is quoted at $6.80, and in some cases $7.00 was paid this week—the price is still advancing. Common cod-oil is quoted $120.00 per tun, only about half the summer’s output has been shipped. The fishermen are still holding back for higher prices. Re- fined oil is selling at $1.30 per gallon, but very little is being offered for sale at that figure. November, 1915. The codfishery in Newfoundland, Labrador and on the Grand Banks may be said to be over for this year, and the voyage on the whole is not even an average one, but the shortness in the catch will be made up to a certain extent in the very high prices prevailing for all grades of codfish. The herring fishery season is now about opening up, and every effort is being made by merchants and fish- ermen to make the catch this season a banner one, both in the quantity and quality of the herring caught. The season is opening under the most auspi- cious circumstances—the prices offering are the best known for many years—the men are better equipped than ever before for this fish- ery’ Larger numbers of men will be employed, and the fish merchants are taking a deeper interest in © year’s venture than hitherto—and could it be other- wise when it is known that as high as $20.00 per brl. has recently been paid in New York for Seoteh cured herring. First reports from Bay of Islands, which may be called the home of the herring are most en- couraging. Several American schooners have arriy- ed from Gloucester during the past few days, and hundreds of herring have been set and some good hauls of herring have been made. . The fishery will also be prosecuted largely this sea- son on the Northeast coast, particularly in Bonavista, Notre Dame, and White Bays. For some time the ques- tion of getting the season’s catch of codfish to the different European markets was becoming most acute as there was no shipping available. The difficulty, however, has been overcome by our merchants char- tering several large French vessels, which, for the — want of crews have been lying up at St. Malo and other seaports of France the past season. YARMOUTH, NS. (From Our Special Correspondent) There is considerable activity all up and down the shores of Yarmouth county now, and this activity is increasing weekly. It is caused by the nearness of the lobster season, which opens on December 15—not many weeks away, and a vast amount of work to be done between now and then. Every indication points to an increased output of traps, and it will sure be some smart lobster which will be able to get by them all when they are in the crater. Quite a number of new boats—fast, speedy and handsome—haye been built and will be fished this season. We have a great fleet of boats fishing from this and the adjoining two counties—Digby and Annapolis—a fleet which for general excellence and adaptability for the work they are engaged in, cannot be beaten. A few years ago, before motor-boats came into vogue, one could walk along the waterfront here, and even though not a fish-— erman, if he used his eyes at all, could name the ports the boats hailed from by the build. Clark’s Harbor, for instance, favored a sloop rigged boat, very deep, quite wide of beam, and one which would take you round the world with no trouble. The Grand Manan boats were two-stickers mostly and light draught. Westport and Tiverton boats were of slightly different construction again. But with the motor boats there is very much of a sameness, still, they can be picked out by the build, and to the eye of your correspondent, the Digby county boat is a little slicker in appearance and finish than those of the other two counties. But all three counties put out a splendid class of boat— Newfoundland fisher- ——— ee adapted in every way for the business, especially for _ winter lobstering. There is not likely to be any scarcity of bait this season, as the weirs have been taking immense quan- _ tities of herring. The coasting steamers have been taking barrels by the thousand and salt in tons for use in putting them up, and one or two of the lobster smacks have already gone into commission—a few weeks earlier than usual—earrying supplies to the islands. Mackerel have continued to come forward in good numbers, the fall run having been exceptionally good. On the 13th of this month, the Halifax and Southwest- ern train brought in 965 barrels, which would be con- sidered a very large shipment even in the height of the spring run. Swordfish and albacore kept up un- til quite late, too. One hundred and ninety-seven cases of the former and fifty-two cases of the latter—each ease containing about five hundred pounds—have gone forward this month. The local exhibition has taken place since my last letter, and, as usual, the fish exhibits required a micro- scope to find them. The Gateway Fish Company was the only concern with backbone enough to make a decent exhibit, and their booth was a very attractive one. There were about half a dozen individual exhib- its of boneless fish and salt mackerel and herring— splendid exhibits of the kind, the fish being in per- feet order and presenting a good appearance—but in a fishing county, what is half a dozen exhibits? Why ean not the fishermen see that they will benefit them- Selves, the town and county, and the exhibition, by trying to do something in this line. Some have told me that the judging is not fair; I do not know whether this is so or not, but I do know that none of the judges are experts in fish, and I am positive that none ‘of them could tell a bank cod from a shore cod, and I doubt very much if they could tell boneless cod from boneless haddock or boneless hake. I will admit there is one respect in which our exhibitions could be im- proved—that is in the appointment of judges who know something about what they are judging. In my letter last May, I reported the drowning of _ two employes of the cotton mill who had gone out fishing in a dory. It may be interesting to know that the body of one of them—William Smith—came ashore _ two weeks ago, in a remarkable state of preservation, considering its long submersion. : Almost all of the Amero fleet have gone into winter _ quarters, and the crews are scattered. Captain John Simms, of the Eddie James, has taken the Loran B. Snow out of Digby, and the other skippers have gone _ home. Captain Simms will be back on the ‘‘James’’ again in the spring. This winter one or two of Am- ero’s vessels will be re-built and will start their next ___- season’s work practically new. The McGill shipyard in Shelburne is already working on one vessel for Yar- mouth. © _ The death of Captain John Apt, of the Albert J. - Lutz, was heard of with deep regret here. The ecap- tain was well known and liked. Only two or three days before his death your correspondent was talking with him on the Gateway Wharf here, and he asked especially if I had heard from Fred Wallace (Editor, Canadian Fisherman), since his return from the Pa- _ eifie Coast, and I was pleased to be able to tell him I : had. The exports for the month have been: Fresh mackerel, barrels....................0. CANADIAN FISHERMAN REPO TRIBE OOMOR GS o's crore co ciel Saban e bn 4, Prom HGUDUC, CARER. . s . C8 e855. hk cans cates melt weackorel, \barréla: ... iu... seks ec bea ales Meio Bil: CASO). 6k ois bi Ve ew sore ae WEBOLE, DATTOlS so. RS ea ie Salt Herrings, barrels:..................... Pens. SORT POI es SS aioe COMI DAMP Clie oes rk he eae be: CDBUAR DOTR OUR aL cereal Ou lo ee vacate cianewec PUI DANTE sas oe eY Sooo eae eee Boneiegs,. Wash.) DOKOM sso vik vile cca s oe ae ek Dried wale igh, in: oo oc kia 'e v.sccgee bee's ABT ORB. VAST ONG sis aie es Wink walla Sandfish, cases .......- Pi aie aici cna ahreey aU andy TN IR NEE Soon Ae apg ades ee Rie ae Canned Lobster, cases (....0i...cce.eeeeeeee Tongues and Samds, barrels................ PERM OOM SOUS Se aay ate ota sis eee cen ERB AME ic So wg pas hala nti’ < dercte dc + EOSIN OS: DAGB i gn Nes aire gh geile Seat ones: BArPels: join sig bss aay aa PUIG POMCIIG: NANT ALB lode srt aso sieeu «oa ges oo ae PIOMONOESCGOG, DOLOM Tiida y pie ace koh. ¢ 5 coe, Bisse: Clippings. barrelasscies vaca cass Cove. BORE AOCTMMD TUNG on Wa wis ak Gh ae Re es Salt Codfish,. casks.........: TRS oo ar ane RANG eM ETI ig Ce ae, ie gus stay @ GIG LeGe EIBTOON Gack dS tue nt checan bout Smoked Halibut, barrels: . 660.00 ee. For Cuba: 32 lrums Salt Codfish. 18 drums Salt Haddock. For Porto Rico: 109 tierees Salt Codfish. For Brazil: 440 tubs Dry Salt Fish. 791 drums Dry Salt Fish. THE CHANTY MAN. Where is the chanty man of yore? (Heave ho, we're outward bound!) Where is the chanty man of yore, So versed in songs of deep-sea lore? His time is swiftly passing; (The wild winds roar!) The chanty man is passing— He'll sing no more. Now man the capstan, sailors all! (Heave ho, we’re outward bound!) Now man the capstan, sailors all, The chanty man will heed our call For one more song together, (Now, heave and haul!) In fair or stormy weather, He'll heed our call. Oh, sing us sailors “Mobile Bay,” (Heave ho, we're outward bound!) Oh, sing us sailors “Mobile Bay,” Or “Whisky! Johnny!” (heave away) And “Sally Brown” is pretty. So sing, boys, sing! All hands, a deep-sea ditty! Now, let ‘er ring! Where is the chanty man to-day? (Heave ho, we’re outward bound!) Where is the chanty man to-day? Oh, let some merchant seaman say, The while we sing together— (Now, hands all round!) In fair or stormy weather. (We're outward bound!) —BEATRICE BARRY, in the New York Times. CANADIAN FISHERMAN November, 1915. THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) VANCOUVER NOTES. The Steamer ‘‘Mariposa’’ was wrecked on Campbell Island while en route South, there is very little hope that she will be salved. As the ‘‘Mariposa’’ was one of the principal vessels engaged in carrying fish (fresh) from Alaska points to Seattle during the win- ter, her loss will be a serious hindrance to this trade during the coming season. Capt. John A. Gott formerly of the Steamer ‘““Manhattan ’’ was brought to Vancouver last month suffering from a Stroke of Paralysis. Capt. Gott was brought down from Ktechikan on the Princess Alice and taken to his home where he is now progressing very favorably. There is every hope for his recovery. The Steamer ‘‘New England”’ has recently had her over-haul at Vancouver. The vessel was dry-docked and her tail shaft drawn for examination. She also underwent her annual inspection. The Schooner ‘‘Shamrock’’ broke her crank shaft while fishing off the West Coast of Queen Charlotte Islands. The vessel sailed to Prince Rupert for re- pairs. The Steamer ‘‘Onward Ho’’ belonging to the Co- lumbia Cold Storage Co. of Steveston, B. C., has tak- en off some of her dories and will operate during the winter with dories and as a Long-Line Fisherman. Elmer Lewis, who was shot in the spine last winter on the schooner ‘‘Pescawha’’ and who has been para- lyzed ever since, was the recipient of a fund which was collected among all of the members of the Halibut Fishermen’s Union out of Vancouver. While the amount was not large, it will be enough to keep Mr. Lewis comfortable for some little time. Mr. Samuel Z. Chesebro, of New York, is visiting Western Points in the interest of his Company. Mr. Chesebro while on the Coast purchased his firm’s sup- ply of frozen halibut and salmon for winter season of 1915-166. ee Mr. J. Prince one of the old-time Vancouver Fisher- men, has just received from the builders his new Auxi- liary Fishing Schooner ‘‘Margalice’’. The ‘‘Marga- lice’’ was built by the Vancouver Ship Yards and is fitted with 20 H. P. Wolverine Engine. She will be operated with a Power Gurdy instead of using Dories. Her capacity is 15.000 lbs. of Halibut. She is now in her first trip and is expected to return to Vancouver shortly. The schooner ‘‘ Alliance No. 1,’’ formerly the Am- erican schooner ‘‘Yukon,’’ was recently put up for auction at Victoria, B.C., by the mortgagees, and was sold to Mr. M. P. McCaffrey, of Prince Rupert, for $244.00. Qualla or Fall salmon have not yet put in an appear- ance to speak about. These fish are looked to arrive in very large quantities. What are showing up are either being frozen or else packed by the Japanese for the Orient in salt: In previous years the surplus eatch of Qualla Sal- mon in British Columbia have been put up in dry salt and shipped by the Japanese contractors to China, Japan and Siberia, and quite a large trade has been worked up for this dry-salted salmon. The failure of the run of Cohoes, Sockeyes and Humpbacks in Puget Sound in 1915 has had the effect, however, of causing the American Canners to pay very high prices for Canadian caught Qualla Salmon, the result being that the Japanese contractors have been unable to get the Qualla Salmon at a price which would enable them to put them up in salt. A few Quallas caught in out of the way places where they could not be transport- ed to Vancouver, have been dry-salted, and these should bring very high prices when shipped to the Orient. In this connection it is interesting to note that huge quantities of Qualla Salmon have been shipped from the Fraser River to the American can- ners at Bellingham and Anacortes, Wash., the prices paid being the highest ever known in the history of the salmon canning business. The canners, however, will not make any money on the canned Quallas, the price of the poorer grades of canned salmon this year being so low that there is every prospect of the can- ners losing money. Owing to the unprecedented fine weather that last- ed right through the summer and early fall, and also to the scarcity of snow on the mountains, due to the fine winter, all fishing around Vancouver has borne out the fact that the fish business is one of great un- certainty. Fish of all sorts have been most scarce, and the waterfront has put in the quietest summer ever known. Herring have been particularly searee, and smok- ers have not been able to get enough to fill their or- ders for kippers. Even the fresh article has been most difficult to obtain at the markets. The same applies to cod and other fish. November, 1915. CANADIAN The different runs of salmon have upset all calcula tions based on the cycles in which these fish are un- derstood to move. All grades have been scarce and late. True, there was quite a run of Pinks, but nothing like what was expected. In addition to this, the Am- erican buyers forced the price up to limits that made handling of this fish other than in the fresh state, im- * possible. British Columbia had a chance that will perhaps never occur again. Salt Pinks are very scarce on the American market, the pack being the lowest on record. But at the prices asked for the raw article, it was out of the questionto attempt to pack salt pinks - Owing to the short run of other red salmon, packers are now canning the cohoes, and paying prices that a¥é’ dorisidered very high.” Eastern handlers of this grade frozen’ will not be able to get anywhere like the usual amount, unless they can pay more than usual for the goods. It. Paya anyone handling these -cohoes to sell in the fresh state to the canners to-day. Shu; Capt. Johannsen, of the Seattle halibut steamer ‘Chicago,’’ was recently suspended by the United f ated Lipector for 30 days for running his steamer 5 aground. His place was'taken by Capt. Cantillion. Without appearing to ‘‘knock’’ Prince Rupert’ as Vancouver is so often accused of, it seems that ‘the - Order-in-Council that allowed American fishing boats to land their catches at that port, has not done as uch for the place as anticipated. True, the main ‘bulk of the Seattle independent boats have landed their catches at Prince Rupert; but they are stated to show no inclinations to spend the money received at the place they sold their fish. The American port of Ketchikan is on their road to the fishing grounds, so these vessels pick up their ice and supplies at the American port. It is stated that endeavours are be- ing made to extend the priveleges to American boats. ++ here is a feeling growing amongst the American __ packers that it was a great pity that Canada did not ___ reciprocate at the time America placed certain fish on the free list. Without going into the question in de- tail, in many ways it appears that reciprocity in the " fishing industry as far as the Pacific is concerned, ' __ might after all be beneficial to all concerned. It might __ pethaps solve the question that arose when American _-—s @anners came up into Canadian waters and drove up the priee of Pink salmon to such a point that Canadian __ paekers could not; ean. their own fish’ If the duty were off canned salmon, then the American canners - eould pack British Columbia fish in British Columbia territory; or if the American canners were short, they could get Canadian canneries to put up what _ they were short on. — -- -.. This year of 1915 is stated to be a difficult one to _ do business in. One often hears the complaint that _ nobody knows where they are getting off at. What with some buyers holding off from purchasing until ylater, shipping facilities.in a bad mess, and fish searce, pene dees not wonder that the. fish handler has some -keason. to grumble. All his training and watching of _ past years, do. not seem to help him at all. Truly those in the fish business this year are one and all doing a their ed tt Shas FISHERMAN 877 The poor old sea lion is stated after all to be a much maligned creature. The commission appointed on this coast for the investigation of these animals, is rapidly collecting data. For a long time it was understood that the sea lion preyed upon the salmon and was a source of injury to the industry. But now it ap- pears that these fearsome looking animals feed prin- cipally upon squid and such food. The war has brought out the fact that a great mis- take has been made in the past in British Columbia. Her fish resources are like her vast mining possibili- ties, practically untouched. It has not been for lack of boosting, but perhaps on account of too much boosting by those who have water frontage to sell. The few practical companies with men of experience and training at their head, have all done well. And British Columbia’s fish resources are not yet even touched, really speaking. But with tight money in Canada, and owing to past mistakes of those who attempted to float companies when they knew no- thing about the fishing industry at all, it is most diffi- cult to do much development to-day. Added to this is the fact that we gave away to the Japanese fisher- men our own rights. Nobody is to blame but ourselves. The white fishermen would not stick at his trade, find- ing that in ‘‘boom’’ times he could make more with less work ashore. Then when he found that he had to get out and work, it dawned upon him what he had given into the hands of the industrious Jap. The Jap knows a good thing when he sees it, and will not let go. The changes in the licensing regulations will probably help to rectify this, but the white fisher- man seems to think that he has a big kick coming to- day. Lack of co-operation and himself only have brought about the present situation. There are other problems than the Japanese one on the Pacifie: The solution seems to be a campaign to get the coast settled with the hardworking and in- dustrious Nova Scotian and Newfoundlander. If it were pointed out to these people the opportunities, there is no doubt but that these desirable citizens would come. They would find that they had a climate that practically eliminated all the hardships they have to undergo in their calling on the Atlantic. In past years the high cost of living and abnormal prices of land kept these men away. To-day this is changed, and things are down to a normal basis. With some of these Nova Scotians and Newfoundlanders scat- tered along the coasts of British Columbia, owning their own boats and gear, having their own land and farms, the fishing industry would have an impetus that it sorely wants. Fish in the waters could be obtained that cannot be to-day. The Japanese is hardworking and industrious, but he ean to-day do what he likes. His code is different to that of a white man, and it is dif- ficult to know where.one is getting off when dealing with Japanese fishermen. Their organization and the fact of their language makes them a difficult prob- lem. On the other hand we are up against the In- dians. These are of the Siwash tribe, about the most happy-go-lucky race in existence. He has many pri- vileges given him by the government that makes for a sort of dog-in-the-manger state of affairs. As long as he has enough money and grub he will not work. If he has money after the cannery season, he will not go after fish that the market wants, unless at abnor- mal prices. And there is nobody else to get the fish 378 in his neighbourhood. British Columbia wants white fishermen of the Maritime Provinces and Newfound- land type, and will have to get them sooner or later. There is no getting away from the fact that if these men saw what they could do and the climatic and other conditions here, they would quickly come. Now that the codfish industry is to be followed on the Pacific, skilled men will be required. But codfish- ing will not be like that on the Atlantic. There will be no shore fishermen as the codfish in our waters are unsuitable. The business will be run on the lines of bankers. Whilst the vessels are off to the grounds, there are all sorts of fish to be caught, fish waiting for white fishermen. The English papers are devoting considerable at- tention to Canadian fish. This has resulted in all sorts - of enquiries on this coast. Many of the enquirers are in earnest, but chippers are up against lack of space on the Atlantic boats. We are wondering what was behind that enquiry received by the Department of Trade at Ottawa this past summer. If England is to get Canadian fish, space will have to be allotted, as it seems hopeless for the shippers to attempt to get space. Kippered Salmon has found its market on the Am- erican side, the fish used for this is the white spring. Many carloads were shipped to the large smoking plants of Seattle in September: One local firm had three small steamers freighting this fish from Steves- ton to Seattle and Tacoma daily. With several buy- ers in the market, the fishermen (mainly Japanese) got higher prices than usual. There was a commission sitting in Victoria of late enquiring into the purchases of two submarines a few days before war was declared. These two submarines have been much maligned. It can be stated that they have had nothing to do with the scarcity of fish. They have not chased fish and only once have they had any- thing to do with fish, and that was very remotely. Some eager Siwashes mistook one for a whale. Fish Prices in England. By last mail information was received that the catch of fish in Great Britain was about 50 per cent that of normal times. The following wholesale prices were given :— Salmon, English, per lb.—2s. 4d. (about 57c.) Salmon, Scotch, per lb.—2s. 4d. (about 57e.) Salmon, frozen, per lb-—1s (about 24c.) Salmon Trout, per lb.—2s. 4d. (about 57c.) Soles, per lb.—1s. 3d. to 2s. 4d. (about 30e. to 57e.) Mullet (red), per lb.—1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. (about 32e. to 60e:) Turbot, per stone. $4.87.) Brill, per stone.—10s. to 16s., 14s. to 20s. (about $3.40 to (about $2.43 to $3.90.) Halibut, per stone.—10s. to 20s. ((about $2.43 to $4.87.) Cod (live), per stone—7s. to 8s. (about $1.46 to $1.70.) Cod (dead), per stone—4s. to 6s. (about 97e to $1.46.) Haddocks, per stone,—3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. (about 85e. CANADIAN FISHERMAN November, 1915. to $1.09.) Haddocks (steamer large), per trunk of.—28s. to 30s. (a(bout $881 to $9.30.) Haddocks (steamer, small), 6144 to 7 stones.—12s. to 14s. (about $2.92 to $3.40.) Haddocks, Iceland, per stone —3s. (about 73¢.) Haddocks, per turn (10 stones).—30s. to 45s. (about ; $7.30 to $8. 52. ) Herrings Fresh (English), per bbl.—25s. to 40s: — (about $7.30 to $8.52.) Herrings, salted (English), per bbl.—20s. to 40s. (about $4.87 to $9.73.) PRINCE RUPERT NOTES. There have been quite a number of visitors to Prince Rupert during the past month from Seattle and Vancouver. Mr. Ingalls, of the Booth Fisheries Company, Seattle, Mr. Sandstrome, of the Pacifie Net and Twine Co., Seattle, and Mr. Will Calvert, Jr., of the San Juan Fishing and Packing Co., of Seattle, and Mr. J. P. Todd, Fish Broker, of Seattle, spent ‘giute some time in Prince Rupert looking over the ciate possibilities of the port. : Mr. H. 0. Roberts, has been appointed to act as buy- er at Prince Rupert for the San Juan Fishing and ee Packing Co. Mr. Roberts has already established him- self at Prince Rupert, and is now ——- for a good 4 a location. The National and Independent Fisheries olay 5 a of Seattle, Wash., announce that they have appointed __ Mr. Otto Bernhoff as their Prince Rupert representa, a tive. It is rumored that the fishing supply bastions 5 of Mr. Edward Lipsett at this port is to be considerably — 3 enlarged and that it will run in conunetion with the Pacific Net and Twine Co. of Seattle. The visit of Mr. Sandstrome of the latter company, and of Mr. Edward Lipsett, lends some color to this report. Mr. | Lipsett’s Prince Rupert Branch has been established for about 18 months on the Government Dock, but has found that the facilities for doing business in this location are not good enough, and he is therefore tak- a ing a store up-town. The Schooner ‘‘Borealis,’’ belonging to Atlin Fish- eries Limited, has been completely overhauled and a number of necessary repairs carried out in her en- gine room and on the anchor hoist. She is now fully + equipped for the winter fishing season. Towards the end of September the run of salmon _ in the Skeena River declined and the canners were obliged to pay 25c. each to the fishermen for cohoes. The auxiliary schooner ‘‘W. R. Lord,’’ formerly fishing for halibut, is now acting as a pick-up boat for her owners on the Skeena River. The result of the fishery concessions made in the spring by the Dominion Government as regards the landing of American fish in bond at the port of Prince Rupert, has proved that the people of Canada have little to learn from other countries as regards business methods. November, 1915. _ The success of these regulations in attracting the _ American fisherman to the Port of Prince Rupert is _ proved. September shows a still further increase in _ receipts over previous months, and still the end of this inerease is yet to come. Sixty-two car loads of fresh fish were shipped east over the G. T. P. Ry. in September. These were full cars. In addition, about eight car loads of broken shipments were also sent through. Saree ee ea eee 25,000 PORE xii 0: neces IA elu gon wwe ees 45,000 HALIBUT ARRIVALS AT STEVESTON, SEPT 16 TO OCTOBER 15. Sept. lbs. 18—Roman, Columbia Cold Storage Company 115,000 Oct. 1—Onward Ho, Columbia Cold Storage Co. 50,000 4—Roman, Columbia Cold Storage Co. .. 40,000 28—Iskum, The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited ..... 15,000 29—Trapp, The Canadian Fishing ‘Company, Limited ..... 5,000 Manhattan, New England F ish Company 100" 000 ~New England, New England Fish Co... 160,000 FISHERMAN November, 1915. Oct. 11—Flamingo, The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited): .\.) sie tees a se ee eeneereee 5,000 Knickerbocker, New England Fish Co. .. 15,000 12—Celestian Empire, The Canadian Fishing Co.,’ Limited . Sa pee OOS Pescawha, The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited J higikat alae ake een an ana 50,000 13—Emma H., The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited a > HALIBUT ARRIVALS AT KETCHIKAN, ALASKA, SEPT. 16 TO OCT. 15. Sept. Ibs. 25—Knickerbocker, New England Fish Co. .. 25,000 28—Prospector, New England Fish Company 35,000 Oct.—Miscellaneous, New England Fish Co. .. 10,000 PRINCE RUPERT FISH INDUSTRY BOOMING. Mr. John Pullen, President of the Canadian Ex- press Company, has just returned from a trip to the Pacifie Coast. ‘“Tt will indicate,’’ he said, ‘‘the importance of this business, when I say that the average monthly receipts of fish at Prince Rupert are now 1,723,000 pounds—mostly halibut—and that 73 ves- sels touched at that port in 30 days. ‘“At Seattle the average is 2,000,000 pounds, with 42 vessels engaged, while Vancouver shows 1,099,000 - pounds, with 18 vessels engaged. Most of the fishing is done in the Alaskan waters, nearly 1,000 miles from Prince Rupert; but whereas before the advent of the Grand Trunk Pacifie and Prince Rupert, the fish was brought all the way from the north to Van- couver and Seattle by boat, the long distance is sav- ed by touching at Prince Rupert, from whence the fish is brought east, in the pink of condition, on ex- press refrigerator cars—the long distance being saved from the point of catch to Vancouver and Seattle, as heretofore. The business is so increasing that we will have to add more Bobi bedi ? ?=MAX. "FINKELSTEIN? WHOLESALE PRODUCER OF SMOKED FISH : 124 HAVEMEYER ST. : N. We C BROOKLYN - - CISCOES: CHUBS: & TULIBEES; 'BLUE- FINS; white STUR- & GEON; frozen as § well as salted round g and fat, Pacific Coast § mild cured SAL- ¢ MON. Sen See prices for all varieties of prime, fresh or § Es Fish , Suitable for smoking. Remittances upon safe ¢ and satisf. factory arrival. Authentic reference. Communi- § 1 ate with me. GEO. L. CLAYTON CONSULTING ENGINEER PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FURNISHED FOR ICEMAKING, FISH FREEZING, AND COLD STORAGE PLANTS VICTORIA and PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. November, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN ' 381 PROMPT SALES PROMPT RETURNS P. C. PARKHURST COMMISSION DEALER IN SALT 2 |] boy ; : SMOKED PICKLED CANNED Office and Wharf - - ~- 28 Vincent Street, GLOUCESTER, Mass. CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED Ww: _gusakcnne Prest. N. D. Freeman, Treas. \ W. Elm = = . oleae aieei. Fz iF eer cn Atwood, TE. Se ’ Vice-Prest. and Mer. ; : = ALL WACHUSET .- VARIETIES BRANO FINNAN HADDSG OF THE 31 Boston Fish Pier blll lll teteleltetetcteteietetstetsteistetetstete) THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Inc. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited COO COO OO OO 0000 OOOO00 OOC000 OOO000 COCO COOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOO OoOOOOOOO Diipisisiisicieisisieiecioisleieieieiieleisieieieieisisleieieieieistoicis ii ioloicieisisisleleloleloteletoleleteteleteletototeletetetotsteleteletetete) af CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS (puroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTESES Peete Bell, Geneon 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 oe ona Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier sters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. Pete ieieisieleieieieieioleieivisiaielsisieisivieisisloisieieicieleieiciciolelslslelsteleleisisisioioioiolotelotetetotetotoleleleteteteteleioiotetetsioleteletetelsietstetete} D CHCHOHOHOHO CH0}CHO0}0 CHOHOHOHOHO OHCHOHOHOHO CHOHOHOHHO OCHO Oo IAN FISHERMAN | THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S :: COMMERCIAL FISHERIES :: $1.00 Per Annum Canada and Great Britain. $1.50 United States and Elsewhere Send Your Subscription in NOW 382 CANADIAN FISHERMAN eee COC COO O COC OO OOOO 4 THE... CAN ADIAN FISHING CO., LIMITED Vancouver & Prince Rupert, Canada | g é British Steamers: FLAMINGO CELESTIAL EMPIRE Canadian Auxiliary Schooners: CARLOTTA G. COX BOREALIS ZORRA PESCAWHA EMMA H. AURORA Cold Storage and Ice Making Plant at Vancouver, Canada We are the Largest Canadian Producers and Shippers of Pacific Coast Fresh and Frozen Fish CARLOAD SHIPMENTS MADE TO ALL PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Poisiticivislsisisicis sssieieleisielsioieieieieioieisieicieieieieieisielsieieleis is] en ee eee pisaines LAKE FISH}! 2 WHITEFISH )\ We are established for handling ete DORE ordersincarloadlots. Shipment JACKFISH (right from the Lakes. We TULLIBEES | specialize in Lake Winnipeg fish, the finest Lake fish in the world. Pan-frozen and Winter weather frozen fish handled- GOLDEYES SUCKERS HOH ESTABLISHED 1890 The WI. Guest Pah Co. Lane WINNIPEG, MAN. F00/010 0000010 000000 00000 00000 OOOO OO (CHOCHOHOHO 0-CH0H0010) COHOH0O00C1OH00HO CHOCHCHCHOCHOHOHCHOHOG CHOHCHOHCHG CHCHOHOHOH CHCHOHOHOHO OHOHG:OHCH0}O} CHOHCHOHOHO Oe CHCHOHOHG CECH: “RUPERT” BRAND THE CANADIAN FISH & COLD STORAGE CO. LTD. Wholesale Dealers, Packers and Shippers OF FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT and CANNED FISH No order too large CORRESPONDENCE INVITED PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. eieeesisioieis sisi lil isieleleielsisleielelsisielsisleisieleisieleisieieisieleisieisisieleisieisieioteisieisisieleivieieieieieisleisieisieisleisitioisls] COLD STORAGE Capacity~--7000. tona, fe Yee Sect ui 47 Years of Successful Fish Business New England Fish cuciai | prea te OFFICE, sourois aes oe Western Headquarters, Vancouver, Canada Seattle Branch, Pier 6, Foot University St. American Auxiliary Schooners: American Steamers: KINGFISHER KNICKERBOCKER MANHATTAN BAY STATE NEW ENGLAND PROSPECTOR Cold Storage Plants: VANCUUVER, CANADA Subsidiary Companies: THE CANADIAN FISH- | ING CO, LTD. THE DOTY FISH com. KALAMA, WASH. PANY KECHIKAN, ALASKA NORTHWESTERN FISH- BRIE On BOSTON, MASS. ATLIN FISHERIES, LTO Places of Business: BOSTON, MASS. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. GLOUCESTER, MASS. PORTLAND, MAINE. LAMA WASH. SEATTLE, WASH 1 CHICAGO, 1 KETCHIKAN, ALASKA. VANCOUVER, CANADA. PRINCE RUPERT, CANADA. Producers and Shippers of Halibut, Salmon & all Varieties of Fish FRESH — FROZEN — SALT SCHOO C0000 000000 OOOO OOOO OCHO eo ae. ote ee ee + peur gions brivitavitisltisieleleleleieicieiotelsiotetet ote! J. BOWMAN & CO. Trout, Whitefish, Jumbo White, Yellow Pike, Jacks, Fresh Herring, Salted Herring, frontal cut or flats. had are booking orders now for car ots. Frozen herring, 100 lbs. in sacks,. 240 sacks to car for November and December delivery. Write us for prices. brivieititiclticieieleleleicieieieleie: +] HEAD OFFICE, PORT ARTHUR TORONTO - - - - MONTREAL ~— 26 Duncan St. 47 William St. Pefoletetetefereieteteretrivisrttteteietetettoisioiotsisletetetetetetetetetetets} None too small BRANCHES Vancouver, B. C. Chicago, Ill, U.S.A, RIBOSE en a Sr A ne, ee eee ce Ay ea Le a re ee nar ———— CANADIAN FISHERMAN 383 beinioioisisloisloiel-lelololetoteleloleisioteteletetetetelotereieisteistetsteietoioleisivieisieleisivieiisteiisieisislelsisielsielelsielelelolslalelela lel ej js i jj) FISH & OYSTERS = ; EoNARD BROS. Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, - and Prepared FISH in Season . (Near Custom House) 000000 MONTREAL OYSTERS A SPECIALTY ©69999 Branches : CISIOOD ohn, N.B. Grand River, Que. Ga: ue. Westport, N.S. COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES > Lobes ND. Greed Mires, Gee: Corps, Qun.: Wastpent, Correspondence Invited beereii iii io ioisioioieiciciclsisisisisteleisioisicicicleisicicicioleivicicieioivivivivivivivivicioisioloioieioislolsisisiels isle js js isis is) “‘Inspection Certificates Furnished Where Required.”’ F. J. HAYWARD SHIPPER OF | Frozen Salmon, Halibut and Black Cod. Fresh Salmon, Halibut, and : other fish. Pickled Salmon, Herring and Black Cod; Alaska Codfish and — all other Pacific Fish in Carlots only. WESTERN AGENT:—ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN, LIMITED, Etc., Etc. Correspondence Solicited 912 DOMINION BUILDING - VANCOUVER, B.C. (OHCHOHOHCH CH0}000}0030 010101010010, 0,0.0H010/0) 00,0000) 0000000100010010000 0.001000 C0010 010 OCHCHOHONO 000.0000 CHOHOH00H0 CHOHOHOCHO OHO CHOON (CHCHOHOHOHO CCHOHOHOHO 010010010) 00001010) 010010400) CHC0H000)000000000).00000000 0/0/0000 0C000.0.0 COCHCHOHO OO COCO OOOO | SAFETY FIRST | BEACON BRAND DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited | | i | a - | | TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. | Pei ieee ieleisiaiaiisleleisleisisleisisisisisleisisieisisleleisisieieleisisisisieleisisieieiel 2 tf ff ieisieisielelsisisisiele] 38a" CANADIAN ‘FISHERMAN: November, 1915. 7 Otidoogd TCHCHOHOHOHOHCHOHCHONOHO) OCHCHCHOHO CHOHCHOHOHO CHOHOHOHOHO CHOHCHOHOHG CHOHOHONOHO CEH) CHO FISHING SUPPLIES | Nowhere outside of the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing sie be found than ¥ we carry in stock. Some of our Specialties are :— Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, anil Standard Nets, Plymouth Manilla Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract! Hemlock, Cape Ann. Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dortes; etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, ‘LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA ea ooooDOoCooooooODDOOOODODOooODOooDOOOOODOooOOOOoONeCOODOODOoCOOOONND SoooDOOODOOOOOooEOD copoDooooDooOooDOOOOODOOoOoDOOooOOOOOO OOOoOODNeCOORooKNOACoOEAAonooD eooooo SCHOHOHOHOHOOCHCHOHOHG CHO CHO CHOCO Rai ESTABLISHED 1874 D. HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest Receivers and Distributors of all kinds pt FISH i in. the Dominion - Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS — Ask for our Niobe Brand of Haddies, Kippers aa Bloaters, and od tee H in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory. Brand. .of-.Pure. sone ; Codfish, in 2” blocks, 20]b. boxes aon a Sooonsoceoscoocooscoeosons cocososnseoeooseoeoooREEooDAecospecoodoot q t Kicicthes i Co CHO CHOHOOSS HONCHO r i a JCHCHOHOHOHO CHOHCHOHOHO) OCHO COOH HO HH Everywhere in Canada ees Gdtewa Brand Boneless Fish oT OMX sy 1G Gatewa rand Threaded Fish) _ carrway Figy py.) ASA For | carenaysrand iki co Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish ’ Boneout Finnan Haddies LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. “GATEWAY” Brands of Fish prisisicivioleisicivicivisisicieisisivisieieleieleicieieleicivicieioivieisioieieieieieieieioie ts] sooDDDDOOgoooOOONODOOOES sititieivisivisicielet. ao. eee eis ticieiselsiieisisisieisisieieieleleleteioleiseisieieieisisieisisivieisicieicicieisicieivicleieicivicioielsisivislelete ls] TO THE FISH TRADE:.-- _ LET US DO YOUR PRINTING. ) “PRICE LISTS} TRADE BULLETINS, CCCCHO CO CHOHOOHO OHO PAMPHLETS, BILL HEADS, LETTER HEADS, ENVELOPES, CARDS, ETC. Our staff is experienced in the technical work called for in the Fishing Industry. INDUSTRIAL & EDUCATIONAL PRESS, LTD. 45 ST. ALEXANDER ST., MONTREAL, Que. (PUBLISHERS OF THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN) PieisioioiolelsisisisistelelelelsleDelelelelaielelsieleleisleisisielelelelelstoleleleleielei iol Vol. Il. MONTREAL, DECEMBER, 1915 No. 12 SHNNOUUNNNNNNNNECUOOUUOSOQONOOOOOOUOUOCEOOQOOOOOUOOOUOOOOOOSEOOUOUOOGOGOOOERUOUOOUOOOOOOEEE OO UOOOOOGOOROOUAEUOOOOOE ETA t= pw 4 r\VZINZR IN Ae w aw IN| oe | \? A ye l CANADIAN FISHERMAN CARA ARRR Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED Producers and Packers of Atlantic Sea Foods Vessel Owners Cold Storage Plants SPEGQIAZ Tigges Fresh, Frozen, Salted, Pickled, Dried and Canned Fish for Home and Export Main Office - - - MONTREAL, Canada Branches DIGBY, N.S. CANSO, N.S. Maritime Fish Corporation LIMITED = 1 sccaiaieieieiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiiiaeieaiieieieiicieh) SE eee aa a eS er or Do Do one December, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN W i ve SKOOXN — Le oA << SESS SOON a =i DOOYOO + ee a OOOO a POOL a POOGQOSS =o =a oe oC OOS COYLOON x SOON. y ve oA Oc = SSS A wx cx SSS i minK MOO ee OSs A PSs asses Sees Sais Exceptional Angling Opportunities are offered by the Province of Quebec, which is the only one that leases exclusive hunting and fishing territories over large areas of forest, lakes and rivers, both to Clubs and private in- dividuals, with the privilege of erecting camps thereon. Membership may be obtained, if desired, in many existing clubs, with camp privileges already provided, and often with the right of erecting private summer homes on suitable sites on the club territory. On all unleased Crown Lands and Waters, angling and hunting are absolutely free to residents of the Province, and the only charge to non-residents is the cost of the non-resident fishing or hunting license To The Wholesale Fish Trade The attention of dealers who receive their fresh fish from Portland and other foreign sources is directed to the excep- tional opportunities of obtaining their supply from the Baie des Chaleurs and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, to their own advantage and that of their customers, and to the benefit of the fishermen of the Province of Quebec. For all Information apply to-- THE MIMOTER OF COLONIZATION, MINES AND FISHERIES OF THE PROVINGE OF QUEBEC 386 CANADIAN FISHERMAN December, 1915. 1] — DEPARTMENT OF THE | ~ NAVAL SERVICE | FISHERIES BRANCH — Lobster Fishery Fishing Seasons in Force on May Ist, 1915 Be aN ee Number : 4 ° = District Limits Fishing Season Size I 7 1 St. John and Charlotte Counties, N.B..............02-cceeeeeeeee Seek uae take ..-| Nov. 15 to June 15..| 42’ carapace 3 2 Albert Soars £8 Portion of Cumberland County, N.B., and King’s and Annapolis} Caunthes, NGS. 325 sso ieleidcn 9 ecainte Sar obra) ORO hele ek. Wis sie ace bin aie ewe Rape aha aera Jan. 15 to June 29...| No Size Limit “ 3 Digby Copaty.. issues das ss aes Oa oad «<< phe ae Meee ists « bs aaron ...| Jan. 6 to June 15....| No Size Limit 7 4 Yarmouth, Shelbourne, Queen’s, Lunenburg, and that portion of Halifax county west of 4 a line running S.S.E. from St. George's Island, Halifax Harbour, and Coinciding with a] Waar WH. WSWOYE,. « «2 'é0 cx Lie.ce. huts dao n/a 19:0 70;leig ins, AO 1Sa ee ad oe ia eR eRe ee +.+++| Dec. 15 to May 30...) No Size Limit 5 From line in Halifax Harbour Faugeras S.S.E. from St. George’s Island, and coinciding 4 : with Fairway buoys eastwardly to Red Point, between Martin Point and Point Mic- o haud, Cape Breton Island and including Chedabucto and St. Peters Bays and the Gut of Canso, as far as a line passing from Flat Point, Inverness County to the Lighthouse’ itt Antigonish County opposite . ...).0..6 5 saicuis ue oa cow uiak yale aoe aes a ee April 1 to June 20...| No Size Limit 6 ayy ccm a ti of Cape Breton Island, including St. Paul’s Island, not covered by Dimeric INO G5 isis de caevep 0b a wi ee Oe ee ee ne RE i ite Fn oe April 15 to July 15...) No Size Limit The Magdalen Islands, including Bird Rocks and Bryon Island...............0.200005 May 1 to July 20....| No Size Limit Waters of Northumberland Strait, between a line on the N.W. drawn from Chockfish River, N.B., to West Point., P.E.I., and a line on the S.E. drawn from the west side of River Philip channel at the mouth of the river, Nova Scotia, to the eastern entrance to Victoria Harbour, Queens County, Prince Edward Island. .............0eeseeeeeees May 25 to Aug. 10...| No Size Limit 9 On and along the portion of the coast or the waters thereof, of the Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, gt vt ag bag and northwardly, from the Lighthouse in Antigonish County, opposite Flat Point in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, to the northern boundary New Brunswick, including the coasts and waters thereof of all the islands adjacent to these portions of the coasts of the said Provinces as well as the coast and waters thereof of the Counties of Quebec south of River St. Law- rence, except those specified in No. 8.... 0.0.0. 0c cece eee ee eens hp lkieaaccry Pee is .| April 26 to June 25..| No Size Limit 10 North of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence including Anticosti Island..................+| May 20 to July 31...| No Size Limit Soft shell or berried lobsters must be liberated alive by the person catching them. Lobster traps may not be set in 2 fathoms of water or less. Lobsters to be canned may be boiled only in the cannery in which they are to be packed. The sale or purchase of broken lobster meat or fragments of lobsters for canning is prohibited. Before lobster canning is engaged in, a license from the Department of the Naval Service is requried. Canned lobsters must be regularly labelled or a permit obtained from the Department, before they may be removed from the cannery, and must be labelled before being placed on the markets. Lobster canneries must comply with the Standard of Requirements, copies of whfch may be obtained from the local Fishery Officers or the Department. ’ \| THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED SUBSCRIPTION: TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES Canada, Newfoundland and OF CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND @ Great Britain - - - - $1.00 THE SCIENCE OF THE FISH CUL- TURE AND THE USE AND VALUE - OF FISH PRODUCTS - - United States and Elsewhere... $1.50 payable in advance. ADVERTISING RATES F. WILLIAM WALLACE ON APPLICATION EDITOR The Industrial & Educational Press, Limited 35-45 St. Alexander St. - Montreal Published on the 24th day of each month. Changes of advertivements should be in the publisher’s hands ten days before that date. Cuts should be sent by mail, not by express. Readers are cordially invited to send to the precoseteate Editor items of Fishery news, also ~ Toronto Office - 263-265 Adelaide St., W. articles on subjects of practical interest, Newfoundland Agency If suitable tor publication these will be - Garland’s Book Store, St. Johns, N.F. Official Organ of the Canadian Fisheries Association paid for at our regular rates. ‘Vol. IT. -.MONTREAL, DECEMBER, 1915 No. 12 CANADIAN FISH FOR BRITISH MARKETS. The sample shipment of Canadian frozen, smoked, salted and cured fish which was collected by the Can- adian Fisheries Association and forwarded to the De- partment of Agriculture and Fisheries, London, Eng., by the Department of Naval Service, arrived in Liver- pool on the Allan liner ‘‘Corsican’’ early in Novem- ber and was forwarded to London, where it is now on exhibition. It is too early yet to announce the results of the venture, but it is hoped that the exhibition of the samples of our fish products will create an export trade between Canada and the Mother Country in frozen and cured fish. Last August, the Association prepared a memoran- dum for the Naval Service Department, showing what Canada could do in the way of supplying fish to Great Britain. This memo. was transmitted to the British Colonial Office in London, and the ‘‘Fish Trades Ga- limited quantities of British Columbia herring zette,’’ of that city comments upon it as folows:— could be obtained for shipment to the United King- The Department of the Naval Service, Ottawa, dom.”’ herring, cod, and skate. The memorandum states that ‘‘while there is a large and rapidly increasing demand for fresh fish packed in ice, and fresh frozen fish in Canada, amounting now to about 50,000 tons annually, the bulk of the Canadian catch is exported in a dried, salted, pickled, or smoked state, and, owing to the conditions under which the fisheries are carried on, it is not feasible to do otherwise. It is said that if there were an assured market much more fish could be, and would be, landed than at present. There is no reason, apparently, why some of the fishing should not be continued throughout the winter. It is suggested that fish of the medium size, especially haddock under fifteen inches long, and also skate, are, as a rule, regarded as unsale- able and are thrown overboard. We could doubt- less do with some of these fish over here, and the Naval Service is clearly of opinion that a great deal more could be done in developing the herring trade. ‘‘Indeed,’’ we are told, ‘‘practically un- Canada, has prepared an interesting memoran- dum at the request of Lord Selborne, through the Colonial Office, on the subject of the possibility of bringing supplies from Canadian and Newfound- land waters for the markets of the United King- dom. It was a very good idea to get this informa- tion, although, as our readers will be able to judge for themselves, there is not a great deal in it that is new. As is pointed out, the fish that are caught on the Canadian Atlantic coast which would like- ly be of most use in the British markets are cod, haddock, hake, cusk, pollock, halibut, skate, and herring, and on the Pacifie Coast, halibut, salmon, It is noted that shipping fresh frozen fish has ‘passed beyond the experimental ‘stage, and as there is large freezing and cold-storage aceommo- dation for fish at Halifax, Port Hawkesbury, Canso, Lockeport, and St. John on the Atlantie coast, and at Vancouver, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, and Uchucklesit on the Pacifie coast, lit- tle difficulty should be experienced in procuring and freezing fish for export.’’ It is thought, also, that the present is a particulalry fit time to make known to the British public the excellence of the cheaper varieties of salmon, ‘‘now selling in a wholesale way from about two dollars and seven- 388 ty-five cents per case of forty-eight 1-lb. cans for chums (or dog salmon) to about five dollars per - ease for cohoes (or silver salmon), and probably slightly more for spring salmon.’’ The conclusion drawn is ‘‘that if prices can be obtained in Great Britain which will enable a reasonably profitable industry to be carried on, if sufficient cold-storage accommodation in trans-at- lantie vessels is available at moderate enough rates, and if fish frozen, chilled, smoked, or canned are acceptable, large quantities could be furnish- ed by Canada.’’ It is thought there would be lit- tle diffieulty experienced in producing at least 2,000,000 Ibs. of all classes of fish more per week than is now being done. If anything is to result from this inquiry, the Naval Service observed, as far back as August 12, steps should be taken at once in order that requisite arrangements may be made with the fishermen before their vessels and boats are laid up for the coming winter. In the circumstances it may be thought unfortunate that the memorandum was not issued much earlier, but this would be on the assumption that any effective steps could have been taken, which we beg leave to doubt.’’ As the ‘‘Gazette’’ observes, if the memorandum were to be acted upon, effective steps would have been taken ere this. True, but the British dealer, like the man from Missouri, wants to be shown. No dealer will buy a product three thousand miles away which he knows very little about and assume the risk of ship- ment, nor «will our Canadian producers ship to a mar- ket across the ocean and assume a similar risk. Doz- ens of enquiries have come to our Canadian producers from British fish firms, but neither would take the re- sponsibility of guaranteeing the product in transit across the Atlantic, and no business was done except in regularly established lines such as frozen salmon and halibut, lobsters and canned goods. It was to assist in removing this trade barrier that the sample shipment was collected and sent over, and while there is a chance that the goods will not have arrived in as good a condition as they might, it is to be hoped that the British dealer considering Cana-— dian fish, will make allowances for the difficulties in collecting a sample shipment, and remember that fu- ture orders, prepared and shipped direct from the pro- ducing firms on the sea-board will undoubtedly arrive in better condition than a sample lot collected from many points, hauled west over the railroad to Mont- real, and shipped east again in a steamer. Time in transit, and variation in temperatures caused by cart- age and removals from railroad cars, boats, and in and out of storages, do not do the fish any good. In orders shipped direct, this extra handling would be done away with and Atlantic fish can be shipped right out of St. John, N.B., or Halifax, N.S.—ports but a few miles away from points of production. Fish from the Pacific and the Great Lakes could be run to seaport in refrigerator cars without transhipment. In the ease of the sample shipment, owing to the difficul- ties in procuring refrigerator space on trans-Atlantic CANADIAN FISHERMAN ‘scarce. Great quantities of these herring are consum- . capture some of this trade? December, 1915. % steamer, the fish had to be collected in Montreal. The submarine warfare in British coastal waters and the requisitioning of the steam fishing fleets and erews in the work of submarine hunting and patrol- ling caused a scarcity in the British supply and was the motive for the Canadian enquiry. Though the Ger- man submarine ‘‘blockade’’ of Great Britain is an ad- mitted failure, yet these fishing craft cannot be releas- eo, ed from their work. The new activities of the ‘‘subs’’ in the Mediterranean will, no doubt, necessitate a fur- ther drain on the British fishing fleet for the task of “F rounding up the U boats in those waters, All of which points to a continued scarcity of fish in the British markets. Canada and Newfoundland has supplied — many fighting men to the Empire’s Army—give us the word and we’ll supply the fish, too. - OUR OPPORTUNITY IN HERRING PACKING. _ - Owing to European war conditions, Holland, Scotch, __ Irish, Yarmouth and Iceland pickled herring are very . ed in the United States, and at present, it is reported, the demand is greater than the supply, and will con- tinue so for a long time to come. et hes The great market for pickled herring in the United States has caused a furore in both the home and other sources of production. We hear that in Eastport, Maine, they intend putting up 25,000 ten-pound firkins of local herring packed in the Holland style this win- ter. An enterprising firm of American dealers char- tered a steamer recently, and imported 5,000 barrels of salt herring direct from Iceland to New York. Most of this shipment went to Chicago. ree What is Canada and Newfoundland going to do to. 4 Herring is extremely — : plentiful on our Atlantic and Pacifie coasts, and we have been putting up over 150,000 barrels of pickled herring annually ; in Newfoundland the pack is around 75,000 barrels. But where does Canadian and New- _ foundland herring stand to-day? At the bottom of — the market list. Why? Because of sloppy, slip-shod, — any-how packing, and an absolute disregard of the requirements of the market and the tastes of the con-— sumer. as «eee In Canada, the Department of Fisheries has tried hard to bring Canadian herring to a higher standard. : The Pickled Fish Inspection Act was framed and put into operation, and a Scottish herring expert, Mr. J. J. Cowie, travelled around the fishing centres explain- ing the purpose of the Act, which, unfortunately, is. not compulsory, and even made practical demonstra-— tions of the best methods in which to pack herring in the Seotch style. Magazines and newspapers all over the country have given publicity to the urgent need d of better packing, and the publicity given by them and — the Fisheries Department gives no herring fisherman. or packer any excuse to plead ignorance. As regards Newfoundland, the same may be said. The Fisheries Department of the Island Colony have recognized the _ December, 1915. value of better packing in the herring industry and have, like Canada, preached the gospel of better pack- & ing to the fishermen. Dr. Hjort, a Norwegian fisher- jes expert, has investigated and reported on the possi- bilities of the herring fishery in both Canada and New- -foundland, and his reports, with its recommendations, have been published broadeast. A little rousing up, now and again, is a good thing. We all know what fine fisheries we possess, but in ex- oiting them to the best advantage, we have been ‘asleep at the switch.’’ Our best market is right ongside of us, yet the British, Dutch and Scandinav- ian fishermen have put it all over us in getting their products into the United States and even our own aie” markets. It is about time our fishermen and producers woke up. a As an instance of what an ‘‘outsider’’ can do, we quote the work of a well-known Montreal fish dealer tleman spent a few weeks in Nova Scotia on a vaca- tion. At a sea-port town he noticed the manner in ___ which herring were packed by the local fishermen. As an experiment, he procured 100 first-class hardwood bar- _rels, engaged some fishermen and purchased a quan- tity of herring. He packed these according to the rules laid down in the Pickled Fish Inspection Act of 2s Canada, and shipped them up to his store in Mont- real. ~They were sold immediately, and sample bar- -_rels sent to New York, resulted in a large order for pickled herring put up in a similar manner, the Scotch style. So impressed was he with the opportunities in a herring packing, that he went to Newfoundland, and The herring packed by him were large full fish, gut- ted, but with the roe and milt left in. After being well salted with Liverpool salt to keep the scales on before packing, he then packed them all back down close together in rows in the barrel of brine. After eight days in the barrel, the fish were taken out half- way down, the brine drained off, and the barrel re- packed full again. After heading up, new brine was poured in through the bung again. Not a great deal of labour, but enough to bring greater remuneration in marketing. How long are our fishermen going to stand by and look on while strangers come and show them their business, and incidentally make money before their eyes? For the benefit of those who do not know the simple requirements of the Pickled Fish Inspection Act in herring packing, we reproduce an extract. The whole requirements can be obtained by writing the local fisheries officer or the Department of Naval Service, Ottawa. Method of Curing, Packing, Etc of Herring and _ Alewives Necessary to Secure the Brand. Herring to be cured round should have the gills and entrails taken clean away by cutting just be- low the two upper fins, with a sharp knife, and should be thoroughly salted into perfectly tight CANADIAN FISHERMAN 389 clean receptacles immediately after being caught. Herring to be cured as split herring should be neatly opened with a sharp knife, and have the blood seraped from the bone, washed and thor- oughly salted into perfectly tight clean recept- acles immediately after being caught. Alewives should be thoroughly salted into per- fectly tight clean receptacles immediately after being caught. Herring and alewives should be well turned over in salt, and as much of it as possible allowed to stick to each fish before being placed in the afore- mentioned receptacles, in order to prevent one fish from sticking to the other and becoming discol- oured when cured. Herring and alewives shall have been in salt and pickle for not less than ten free uays before being presented for the brand. Herring and alewives should be carefully laid in tiers in the barrels or half-barrels and each tier uniformly salted and completed with two fish laid across the heads of those in the tier, and each sue- cessive tier laid transversely to the tier under- neath, and the heads of the fish kept close to the sides of the barrels of half-barrels. Barrels and half-barrels should be soaked in clean water before filling. In finally packing barrels or half-barrels after the fish have been in salt and pickle not less than ten days fish of the same quality and of the same date of curing should be used, and every barrel should contain two hundred pounds, and every half-barrel one hundred pounds of fish when com- pletely packed. Barrels and half-barrels after being packed should be immediately headed up, made perfectly tight, and filled through a bung hole in the centre of the bilge, with clean pickle made strong enough to float a herring. The fish during the process of curing and hand- ling, and the barrels and half-barrels after being filled must be carefully protected at all times from the weather. After barrels and half-barrels have been fin- ally filled, the top quarter hoops and the chime hoops when of wood should be securely nailed with nails not exceeding one and one-quarter inches in length. The construction of the barrel, grading of the fish, and the method of packing in the popular Seoteh style are given in detail in the booklet covering the Act. Fish packed according to the Act will be branded on the barrel by the Canadian Government which en- sures a guarantee of quality which will pass any buyer and command the best price. Suggestions as to the best method of catching her- ring; the superiority of offshore fish as compared with inshore, and various other details are too lengthy to quote here, but the enterprising fishermen can pro- cure all this information from the Naval Service De- partment, Ottawa, free of charge and merely for the trouble of writing. Opportunty is knocking at our gates. It is up to you, our fishermen and packers, to get busy and not allow Opportunity to pass along. She’s no slacker even if you are. 390 CANADIAN FISHERMAN NEW ONTARIO FISHERY REGULATIONS. On October 29, an Order-in-Council was passed in Ottawa amending the Ontario Fishery Regulations. A digest of the most important regulations pertaining to the commercial fisheries are as follows:— Section 6—Mesh of Gill Nets. (a) The mesh of gillmets used for the catching of her- ring, shall not be less than three inches extension mea- sure, when in use, except in Lake Ontario from Port Union to the mouth of the Niagara River where the tak- ing of herring by nets of a mesh of not less than two and one-half inches extension measure when in use may be permitted, until the thirty-first day of December, 1917, and in Lake Superior where the mesh of such nets shall not be less than two and one-half inches extension mea- sure when in use, provided that in waters not more than eight fathoms deep the use of nets having meshes not less than two and one-quarter inches extension measure, when in use, may be permitted. (b) The mesh of gill-nets used for the catching of whitefish, or salmon trout shall not be less than four and one-half inches extension measure when in use. Section 7—Pickerel. (a) No one shall fish for catch or kill any pickerel, (dore), from the fifteenth day of April to the fifteenth day of June in each year, both days inclusive excepting in the waters of the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay, North Channel, and connecting waters. (Possession in close season without lawful excuse prohibited. See Fisheries Act, Section 29). ; (c) The sale or export of any pickerel, (dore) less than fifteen inches in length which measurement shall be from the point of the nose to the centre of the pos- terior margin of the tail, is hereby prohibited. Section 8—Prohibitions. (a) No one shall fish for large-mouthed or small- mouthed black bass, maskinonge, salmon, speckled trout, brown trout, rainbow or other Pacific trouts through the ice. (b) No one shall fish with snares or artificial lights of any kind. (ec) No one shall fish with gill-nets in the waters of Lake Erie from the fifteenth day of December in each year to the fifteenth day of March next following, both days inclusive. (d) No one shall set or place nets other than hoop- nets, dip-nets or roll-nets, in any river or creek, or within five hundred yards of either side of the entrance thereto, provided that this prohibition shall not apply to carp fishing. (e) No one shall use a trap-net of any kind for the capture of fish. Section 9—Restriction Bay of Quinte. No one shall fish with nets during the months of June, July and August in that portion of the waters of the Bay of Quinte, lying westward of a line drawn from Green Point, in the County of Prince Edward to the eastern limit of the Town of Deseronto, in the County of Hastings. Section 13—Whitefish and Salmon-Trout. (a) In waters where commercial fishing with gill-nets is not permitted, no one shall fish for, catch or kill, any whitefish or salmon-trout from the 5th day of Octo- ber to the 5th day of November in each year, both days inclusive. (b) In waters other than those of the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay, North Channel and connecting waters where commercial fishing with gill-nets is permitted, no one shall fish for, catch or kill any whitefish or salmon- trout from the 5th day of October to the 30th day of No- vember in each year, both days inclusive; provided that in that portion of the Bay of Quinte westward of a straight line drawn due south astronomic across the bay from Conway, in the county of Lennox, to the opposite short in the county of Prince Hdward, no one shall fish for, catch or kill any whitefish or salmon-trout from the ist to the 30th day of November in each year, both days inclusive. Section 14—Exception. Except as to export, none of the foregoing regulations shall apply to fish rearer in any waters set apart or es- tablishments specially licensed by the Province to en- gage in the natural or artificial rearing of fish. Decereben, 1915. PISCATORIAL PARAGRAPHS. Mr. Hugh A. Green, of Saskatoon, and Fish Monger General of Camp Hughes, Manitoba, is shortly billed to appear in vaudeville singing that famous war ditty entitled ‘‘Hughie Green is selling fish for Soldiers.’’ Hughie’s fish have made quite a hit with the boys in khaki, and he has been distributing as much as five tons of halibut, whitefish and kippers weekly. The officers and directors of the Canadian Fisher- ies Association have been elected to remain in office another year. Several matters of importance to the industry are being handled by them, and it was the — unanimous wish of the members that the present exe- cutive retain their office and continue the work un- dertaken by the Association. : According to Dr. Hjort, the Norwegian fishery ex- pert, Canadian herring are inferior to Scotch and Nor- wegian herring owing to the fact that the Canadian fish are caught inshore when they. come to spawn. — The foreign herring are caught offshore, and are three year herring which have not spawned. The local var- — iety is a four-year herring which are caught along- shore during the spawning period. Dr. Hjort will suggest ways and means for the prosecution of an off- shore herring fishery in Canada, and his report will be published in the near future. The fishermen over in England have found one of the greatest sports in the world—that of submarine hunting. An English correspondent states that the fishermen are eager to ship on the steam trawlers en- gaged in this work, and the dangerous job of round- ing up the U boats is regarded as being ‘‘bally good sport.’’ With a fleet of fast steam trawlers equipped with quick-firing guns and nets, ‘‘hunting the Huns,’’ the so-called ‘‘blockade’’ has been a failure, and credit must be given to the nervy men of the fishing fleets. The report of the Commissioner of Fisheries for British Columbia, 1914, is an exceedingly interesting document. The fisheries of the Province amounted to $18,891,398—a decrease over the previous year owing to the reduction in size of the sockeye salmon pack and a falling off in the price realized for hali- but. Nevertheless, the statistics are encouraging, con- sidering the depression caused by the curtailment of i markets owing to the war. CANADIAN CANNED HERRINGS FOR AUSTRALIA. The Trade and Commerce Department, Ottawa, ad- vises that: ‘‘Owing to British and Continental pack- ers of canned fish being unable to supply the Aus- tralian requirements, there is at present an unprece- dented demand for such lines as canned herrings— fresh and in tomato sauce—and sardines. The Cana- dian pack put up by Messrs. Connors Bros., Ltd., Black’s Harbour, New Brunswick, has, through its Australian representation, sold (up to October 20), nearly 11,000 eases of herrings and sardines, In fact, the packers’ limit of herrings has been sold in its en- tirety, and it is anticipated that some 5,000 additional cases of sardines will easily be sold during the next bp or two on shipments spread over until March, There is ample room for other lines of Canadian canned fish, including lines of herrings and sardines with lowest f.0.b. steamer quotations,’’ , eee. a oe ie children. December, 1915. FRANCE MAY GIVE UP MIQUELON. The possibility that the Miquelon archipelago, the last North American possession of France, may be an- nexed to Newfoundland at the close of the European war is receiving serious consideration in that colony. The little islands of St. Pierre, Miquelon and Langla- 3 de, a short distance off the south coast of Newfound- ; have formed for two centuries the advance base for the _ French cod fishery on the Grand Banks. ' In recent years the prosperity of the tiny colony has steadily diminished and all possibility of industrial progress for some time to come was destroyed when the French government in February last summoned all the able-bodied men in the island to the colors. The town of St. Pierre, where most of the colonists live is now inhabited only by aged men, women and It is considered probable that such of the conseripts as survive the war will be reluctant to re- turn to a struggling existence in the colony and will seek wider opportunities in France. Since bait fishing by the French has been largely supplanted by steam trawlers the usefulness of the fish- eries output has become slight. It is the opinion of many Newfoundlers therefore, that France will find it j to her advantage to turn the islands over to Newfound- land in return for fishing facilities in these waters. — New York Sun. FISH TRADE WITH GRENADA, B.W.I. The feature of the year in the fish trade was large importation from Newfoundland. More fish came al- so from Canada. Barbados, which for a number of years has been the supply house for the neighbouring islands, appears to be losing some of his trade, as it valued £6,205 in 1913, and was only £587 last year. The particulars of the import will be seen in the following statement :— CANADIAN FISHERMAN Fish, dried, salted or smoked— Imports of Fish. United Kingdom .. United States .. .. Newfoundland .. .. Barbados .. .. Trinidad .. .... Canada . Venezuela .. ..... Other Countries .. if 3 . ee fs Fish, canned :— United Kingdom .. . Dilted Belted As Ee). Portugal .. .. Norway .. . France .. Canada .. .. IIA ie ss ew cok CIS Fish, pickled :— Newfoundland ain oc cc eae United States . Canadas Vs &. Barbados ... . 391 lbs. £ Quantity Value. 10,298 163 40,197 437 525,574 6,597 36,936 419 8,291 89 224,840 2,968 98,848 1,173 530 12 945,514 11,858 7,909 333 8,430 245 3,738 135 773 14 773 27 27 2 54 2 21,302 758 58,200 338 25,715 215 53,500 250 47,825 168 185,240 971 Rough and windy weather along the Atlantic coast during November has interfered greatly with the sup- ply of groundfish. Haddock has been very scarce. | 1915 DECEMBER FISH DAY CALENDAR 1915 I Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur. Fri. Sat. a - 1 2 3 4 8 9 20 27 10 11 17 18 24 31 25 15th and 18th Ember Days, 392 CANADIAN FISHERMAN December, 1915. SOPPCOSSSOSOOSOSOTPOPOSEIEStOPOPPPPOHOOTererPeree eer Ter anne en tn ae > ; : The Story of Nova Sco- 3 verte seve @ b B © tia’s Fishing Centre, Told 4 $ Lunenburg’s Banner Year = 3 fits Pistine Centre Tod ® o.. © 2999 9O 990O9909 0999909990900 99 999909000 9999999 99H999 9990999999909 0900900000 90000000000 When the Lunenburg bankers went forth early last nh Seep aia he Bi 118 154,065 1,305 spring and there were storms and loss of gear and TOLD. acon eed 118 227,245 1,827 other setbacks which only the March winds can cause, the wiseacres shook their heads and frowned omin- ously. When the ice blocked the Straits and the ves- sels could not get bait, the wiseacres still continued to frown, and ‘‘ Blue Ruin’’ was the verdict for this town, which is so dependent on the success of its fishing sea- sons. But suddenly that little god of luck which had been dancing on the bowsprits during the March winds, got tired of playing pranks, and settled down to be good and then the troubles of the fisherman vanished, at least for those who fished off the Nova Scotia’ coast, and many of the vessels will show a good profit for the work of 1915. Captain Abraham Cook, High Line Skipper. True, those who stayed at Newfoundland made a poor summer, but then such are the fortunes of the fisherman, and with his usual optimism, he is hoping for better grace next year. A tabulated statement of the number of vessels engaged, catch and catch per schooner, shows the following results for the past ten years: Vessels. Quintals. Av. per vessel SOO eo is Vente 134 120,970 902 RO Bcd Bias koe 109 123,625 1,134 I90D 4.58. beckeweas 110 138,180 1,256 BOG sede Fae es 93 173,582 1,866 itt § TeSRa les 2. haraaien ie 102 216,400 2,051 1 1s RAGES. ace 122 216,450 1,774 EBIS. 5\sbc oeve ss wed 136 211,080 1,552 1018 i 553s eee 121 211,405 1,747 It will be seen from the foregoing that 1915’s re- turns are the largest for many years, exceeding that of last year by 70,000 quintals. Captain Abraham Cook, with a total catch of 4,000 quintals, is again high liner, that is, of course, for the spring and summer trips. It is no novelty for him to occupy this position, and he takes his honor very eas- ily, apparently thinking it of little importance. He is proud of his schooner, the James Burton Cook, which is named after his son, and his pride in her is certainly justifiable. Bank cod to-day are quoted at $6.50 per quintal, with every prospect of a sharp advance. The outlook for this market is very bright, in fact, for all kinds of dry or pickled fish. The stocks in the stores are ex- tremely low for this season; all lots incoming find a ready sale at full prices. The Lunenburg fishermen to-day hold the key to the situation in their own hands, and the probability is that following the primary market at St. John’s, Nfld., the prices. will advance still higher in the next few weeks. Buyers from Seotland have invaded the market for dry fish, and this new demand strikes a sharper note to strengthen the situation. The spring catch, brought on an average $5.75 per quintal, and aproximated 100,000 quintals. Averaging the total catch at $6.00 per quintal, it can be seen at a glance that it is a good thing to be a Lunenburg fish- erman, when dividends are being paid. Fishing as an industry, certainly dates back to the very earliest days of this continent. We may go still further and say that it was a means of obtaining a livelihood in the days of our Saviour, and it was from fishers of the sea that He made ‘‘Fishers of men.’’ As early as the 12th Century, the Basque and fisher- men of Norway made trips in their erude crafts, some historians claiming that this continent was visited by them, even before Columbus discovered it—the econ- troversy over the Norse Stone of Yarmouth, which re- eently was sent to Norway, and which claimed the most violent partisans, possibly lending color to this claim. At any rate, in the 14th Century, there is a record of English fishermen coming to Iceland, and, after the landing of John and Sebastian Cabot, they visited and fished off the shores of what was then called ‘‘Bacecalaos,’’ the land of dried ecod-fish, now known as Newfoundland, and the coasts of Nova Seo- tia, New Brunswick and Maine. To-day the United States and Canada are facing the problem of a meat shortage. In the Chicago market, alone, there is a shortage of 15,000,000 calves. Suppos- ing that every calf was conserved for four years, it would take that period to even catch up the supply, and, of course, that is an impossibility—to conserve every calf. With this shortage of meat in view, the next thing is to educate the people to use more fish on their tables, and here come the possibilities of the Canadian fisheries and the advantages which are offered by the use of fish as a food. It is passing strange that with the vast wealth of the ocean at our very doors, so to RS a ee a —- December, 1915. speak, native Canadians have not a very strong taste for fish, and have little or no knowledge of the value of fish as food. They seem to be obsessed with the idea that to become healthy and strong, meat must be the chief article of diet. Nothing could be more erron- eous. Fish is rich in nitrogenous food, and at a much lower price supplies energy to carry on the every day tasks of life, and for young persons is a highly nutri- tious tissue builder. For instance, fish is only about 2 __ per cent less in nitrogenous elements than meat, and a pound of cod steak will furnish almost as much of ourishment as a pound of beefsteak, but when the prices are compared the ratio is entirely different. Halibut, which, of course, is a more expensive fish than cod, but rarely more than one-third as expensive as meat, is even richer in nitrogen than meat. Every day the fact that fish food is being more ap- preciated is being demonstrated, as there are many varieties of edible fish being used at present which some years ago were thrown away. The demand for green and smoked fish, too, is growing greater every year, a fact which was recently recognized by a dis- honest dealer, who dyed codfish a nice rich brown, resemble smoked salmon. It is a funny thing about fish as food, that, if it has not a pleasing name, it will not meet with favor as food, and yet if people eat it and do not know what it is, they appear to find it palatable enough, even dogfish being accepted, when disguised. The fish trade is no trade for an innocent to contend with, as many jokes have been played on the misleading names _ of “Digby Chickens,’’ and ‘‘Bombay Ducks,’’ the un- wary purchaser thinking he is surely going to buy poul- a he hears these names. : is safe to predict, however, that the day is rapid- ly approaching when fish will form an important por- tion of the daily food of our people, and when that day comes, there will be a steady and rapid growth of the fishing industry. - The total value of all kinds of fish marketed by Ca- ~ nadian fishermen during the fiscal year ending March 1915, was $31,057,550, of this Nova Scotia contributed $7,730,181, New Brunswick $4,940,083, and Prince Ed- - ward Island $1,261,666, and it is estimated that over 84,000 persons engaged in this business, and that $22,- - 000,000 is invested in the sea fisheries. _ How many persons are there that ever dreamed that that much money was represented by the Cana- ’ ___ dian fishing industry? = European fish of all kinds are scarce, and there is a * sharp demand for fish for Mediterannean ports, and the sailing vessels are coming in to their own once more as fish carriers, many of the steamers that were engaged in this business before the war being now re- quisitioned for other service. A number of our ves- sels have been chartered at Newfoundland for this _ trade, the usual charter for these vessels is, coal from Louisburg to Newfoundland, thence dryfish to Italy, Oporto or Spain, after which on the return passage, ) _they generally load salt for the Lunenburg merchants ' for the use of the bankers, next spring. There have been several vessels sold from here to Newfoundland ia purchasers, among these being the ‘‘Douglas Adams,”’ ** Henry L. Montague,’ ‘“‘Gladys and Lilian,’’ and “Hazel L. Reteey,’’ the latter being the fourteenth vessel purchased in Lunenburg by Captain J. H. _ - Young, of St. Jacques, Nfld., which is a pretty fair advertisement for Lunenburg builders. Despite this faet, the fleet does not diminish, as they are steadily oe ee Eee ee CANADIAN FISHERMAN 393 replaced, Messrs. Smith & Rhuland having two on the stocks at present, as well as a steamer for La Have Steamship Company. The Marine Railway is kept busy overhauling and repairing the schooners, and Lunenburg is secure in the knowledge that there is no lack of work or money for its citizens. Several of the vessels are engaging in the fall fishing trade, although this is an industry that ean and should improve. The two boneless fish factories here are doing a rushing trade. At Robin Jones and Whitman’s, the demand is very brisk, and they are shipping to Win- nipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, as well as Toronto and Quebec. G. J. Mason’s fish plant, situated in one of the most beautiful and picturesque parts of Nova Scotia, has a fine business, and the product of both these houses has no superior. The Lunenburg captains, who have held out for high prices, will be the ones to reap a harvest this year. The following is a statement for the fleet for 1915: Vessels. Captains. Quintals. James Burton Cook, COR oN oe wees 4,000 James Douglas, Romkey 8 a cee 3,100 Harry W. Adams, VERT Reblog ae Re 3,000 Lilian B. Corkum Capen to we weg cs 3,000 Douglas B. Creaser, CiNGaNeE: Sac SN eee 3,150 J.D. Hazen Himmelman .......... 3,120 Muriel E. Winters, interes aa es owes 2,900 Elsie B. Corkum Corea fee cc. ses 2,550 Ada M. Westhaver, Westhaver sw. ss oes 2,350 Allison H. Maxner, Masner os lasix eek 1,700 Earl Gray, MUO eS) Sr ae hee 1,700 Lloyd George Himmelman. ........ 1,450 Arcana, PROD Rs aleeie'es 1,800 Marion Mosher, Mosher So pean 2,650 Muriel B. Walters Walters (i. weeps 1,400 Frances W. Smith Mossman. ho. .ne see 2,600 Marjory E.Backman, Backman ........ 2,450 Clintonia, © Mae 26 620i dh ineas 2,600 Cecil L. Beek, WROO oe ss GAG oh aa bias 1,950 Eva June, MODHBLE? = ks dielea's ne 1.850 Russel H. Pentz, POUGR Nes hav adieha 2,150 Elsie M. Hart, Corian 5 So Fic ssaa 2,900 Frank H. Adams, SPODEBT 83s sas de ede a 2,150 M. M. Gardner, FAGRABOB as ace a's 2,350 W. C. Smith, POR hee tiet pang ase elalara. 2,700 Hawanee, TRO Pe ae ss Giw ale a a 2,250 Henry M. Montagne, TRIO MO 552 aig awe 1,900 W. T. White, NOOR asi Vader eee 2,800 Delawana OGRE ie ea a ae a 2,900 Revenue, PROGR OD oe a dase hs 2,400 Assurance, RIOR OG ety oe ae ate 1,750 Carrie E. Hirtle, ho bi) CaP ay co eares epee 2,500 W. H. Smith, PASM tie ls earaw acini 1,950 Revenue, MIOUUME ii alr ga cot 1,700 Benevolence, Caries. or ee 2,700 Artisan WY MIRREN ley ae ose 1,450 F. M. Toro, eb Rye a aa rte 2,750 Araminta, CERRINA i ee ca 1,310 W.C. MeKay, Mee aac ue eas 2,100 Uda A. Saunders, BOING ei cccses 2,000 Lauretta Frances PEDO ee ans was 2,600 Wautauga, POON es ie 2,050 Arcola, PAMGMee 2, sc sins care 2,300 Marian Adams, MOUEMID Ne waa at 2,700 Warren M. Winters, NOR a ace cay 2,675 Marian Silver RUIVOR Ot SNS eens 1,850 394 R. L. Borden, Lottie Silver Donald L. Silver, Hazel L. Riteey Metapedia, Associate, Jennie E. Duff, Lowell Parks, Vera J. Himmelman, Gladys B. Smith, Mantanzas, Annie L. Spindler, Itaska, A. G. Eisenhauer, Passedena, Viola May, Phyllis Westhaver, Evelyn Miller, Original, Elsie M. Porter, Frank H. Brinton, H. H. MacIntosh, Douglas Adams, Jennie E. Ritcey, Elsie Birdett, Gigantie, Marjorie E. McGlashen, Alfarett, Mary Flemming, Helen M. Coolen, Norma E. Coolen Tipperary, Pearl Beatrice, Amy B. Silver, Caranza, Warren G. Colp, Granite, Golden West, Dorothy Sarty, Minnie Mosher, Monarchy, Clark S. Corkum, Douglas L. Conrad, Ella May, Nobility, Carl S., E. B. Walters, Cento, Falcon, J.B. Young, Loyola, J. W. Margeson, Ella Mason, W. G. Robertson, Guide, Marina, Abacenia, Mankato, Emily M. Selig, Folka, Mattawa, Otokio, Mary and Mildred, Dorothy Adams, Lucille B. Creaser, Marion Helena, Louis H. Smith, Leta J. Schwartz, Edyth Marguerite, CANADIAN FISHERMAN Himmelman Silver Silver Ritecey Backman Backman Himmelman Parks Conrad Oickle Wentzell Spindler Ritcey Sarty Wentzell Wentzell Westhaver Miller Conrad Eisenhauer Gilfoy Weinacht DeCoursey Ritcey Wentzel Parks Wamback Weinacht Zinck Coolen Coolen Walter Hubley Silver Conrad Colp Richards Getson Sarty Bowers Lohnes Corkum Conrad Hubley Croft Schmeisser Walters Fralic Walters Himmelman Fralic Conrad Publicover Publicover Getson Greek Romkey Walters Selig Conrad Zinek Ernst Conrad Tanner Creaser Burgoyne Westhaver Schwartz Ritteey eee ew eee eee eww ee eee we eee eee erees eee ew ene eee ee aee eee ee eee sheen eee December, 1915. John Parker, Peaugin ra roe eed 1,400 Aranoka, Sarty. 4 snteeay 1,600 Total 1: cf. eae eee Ay lees io Fat ok 227,245 CHANGE IN NEW BRUNSWICK LOBSTER ING LAWS. On Nov. 11th., His Royal Highness the Governer General In Council, under and in virtue of the provi- = sions of section 45 of the Fisheries Act, 45 George V, Chapter 8, is pleased to order as follows :— Subsection 1 of section 8 of the Special Fishery Reg- : ulations for the Province of New Brunswick, adopted by Order in Council of the 9th February, 1915, is here- by rescinded, and the following substituted in lieu thereof :— “*1. (a) No one shall fish for, catch, kill or sell lobster, from the 16th day of June in each year, to the 14th day of November following, both days inclusive, on and along that portion of the coast of the water thereof, of the Province of New Brunswick, embraced and included within the County of Charlotte, nor shall any one within the above described limits fish for, catch or kill at any time any lobster or lobster, the carapace of which measures less than 434 inches in length.’’ (b) No one shall fish for, catch, kill or sell lobsters from the Ist day of June in each year to the 14th day of November following, both days ineluisye, on and along that portion of the coast or the waters thereof, of the Province of New Brunswick, embraced and included within the County of St. John, nor shall any one within the above described limits fish for, catch, or kill at any time any lobster or lobsters under nine inches in length, measuring from head to tail, ex- clusive of claws or feelers.’’ . HALF MILLION POUNDS OF HALIBUT COMING FROM PRINCE RUPERT. ~ Prince Rupert, B.C., Nov. 17. — A new fishery re- cord for the Port has just been made, over half a mil- lion pounds of fresh halibut being landed here in two days. and placed in refrigerator cars, it is being sent to the Eastern markets. Seventeen car loads of halibut, the greatest single shipment ever made, left on two trains over the Grand Trunk Pacifie. banks. With better conditions prevailing the water front here presents an active appearance both day and night, many of the ships bringing in over 100.000 pounds of halibut. There is little diffieulty in dispos- ing of even these big catches as the markets in Chica- go, New York, Montreal, Toronto and other large ei- ties now look forward to consignments of Prince Ru- pert halibut, the method of transportation in Cana- dian Express Refrigerator cars guaranteeing perfect = condition. Even the sea is being impressed into the service of the — supply of munitions. I hear from San Franciseo that the kelp erop of the Pacifie Ocean is to be harvested in order to obtain an ingredient used in making am- — munition for the warring nations of Europe. — Nep- — tune in Shipping World. a a ee Just as fast as the fish can be packed in ice q The big catches have a followed a period of rough weather on the fishing _ December, 1915. Commercial Aspects of the Canadian Fishing Industry Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,—When requested by your committee recently to deliver a short address on the practical problems connected with the sale and dis- tribution of fish, it occurred to me that you had indeed given a wide latitude, as the practical problems are so many and so varied that they might well be a task be- yond my ability. The difficulties connected with the production and distribution of perishable fish products include the quick and proper handling at points of production as well as transportation to our inland centres and the distribution therefrom, through regular sources, to the consumer. In recent years much progress has been made in im- proving the methods of taking the fish and especially do I refer to deep sea fishing for what are known as ground fish, including cod, haddock, flounders, witch- es, hake, pollock, ete., by the introduction of steam trawlers, several of which have been operated during the past few years off the coast of Nova Scotia. For- merly the catch was almost entirely secured by fishing vessels operating dories, from which trawls were set, each trawl carrying from 1,000 to 1,500 baited hooks, attached to the main line by gangings set about 3 to 6 feet apart. The frequent scarcity of bait and the difficulty ex- perienced in securing the same very often caused the complete cessation of fishing, and at such time the fleet, numbering from, 50 to 100 vessels, might be held in ports for weeks, due to lack of bait. This trouble was partly overcome by the establishment of bait freezers, subsidized by the Government, where bait could be frozen and carried to provide a supply dur- ing any temporary scarcity, but this difficulty has not been entirely overcome, and will exist at certain sea- sons of the year. Another source of annoyance and loss to the fisher- men is the prevalence of dogfish, which appear at cer- tain periods of the year in large schools, and while this pest lasts—at times from two to six weeks, the length of time varying in different localities—the fishermen will not set their trawls for cod, haddock, or other food fishes, because the dogfish destroy any other species on the trawls and when taken also destroy the trawls to such an extent that they become practically a total loss. The establishment in recent years of reduc- tion plants at principal points has made _ it possible for fishermen to use special trawls for taking dogfish, which are sold to the reduction plant and by them converted into fertilizer. This has helped to a large extent to remove one of the greatest terrors of the deep sea fishermen, but the trouble still exists and at times is the cause of heavy losses to fishermen, through the loss of their gear. Frequent storms and gales prevailing along the coast are very often a source of loss, since the fishing fleet is compelled to remain in port until these storms CANADIAN FISHERMAN 395 Address delivered be- fore the Commission of Conservation, Ottawa, by Mr. D. J. Byrne, Presi- dent, Canadian Fisheries’ Association. subside, because it is not only dangerous, but prac- tically impossible to do any dory fishing while they last. This refers to the method of fishing with vessels carrying from 6 to 12 dories, each dory manned by two fishermen, who bait and set the trawls from these frail craft, lifting them to remove the fish and rebait at-intervals of from three to six hours, according to the location and the prevalence of the fish on the banks where they operate. After lifting the trawls the dories return to the ves- sel with their catch, which is then gutted to remove the entrails and packed in ice or salt, which will keep it in good condition until the vessel returns to port. Prevalence of dogfish also affects fishing from shore- boats, which, as the term implies operate in bays and inlets near the home port. Dogfish always run in large schools and they not only chase all other kinds of ed- ible fish, but destroy nets, trawls and other gear used by fishermen when plying their hazardous trade. With the introduction of steam trawlers, using the Otter trawl, which is a bag-like contrivance made of strong rope and weighted to keep it near the bottom. The Otter trawl is dragged at a considerable distance behind the vessel, which steams at a slow speed and is stopped from time to time in order to lift the trawl and remove the fish to the deck of the vessel. This method obviates the necessity of using bait and also permits fishing to be carried on during stormy or rough weather, so that the supply is more regular, al- though cost of these steam trawlers, as well as ex- pense of operating them are necessarily much higher than the older method. A large and profitable trade has been carried on for more than one hundred years in our Canadian codfish, which is cured by salting and drying for foreign mar- kets. These fish find a ready sale, not only in the various Mediterranean ports, but also in the West In- dies, Brazil and other South American countries. Large quantities of codfish, haddock, hake and pollock are also salted and partly dried for the requirements of the United States markets, while on the Pacifie Coast during the last 30 years there has been built up a very large and profitable fishing industry in connection with our Pacific salmon, which is now exported to nearly all parts of the world in cans. A_ profitable business has also been developed in mild cured, or pickled salmon, quantities being exported to Central European countries, while in more recent years anoth- er important industry has been built up in the hand- ling of fresh and frozen halibut and salmon. Large cold storage plants have been established, where the fish are frozen promptly after being taken and are later shipped in refrigerator cars to all parts of Can- ada and the United States, while within the past few years some trade has been developed for export to Eu- rope. In our Great Lakes there is a very large fishing in- dustry carried on, not only during the summer and 396 fall months, but also in mid-winter, when the fish are taken through the ice and owing to climatic condi- tions these fish can be transported long distances without requiring expensive methods of refrigeration. They are frozen naturally as soon as taken from the water and are shipped to various centres in the Unit- ed States, especially to the Western States, although there is growing demand for Canadian lake fish in Eastern markets also. I regret to say that the greater part of the Cana- dian Lake fishing business is controlled by United States firms, and this is due to the fact that more than 90 per cent of the total output finds its market in the United States. We are mostly concerned here with the fishing trade and the distribution of fish as it affects Cana- dians, and in this connection the question of transpor- tation becomes a very important factor. Owing to the great distances which our fish products have to be carried, also to the sparse population, the cost of hand- ling and delivering to the centres where these fish are consumed, is necessarily high. During the spring and summer months and until cold weather sets in, a large portion of our fish have to be transported by Express at very high transportation rates, which frequently amount to as much, or more than the initial cost of the fish at point of production. In former years, when transportation facilities were not what they should be, it was of frequent occur- rence that the quality of the fish became seriously af- fected while in transit, due to the method, or rather lack of method, in which they were carried. I am pleased to say that conditions in this regard have im- proved very materially and with better transportation facilities it is now possible to have the fish carried great distances in comparative safety, so that they reach distributing markets in first class condition. — Refrigerator cars are supplied at important ship- ping points for the transportation of fresh and mild cured smoked fish. These cars are provided with bunkers or ice chests at either end of the car, which are filled with ice at shipping points and through the medium of icing stations placed along the lines of rail- way companies, the supply of ice is renewed from time to time, thereby providing regular cool temperatures during the time they are in transit. As an instance of this method, I might say that refrig- erator cars containing fresh halibut are shipped regu- larly from Pacifie Coast points, like Vancouver, Stev- eston, New Westminster and even as far north as Prince Rupert, to cities in the East like Toronto and Montreal, and although the fish are in transit from 41% to 6 days, if in fresh condition when shipped from starting point, they will reach destination in good saleable condition. Ieed refrigerator ears are also provided at Maul- grave and Halifax, N.S., as well as at St. John, N.B., for carrying fresh fish to points in Quebec and Ontar- io, while similar cars are now used to carry frozen fish from points on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to the interior, salt being added to ice in bunk- ers of the cars and by replenishing the supply of ice and salt in bunkers of these cars at regular intervals while in transit it is possible to move cars of frozen and smoked fish from Mulgrave and Halifax to points as far west as Winnipeg and Calgary during the months of September, October and November without any deterioration to quality of the contents. While good facilities are afforded for the shipping CANADIAN FISHERMAN - December, 1915. of fresh and frozen fish in car lots, there is still room for improvement on small shipments which are car- ried by express, because express companies do not supply any refrigeration or modern methods, the fish being carried with other goods in the same car in which the messenger rides, and these cars are heated, so that the quality of the fish is very often impaired by the time is reaches its destination. ] 5 The express companies, who do a profitable busi- ness in carrying fish from many points should be com- pelled to provide suitable refrigeration, and it has been proved possible that by dividing the express car one portion can be equipped with bunkers for ice, thereby ensuring similar safe conditions as refrigera- tor cars which are used on the freight service. While on the subject of transportation, it would be well to mention the great assistance rendered by the Government to the fishing industry and the many ad- vantages derived therefrom; realizing that cost of transportation by express increases the price of fish to consumers at points far distant from the source of production and thereby curtails the demand, the Naval Service Department of our Canadian Govern- ment pay 1-3 of express charges on all fresh or mild — cured smoked fish with a view to increasing the sale — and consumption of fish at inland points. Results obtained far exceeded our most sanguine a expectations and the increased sale of both fresh fis and smoked fish, such as haddies, fillets, ete., which are cured from fresh fish and are consequently highly perishable, has been so great as to justify the expen- diture made with this end in view. The payment of 1-3 of express chargés by the Government is intended to reduce cost and thereby foster a greater demand for fish, so that consumption would increase to a point — where carload lots could be forwarded in lieu of small- er quantities, it being assumed that when the business __ had been developed to a point where carload lots could be handled the question of transportation charges would right itself, because the larger quantities, it was _ assumed, would secure lower transportation rates, __ The Canadian Government assumes responsibility for 1-3 of the express charges on Canadian fish from — 7 the Atlantic Coast to all points as far west as Toron- to, and from the Pacifie Coast as far east as Winni- peg, but when quantity in one shipment amounts to 20,000 lbs., which is minimum weight for earload, this Government assistance is withdrawn, for reasons which I have already stated. a3 Unfortunately the expected result has not always been attained, and I have in mind instances where _ carload lots shipped by express to Montreal from point of shipment in Nova Seotia were charged at full _ express rate for smaller quantities and the express company learned that the Government declined to pay __ 1-3 of the charges, in view of the fact that the ship- ment amounted to a sufficient quantity for a earload lot. sear In my opinion, express companies should be com- _ pelled to quote a lower rate on ear lots than they charge on smaller shipments, because it is not always” a possible to use the freight service in view of the dis- tances traversed and consequent length of time the fish _ must be in transit. Distribution. Methods now obtaining for marketing the fish at _ producing points is to ship quantities to centres where _ distribution can be made more readily and under best 4 conditions; in most of the large cities wholesale firms — a | Deivnbat 1915. have modern cold storage facilities for the safe hand- ling and carrying of fish, and these in turn distribute - to retailers in the various cities, as well as to small _ towns and villages within a certain radius. Before re-shipping the fresh fish are packed with _ iee in suitable carriers and are delivered to the retail- er within a few hours, the time varying according to distance. While at some seasons, such as during the winter months, the fish ean be carried safely by freight but it is necessary that transportation be made by express during a large portion of the year, to insure prompt delivery. It might be said in connection with the distribution to the ultimate consumer the methods now obtaining vary to such an extent as to leave no room for com- parison. While it is claimed by some that the distri- bution of fish to consumers should be made from spe- cial fish shops, or markets, it must be remembered that this is not possible while the demand is of limited pro- portion and in my opinion much larger quantities will be consumed by obtaining the widest possible distri- bution through the medium of dealers handling other a: commodities, provided, of course, that sufficient care _ and attention is given to the handling of such a highly _ perishable product as fresh fish. __- In our country the sale of fish has not assumed any- thing like the proportion that should obtain, in view of the fact that fish is not only an excellent substitute _ for high priced foods, like meats and poultry, on _ which prices are continually advancing, but also be- cause fish is an excellent food, containing all the ne- -_eessary nutritive properties, and should become a sta- ple article of food in our Canadian homes, instead of being, as at present an occasional substitute, or in _ some cases a compulsory change from the regular - menu. . No great difficulty has to be overcome in obtaining _ this wide distribution and thereby increasing the con- _ sumption of fish, since the butchers’ shops and other stores where perishable products are sold are compell- ed to have a supply of ice—this being the only requis- ite for handling fish in a satisfactory manner. It has been proven beyond doubt that fish ean be handled and the fish department made a distinct suc- cess in departmental stores in the large Canadian cit- _ ies, as well as a great many cities in the United States, and this being the case it is only necessary for the dealers who wish to develop a trade in fish with their customers, to set apart a small portion of their store or shop where a fish department can be installed with very little expense, simply by placing a suitable re- frigerator box, preferably with a glass cover, in which the fish ean be carried, packed in crushed ice, thereby assuring desirable temperature and by keeping the fish away from the flies, dust, etc., ensuring the keep- ing quality, so that it will reach the consumer in good eondition. With the addition of a block on which to cut the fish and a special seale for weighing them, a fish de- partment is installed with very little expense, while _ providing all that is required. By careful methods the handling and distribntion of the fish from its souree of production, through the wholesale and retail dealers, it will reach the ultimate consumer in good condition and prove economical and tasty and at the same time help to avoid the oft heard complaint with regard to the high cost of living. If we ean sueceed in educating the publie to the value of fish as a regular food supply and an economi- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 397 cal substitute for meat, we will not only furnsh our Canadian people with an excellent food at a low cost, but we will, at the same time help to develop one of our great natural resources, which is the highest form of true patriotism. FISH CULTURE. Artificial fish culture is a necessity in connection with some of Canada’s best food and game fishes. This is due in the first place to over-fishing. Then many of the feeding and spawning grounds in the lakes and ri- vers have been ruined by the careless deposition of in- dustrial and other wastes. These conditions apply es- pecial force to such lake species as the whitefish, one of the finest of the food fishes. In 1915, approximately 281 million whitefish fry were distributed in the Great Lakes. During the present season three new hatcher- ies are in operation. One of these, situated near Ke- nora, Ontario, was designed for the propagation of whitefish and has a capacity of 70 million eggs. A se- cond, at Thurlow, near Belleville, Ontario, replaces a smaller one that had been in operation in former years at Neweastle. It will accommodate eight million sal- mon trout and over 60 million whitefish, and the third, in Qu’Appelle Park, has a capacity of 50 million eggs. CATCHING FISH BY MIRRORS. A Lindsay Ont. disciple of Izaak Walton has struck on a new idea by way of catching fish, without hook or line, and as he has a patent pending on the invention he is not afraid to give the secret to the public. He will place a mirror in the water of a lake or stream, and in front of it a plate glass slanting at an angle of 45 degrees. The bait will be placed between the two. As the fish approaches he will see his image in the mirror, and thinking it is another fish that is after the coveted morsel will act promptly by making a quick dash for the bait, striking the plate glass and sliding up into a net placed at the top. ’ SOME FACTS ABOUT OCEAN DEPTHS The greatest ocean depth yet sounded is 31,200 feet, near the island of Guam. If Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, were plucked from its seat and drop- ped into this spot the waves would roll 2,000 feet about its erest. Into this terrible abyss the waters press down with a force more than 10,000 pounds to the square inch. The staunchest ship ever built would be crumbled under this awful pressure like an egg shell under a steam roller. A pine beam fifteen feet long which held open the mouth of the trawl used in mak- ing a cast of a depth of more than 18,000 feet was erushed flat as if it had been passed between rollers. The body of the man who would attempt to venture to such depths would be compressed until the flesh was forced into the interstices of the bone and his trunk was no larger than a rolling pin. Still the body would reach the bottom. A FISHY TELEPHONE STORY. “*T believe,”’ said the impatient man, as he put aside the telephone, ‘‘that I’ll go fishing.’’ “‘Did’nt know you eared for fishing.’’ “T don’t ordinarily. But it’s the only chance I have of finding myself at the end of a line that isn’t busy,” —(Washington Star). FISHERMAN December, 1915. abbas be ee ed Ae GOOG OG9HG9 OG OHO OGG OG HOGG 99H GOOG OOD Who’s Who in the Fishing Worl 7 HOO NHOHHYHHHHOHOHHOOHOHYHGHOHOHOHOHHOHOHHOHOHOHOOOO VVOVO? OOOSSSOObObob>b>br>t> VO? ‘““Why don’t you ask F. W. Bissett?’’ That is the question which sooner or later greets the inquirer into the fishing industry of the Maritime Provinces. It is the penalty that Mr. F. W. Bissett, the genial head of the firm of F. W. Bissett & Company, Halifax, pays for being a cyclopedia of information on the Eastern Can- ada and Newfoundland fish industry. A hackneyed phrase may be applied to him with literal truth—What he doesn’t know about the industry is not worth knowing. Mr. Bissett’s grandfather was employed largely in the fishing trade at River Bourgeoise, Richmond Coun- ty, Nova Scotia. He owned a large number of sailing vessels and shipped cod and other fish to the West In- dies and to various South American purts. His father also carried on business at River Bourgeoise and sub- sequently at Halifax. Mr. Bissett’s entrance into the trade was made as the representative in Newfoundland of one of the largest English fish importing houses. After serving in this position for some time his capacity for steady work, sound judgment and absolute integrity brought him to the favorable notice of the large exporting firms at St. John’s. Three of these firms who were exporting vast quantites of fish to various Italian ports finally per- suaded him to go to Italy as their representative. After a year of strenuous work in Italy, Mr. Bissett resigned his position, much to the regret of his em- ployers and came to Halifax where in 1905 he estab- SOSSOSO Be VOUVIIY VOVPIOPYPYPIYYPODIPIY lished the firm of which he became the head. The firm handles all kinds of fish and also fish oils. The oils are cod and seal oil. The seal oil is obtained principally from the Magdalen Islands. The seals seem to strike in there periodically — generally onee in every six years. ‘‘In 1909’’, said Mr. Bissett, ‘‘about 60,000 seals were caught in those islands while during this past season the catch would not be much over 4,000 seals.’’ The cod oil is obtained from the cod livers, but is not cod-liver oil. In obtaining the cod oil the livers are tried out in the sun. In the manufacture of cod-liver oil the livers are steamed while fresh. The firm owns three-masted vessels which are engaged in the foreign trade. ‘“‘There are many problems in the fish industry,” said Mr. Bissett, ‘‘but perhaps the chief problem down here is the proper handling of the fare by the fisher- men. It must be admitted that our fishermen are de- ficient in the knowledge of the proper methods of cure. The dressing of the fish is the important factor in marketing to advantage. In Norway, Shetland Is- lands, Faroe Island and Iceland the fish are all split and salted alike and the consequent aniformity in dressing helps greatly in selling the fish to advantage. Our fishermen have gotten into slip-shod habits which have come down from father to son. ‘“At the same time in my opinion all the blame does not rest with the fishermen. The exporters must shoulder a portion of the responsibility for the pres- ent conditions. If the exporting firms would agree on a standard classification for dressed fish there ean be no doubt that an improvement would follow. I mean that if the buyers would purchase only fish that had been split and dressed properly the workers would be compelled to amend their mode of dressing according- ly. The buyers have it in their power to revolutionize the industry and in my opinion the time is not far dist- ant, when some step in this direction will have to be taken. “‘Technical education of a practical kind would have a beneficial effect in the future. But really my expe- rience leads me to think that our fishermen’s actual knowledge is away ahead of their practice. They know better than their slip-shod methods would lead one to think, but they are careless and have the fixed > idea that ‘any old way’ of curing is good enough. Now it is up to the buyers to enlighten their understanding on that point.’* Mr. Bissett was educated in the publie schools of Nova Seotia and at St. Franeois Xavier University of Antigonish. He is a graduate in Art of the latter in- stitution. His wife was Miss Ethel Gray Smith of Port Medway, Nova Scotia. In religion he is an ad- herent of the Church of England and in polities gives. independent support to the Liberal party. The only club he has joined is the Waegwoltie of Halifax, a pop- ular aquatic organization. ‘My principal recreation is work’’, said he. ‘‘T haven’t had a working day off for fully ten years.’’ “The fishing industry,’’ said Mr. Bissett, ‘‘has of late been undergoing radical changes. Only a few years ago the principal trade was confined to dry salt- ed fish and pickled fish. Today more and more of the ’ a a a ey ee December, 1915. product is shipped fresh in a frozen of chilled condi- tion. With the present means of transportation I don’t regard the frozen fish as so healthful an article of diet as the salted product, owing to the risk of be- coming unsound in the course of shipment during warm weather. However, improved methods of handling and transportation will before long eliminate any chance of deterioration.”’ Through some mishap a very interesting article for this section of the Canadian Fisherman got astray last month, and we have made every effort to make amends for the mishap in the interest of our readers. THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN is now quite well known in our sister province and as our readers must have noticed, we are devoting a good deal of space to the Ancient Colony. The fact is, Newfoundland has never received the at- tention to which it has a right, from the Canadian press. Realizing this we are ‘‘doing our bit’’ to give publicity to the fishery items of the Colony, and with’ this in view we have secured the services of the best writers in the Island to supply us with reliable inform- ation. We give to our readers in this issue a few facts re- garding one of the great personalities of Newfound- land at the moment — one whose name is mentioned more frequently than any other publie individual, whose efforts in the recent campaign for prohibition did more for the cause than all the other elements to- gether, whose articles were more widely read than any other during this big eampaign,—we mean Mr. W. F. Coaker, President of the Fisherman’s Protective Union, Director of the many subsidiary organisations of this large institution, and, though it seem a paradox, the most highly revered and the most supremely detested man in the Ancient Colony. Mr. Coaker is revered by the fishermen, but he is spurned by certain interested parties owing to his in- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 399 fluence in endeavoring to bring about an amelioration in the conditions of the fishermen throughout the Co- lony, which in former days were somewhat peculiar. W. F. Coaker was born in St. John’s in 1871 and be- fore he was ten years old, he was earning his living by selling newspapers and working as a fish handler on the wharves. Working in the summer months en- abled him to go to school during the winter, and in this way he educated himself. At thirteen years of age, he became a clerk in the employ of McDougall and Tem- pleton with whom he remained for some years. As he enjoyed the confidence of his employers he was selected by them as their representative in Notre Dame Bay. Before his twentieth year, Mr. Coaker started in business on his own account; but the famous Bank Crash which brought such disastrous results to so many outport and city merchants sent W. F. Coaker to the wall. His resourcefulness however kept him going. He engaged in farming at Coakerville and in order to ob- tain the requisite knowledge in this line he came to Ca- nada and took a course at the Agricultural College in Geulph. Returning to Newfoundland, he then studied tele- graphy and became a Government. Postal operator at Port Blandford. Whilst engaged in this occupation he established the Telegraphers’ Union and published a little newspaper known as ‘‘The Telegrapher.’’ Hav- ing been identified with the Liberal Party, Mr. Coaker, when the opposite party came into power, got his con- gé, and he then returned to his farm and fishing. Whilst thus engaged he conceived the idea (in 1908) of organizing the immense Union of which he is now the President, viz.—the Fishermen’s Protective Union. The beginnings of this organisation were distinctly modest. The original membership was Nineteen, whilst at present time—after some seven years of exis- tence, — it numbers 22,500. The Fishermen’s Protective Union is the largest Fishermen’s organisation in the world. Its influence in the Colony of Newfoundland is really marvellous. Tt is not simply an organisation as a medium of mutual benefit. It is a wonderful political power in the Colo- ny. It has a strong and formidable party in the local Assembly, and through Mr. Coker’s influence largely, a great deal of legislation beneficial to the fishermen has been introduced. Mr. Coaker is the author of the Sealing Bill which was one of the most radical legis- lative changes ever made in Newfoundland; he has likewise had important regulations made in the matter of logging for the large lumber companies and various other useful measures come from him. But he is known best as the President of the Fishermen’s Protective Union and the Editor of two organs which represent the fishing interests. The MATL and ADVOCATE and the weekly paper THE FISHERMEN’S ADVO.- CATE. These papers go into a large section of the fishing communities and are regarded as the vade me- cum of the fishermen. SARDINE DEFINED. .. Only a sardine will be a sardine hereafter, according to a warning sent to the Trade and Commerce Depart- ment by Harrison Watson, Canadian Trade Agent in London, who refers to French and English decisions on the sardine question. A sardine is the young of im- mature pilehard, according to the verdict of a sardine congress at Nantes, and legal proceedings are promised if there is any masquerading in the future, 400 CANADIAN FISHERMAN (58 6 Bt 2) THE FISHERIES’ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 3 8 0 ws 9 Wm FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL LAWS CONFLICT. To the Editor, Canadian Fisherman, Montreal: Can you inform me who is appointed by the Federal Government regarding the enforcement of the laws enacted for the protection of the fish in this country, and if this officer has jurisdiction on matter pertain- ing only to the country, or if his power extends also to the Provinces, as I understand there are also laws enacted by the different provinces of the Dominion regarding the same object. This being the case, have not the Provincial Governments their own officers as well, Here is the point I want to be enlightened about. I receive some fish which is against the law. I reside in a Province where the law states that this particular kind of fish is prohibited, but it was caught in the next Province, where it is allowed to catch, and sell this fish. Who is the officer of the law in this case that should make the seizure? Or, in other words, is the offence under the jurisdiction of the Provincial or Federal laws? This point is important to the trade, and once it is decided, it will relieve much anxiety and vexations that the fish trade has been subjected to in the past, and is still subjected from the hands of too zealous of- ficials ,;whose main object is to apply the written law, without any discretion, ignoring the spirit of same entirely, or the purpose of same. Often I am inclined to think just for the sake of finding somebody at fault, or show the necessity of their mission, never taking into consideration that by their action they deprive the community of a certain economic value and destroy property which has cost. someone efforts, time, labour and money. Yours very sincerely, J. A. PAULHUS. EXPRESS SUBSIDIES ON FISH. The Editor, Canadian Fisherman: Dear Sir,—I have read, with much interest, an ar- ticle appearing in your issue of October, entitled, “‘Why Not Fish Too,’’ in which the writer of this ar- ticle endeavors to explain why it would be advisable for the Department of Naval Service to withdraw the subsidy of 33 1-3 per cent on less than carload ship- ments of fresh fish from the western coast to Mani- toba and from the Atlantic coast to Ontario and Que- bee points. The writer of this article, Mr. Douglas, of Winnipeg, feels that if this money was diverted to an advertising campaign, it would arouse more pub- lie interest than by the Government subsidising these less than carload rates on sea fish, as referred to above. T think IT am quite safe in voicing the sentiments of the fishermen, and those interested in producing sea fish from the Atlantic coast, when T say that it would be a grave mistake, at this time, to withdraw this as- sistance, which was, T understand, primarily arrang- ed with a view to allowing the dealers to get fish to the inland points at reasonable prices, and with a view to increasing the consumption of sea foods. Conditions on the Atlantic coast are very dif- ferent to the conditions existing on the Pacifie coast, December, 1915. FORUNE Siac oe where there are a number of small concerns who are dealing direct with, the trade, and who have a num- -ber of fishermen in their locality who are dependent upon their success for their living, and I am quite safe in saying that this subsidy on small shipments of sea fish, from the Atlantic coast to Ontario and Que- bee, has been the means of largely increasing the sale of a number of varieties of fish, produced on the At- lantic coast, to small towns and cities throughout the Province of Quebec, and particularly throughout On- __ tario. ae If the shippers of fish from the Pacifie coast feel that this subsidy is unnecessary, it should not in any way be intimated that the shippers of fish from the Atlantic coast are in accord with their views. If the general impression is that the subsidy should be with- ’ drawn on shipments of fresh fish from the Pacific, itis certainly not the views of the Atlantic shippers, or the dealers throughout Ontario and Quebec, that this subsidy has not accomplished the work it was intend- ed to do. I believe it would be a great mistake to in- — terfere at the present moment, with the arrangement, especially from the Atlantic, considering the high cost of all classes of food products. It is intimated in Mr. Douglas’ letter, that this Gov- _ ernment subsidy has not been the means of reducing — the cost of sea fish, but I can assure the writer, that — it has not only been the means of reducing the cost of 4 staple fish foods, such as cod fish, haddock and other — Atlantic sea products, but it has also been the means — of getting this product distributed more generally throughout the Provinces of Quebee and Ontario, but Ws not yet to a point where these sea foods have definite- ly taken a place in the homes of the consumers. By all means leave the Express Subsidy from the Atlan- — tie coast as it is, for a few years, until such time as — the dealers and the fishermen are really going to get the benefit, because if it was withdrawn at the present — time, especially from the Atlantic coast, it would be like wasted money, especially when the results are just ready to become effective. IT am quite sure that the article written by Mr. Douglas was written, as it were, with a view to food for thought, without knowing, or perhaps taking in- to consideration the number of small shippers, and the number of dealers in the East who have for years handled fish, and dealt in the business in a direet way. _ We may further add, that it may not be known to the writer of this article that the shippers of fish from the East have no carload rate shipments, as the rate is the same on 300 pounds as it would be on ten, fif- teen or twenty thousand pounds. The writer of this article is strongly in favor of an advertising ecam- paign, and believes at this moment it would be effee- tive, and would be the means of increasing the con- — sumption of Canadian fish, shipped through Canadian — transportation companies to Canadian people, and gen- erally speaking follow out the much advertised slogan **Made in Canada.’’ Yours truly, ALFRED H. BRITTAIN. December, 1915. THE MODUS VIVENDI. Editor, CANADIAN FISHERMAN, e< Montreal, Que. Dear Sir: My attention has just been directed to an article which appeared in the November issue of your journal, entitled ‘‘Building up a Fish Business’’ written by M. H. Nickerson, in which the writer devotes quite a portion of his letter to the alleged opposition of the Digby Board of Trade and myself to the agitation that has taken place regarding the granting of the Modus Vivendi to American fishing vessels using auxiliary power. The source from which Mr. Nickerson received his information regarding my views in connection with this matter has been most unreliable, for I have never _ offered any opposition to the question under discus- sion at a meeting of the Digby Board of Trade, nor to my knowledge has the Board ever taken an action in connection with the same; neither was I ever present at a meeting of the Canadian Fisheries Association when this subject was under discussion. Therefore I am at a loss to understand why Mr. Nickerson should single me out as being so opposed to this question. _ He also states that I was very much in favor of granting licences to American vessels in British Co- lumbia, giving them the privilege of landing their fish in that province for shipment in bond, etc. and states that I took an active interest in carrying this to a - suecessful issue and infers that my recent visit to - Prinee Rupert had to do with this matter. Again he is very much in error for I had nothing whatever to do in this connection. I am of the opinion that the people of British Columbia are quite capable of look- ing after their own interests. It is quite true that I __ have made two trips to British Columbia within the past two years and both times I have journeyed as far as Prince Rupert. On my first visit there I never heard the subject of licences to American vessels mentioned, and on my second visit the regulation was in effect and I witnessed three American vessels discharging small catches of halibut there. Therefore I think I have made it quite plain that my visits to that distant city could have no connection whatever with this ques- tion. I do not propose to enter into any discussion as to whether it is advisable to change the Modus Vivendi in so far as the Maritime Provinces are concerned; but would suggest to Mr. Nickerson that when he again wishes to become personal, he should be sure the state- ments he makes are borne out by facts. Thanking you Mr. Editor, for giving these few re- marks space in your journal. Yours sincerely, H. B. SHORT. Digby, N. S8., November 26, 1915. FISH MONTREAL MARKET CONDITIONS There has been a decided improvement in demand for fish of all kinds during the past month as usual with the Fall trade. _ In salted fish, — both Green Cod and Labrador Salt Herring have been only fair supply, with market firm and prices having a tendency to advance. In fresh fish. — The feature of our market for se- veral weeks has been the scarcity of ground fish, espe- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 401 cially cod and haddock. Continued storms along the Atlantic Coast seriously interfered with fishing ope- rations, especially among the smaller crafts and shore boats, but steam trawlers have been operating regu- larly, although catches reported have not been up to the usual volume. In consequence, prices have been higher, but this scarcity appears to be only tempo- rary and with better fishing weather supplies should arrive in larger volume. In smoked fish, — there has been a very good de- mand for haddies and kippers, but sale of fillets is much smaller than previous years, these fish not main- taining their popularity with consumers. ' Sale of bulk and Shell Oysters rather slow during the early part of the season, owing to mild weather prevailing, but it has now improved considerably and with present suitable conditions demand will be brisk until after the holidays. VANCOUVER TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES A correspondent calls our attention to a statement made on page 293 of the September Canadian Fisher- man which says: ‘‘The transportation facilities of Van- couver at present are somewhat of a hindrance but time and experience will overcome this’’. In all fair- ness to the transportation companies, we must admit that this statement is erroneous, as there are at pre- sent three trains daily upon which fish can be trans- ported to E:astern markets from Vancouver over the Canadian Pacific Railway. There are also good servi- ces to the United States on the Great Northern Sys- tem. PLANT LINE SERVICES POOR. The Boston Fish Exchange recently passed a resolu- tion condemning the services of the Plant Line between Provincial Points and Boston. Perishable products like fish were handled without care and in many cases left on the wharves, to await such time as the Com. pany saw fit to ship the goods. This laxity in transportation has caused indignation among Boston fish dealers who have to depend upon the Plant Line for Provincial Fish imports, and the Company’s slipshod methods have occasioned severe losses to both shippers and consignees. It is to be hoped that the Plant Line will look into this matter and have it remedied. BRITISH FOOD SUPPLIES. * 400,000 Tons Less of Fish. Lord Selborne, President of the Board of Agricul- ture, addressing the annual conference of the North- Eastern Agricultural Federation at Neweastle, said that with regard to live stock, while there was far more wheat in the world than we could eat, there was not more meat than we could eat. On the contrary, there was the greatest dearth. Mercifully the war found us with a greater store of cattle in this country than we ever had before. There were 400,000 tons less of fish to be had for food than in the year before the war, and nearly 100,000 tons less meat from abroad. He did not care if the veal trade was temporarily in- jured, because he wanted the greatest number of calves to be kept and turned into beef. 402 CANADIAN FISHERMAN f 3) We) December, 1915. Nl MW ny: wT Pe a THE ATLANTIC FISHERIES BAY SHORE OF NOVA SCOTIA. (Special Correspondence. ) While the fishermen generally on the north Bay of Fundy shore, haul up their boats in the fall, there are a few who try to make catches all through the sea- son. Bait is scarce, and must be obtained at St. John. The active fishermen report that there is a good run of fish on the Bay this fall, and when weather condi- tions are favorable, good hauls have been made. Dur- ing the first of November three heavy gales swept the coastline, and old cod catchers say that nothing as heavy has visited the Bay for years. The following items may be of interest to the ‘‘Can- adian Fishermen’’ readers. The breakwater at Port Lorne got the full force of the northeast gale on Saturday, November 6. The vacket schooner ‘‘Maudie’’ that runs on the St. John route during the summer, and was tied up to winter quarters on the east side of the pier was so crushed in that she fell over and sank at the wharf side. She was owned by Captain Handley Lewis, and was not insured. The pier covering was torn asunder at high water and went adrift. The tide along the shore was higher than has been known for years. A mile of telephone poles were blown down on the road to the Nicholas mountain. During the fierce gale on Sunday morning, some of the early risers at Hall’s Cove, on the Bay Shore, es- pied some distance seaward, rising and falling on the crest of the waves, what appeared to be a monster submarine. It was seen to be gradually approaching the shore, and some of the fisherfolk got shaky. A lit- tle later, as there was no movement in the object, it was believed to be a monster whale. After a time there was thrown upon the shore a dead whale, that measured over eighty feet in length. When the water dropped it was eut open, and four bar- rels of fresh herrings were taken from the stomach. The indications were that he had not been long dead. The big fish will be eut up and its blubber tried out, which will bring a good price for the fishermen on the shore line. ° The great storm of Sunday last played havoe with the breakwater at Hillsburn, on the North Shore. At twelve, midnight, and high water, a huge comber of thousands of tons of water, rolled over an eight foot break at the pier head, and tore asunder a fifteen hun- dred dollar warehouse containing one thousand dol- lars’ worth of dry fish, and swept it all out to sea. The building and contents were owned by Captain Arthur Longmire, of Hillsburn. Fish houses all along the shore line suffered destruction during the night. DIGBY, N.S. (From our own Correspondent.) The searcity of fish, especially haddock, continues to perplex our producers and distributors, who have been obliged to refuse a large amount of valuable busi- ness so far this season on account of the shortage of green stock. Unfavorable fishing weather has kept most of the off-shore fleet away from home over three weeks, during which time they have averaged about one day’s fishing a week. Being unable to procure full trips, they have been obliged to run in to the near- est port (usually Yarmouth) to dispose of what few fish they have been getting before the same deterior- ate. The fishermen feel this scarcity, as well as the dealers, and the general public, for it is yet a question whether they are catching enough to meet their ap- pertaining expenses. The shore boats are having very little better fishing than the vessels. During November they have not averaged more than a couple of sets a week, and their stock in some eases hardly pays their expenses. Rough weather is chiefly the cause of this poor fishing; sear- city of bait is also held accountable; some say that fish are becoming scarcer each year but it is the writ- er’s opinion that there would be a good catch of fish if fishing conditions were better. The latest in-shore boats are a couple of sister craft owned by Mr. F. L. Anderson. They measure 38 feet in length, 7 feet beam; are driven by 10-h.p. gas engines, and develop a speed of from nine to ten miles an hour. But the chief attraction these boats have, for the fishermen lies in the fact that in the stern of each there is built a strong but light house, with snug accommodation for the crew of two men, who are enabled to have a hot cup of tea or coffee when they get a few minutes to spare between sets. Occasionally they take a chance on staying out all night, when these houses are special- ly appreciated. The vessels have landed here during the past month as follows :— Oct. Tbs. 27—Cora Gertie > .20 220. So 20,864 Grace: Darling =a ic. wane 46,580 29—HLila Boutilier .. .. 93,575 30-—-Graee Do ee 2 Ee ee 16,830 Nov. 2—Loran B. Snow .. .. .. .... 53,990 Dorothy M. Smart .. .. .. 98,873 38—Cora Gertie .. sedate 19,774 9—Grace Dh. 62 5.645 10—Cora Gertie .. 19.347 15-—Grace Li-3. o3\ 3 eee 25,488 22--Albert J. Lutz Rae 23—Cora Gertie... .. .. .. .. as .. 18-174 Grace L. .. .. 20,582 The following statisties are from the Fishery Over- seer's report to the Department, showing fish caught and landed in Digby County for the month of October: Ood «fgg yn’ Fs ea ee Haddock #2"... 01°.) 5, 4 PRM el wees eda g cee: var asnee 2,868,290 Wii ah ed Cawhies | oa ck we 127,930 Pollock .. . : 57,200 Herring .. 138,720 Dulse . * 4 : 11,110 DEMORORRES ee Les oe la ccs 33,800 BERDNG oish en ke dee sles 1 2,500 BRAG WWE cou) oe ice levies oes 2,400 PN er eter a ena als 6 6,700 pO OO REE AES Deal Ge a a 1,800 6) OT a) Sea 60 Fish shipments originating from this port during the month of October aggregate as follows: 11,768 boxes Finnan Haddies, 1,677 tubs Dry Hake, _ 93,520 Ibs. Dry Hake in bulk, 235 casks Dry Fish, 195 drums Dry Fish, 140 barrels Fresh Fish, 25 cases Fresh Fish, 33 barrels Mussels and Winkles, 35 barrels Clams, 13 barrels Dulse, 57 barrels Mackerel, 6 bar- rels Salt Cod, 5 boxes Boneless Cod, 203 bags Dry Hake Sounds. NEWFOUNDLAND (From our correspondent) ) The codfishery on the east and north coasts is prac- tically over, the season being in a sense fairly suc- cessful. On the southern sections of the Island fish- ermen fared well, but North of Bonavista Bay some of the fishermen fared rather badly. The extraordi- nary prices paid for ‘‘soft cure’’ fish helped the fish- ermen enormously. Fishery operations on the east coast usually wind up at the beginning of this month, but now that there _ is such a demand for herring the fishermen are keep- ing out their gear later than usual. _ The fishery on the south coast is now beginning, the harvest time for the South Coast people extends from November up to February. They reap their gains chiefly in the prosecution of the halibut and codfishery. Halibut is readily bought up by local dealers and the demand even locally is fairly good. Of late quite a large quantity of halibut finds its way to St. John’s, being shipped usually by _ the Coastal Company’s steamer ‘‘Portia.’’ The Reid Company’s boats carry a small quantity, but the other vessels bring the fish directly to St. John’s and it arrives more promptly and in a better condition than when the transhipment is made at Placentia. The herring fishery is opening well on the West Coast and it looks as if the fishermen were going to reap a rich harvest. Higher prices are being paid this year than ever before, and it is claimed that the days of low prices for herring are passed for good and aye. This is a consummation devoutly to be wished for, as we have never really received anything like the value of our products. The fact is that we have been largely to blame for low prices, as some of our fishermen have not been so eareful as they should have been in putting up herring. They simply followed the methods used by their grand- fathers and seemed quite satisfied that they knew just what the markets outside required. They did not seem to realize the gact that the purchaser was the person whi knew just what he needed. This unfortun- ately been the bane of Newfoundland:. we always seemed to be content with ‘‘doing as our fathers did’’ regardless of new demands or new conditions. In fact anybody who suggested new means of putting up fish products was regarded as a ‘‘revolutionary.’’ This may easily be accounted for when one consid- CANADIAN FISHERMAN 403 ers the conditions of the old business arrangements, when the fisherman was regarded as simply a biped with very small capacity for anything except hauling fish out of the water or helping to swell the merchant’s bank account annually. Within the last few years, notably since the establishment of the organization of which Mr. Coaker is the President, viz.—The Fish- ermen’s Protective Union, things have changed mater- ially, and the fishermen are becoming more self-as- sertive, and this is ust as it should be. We believe that we shall now get busy and relegate the old ‘grandfathers’ day methods’’ in the fish busi- ness to the limbo of things that were. The ‘‘Canadian Fisherman”’ is helping to efect this desired change, and as the days go by it will be still more helpful. Our people are simply awaiting direct education in fishery affairs. They are full of enthusiasm, and they will rise to the occasion. War conditions have somewhat handicapped our fishery relations with Greece which for many years has been a good customer for Labrador fish. Patras, Zante and Piraeus have been favorite markets, and during the season some good sales were made in the country which is now causing us such anxiety. We understand, however, that the exchange problem has been somewhat annoying. Of course we all know that Greece normally is not flush with money, yet our fish shippers have always managed to get satisfactory returns from the consignees. The sales are made or- dinarily through London brokers, but there are some Newfoundland firms who have direct connection with the Greek commission men. A Problem, The problem of dealing with Labrador has now reached a stage of development when something must be done to solve it. For many years the Labrador fishery has been a very extraordinary one. This year it has been practically a failure, though the large prices paid for fish have relieved the situation some- what. Few people really understand the Labrador situa- tion except those who have had close contact with it. No such situation, as far as we are aware exists else- where. Whilst some merchants have made a good deal of money in handling Labrador fish, others have lost heavily. Labrador business to-day is practically a gamble, and the chances are against a successful wind-up. The crews that go down to the coast are generally “‘supplied’’ by some merchant, either at St. John’s or eleswhere. There is of course a tacit agreement that the supplier gets the fish caught by the supplied crew. The merchant who supplies the erew becomes responsible for the wages of any help the crew may have: the help may be a domestic, or young boys. Usually the crew are on ‘‘shares’’. Should they fail to get fish enough to pay their expenses, the mer- chant usually has to meet demands not only of the sharemen but of their families. Then there is another situation which is rather undesirable. The crews sometimes fail to realize the obligation existing between them and the merchant who depends upon their catch to load a vessel for a foreign market, and dispose of their fish surrepti- tiously to some other shipper and thus leave the merchant who supplied them ‘‘in the hole.’’ This of course is reprehensible; but there are often circumstances which will really exonerate the fisher- men. The supplier deals them a rather bad hand by 404 charging them fully thirty to forty per cent more for their outfit than the current market price, and really gives them a correspondingly low amount for their fish. If our Labrador fishery is to continue, it must be conducted on a different basis, and fisherman will have to realize their obligations and discharge them, and merchants will have to understand that they can conduct this business only on legitimate lines by giving the fishermen a square deal. Unless confidence between the supplier and the supplied is restored, this great fishery is doomed. ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND. (From Our Own Correspondent. A statement just issued by the Deputy Minister of Newfoundland, gives the total amount of codfish ship- ped direct from Labrador to European markets. this season as 107,149 quintals, as against 91,048 quintals shipped from the Coast last season. The first cargo that left the Coast this season was on Sept. 6, on board the S.S. Beothic, and the last cargo to be shipped was on Nov. 6, by the sailing vessel ‘‘R. J. Owens.’’ In all, twenty-three sailing vessels and two steamships were engaged in conveying the above amount of fish to market. The largest cargo taken on any one ship was 14,370 quintals shiped by the SS. ‘‘Fagertun,’’ and the smallest cargo that of the ‘‘Gracie,’’ taking 3,500 quintals. In addition to the amount of fish ship- ped direct from the Coast, almost all the ‘‘floaters’’ brought their catches home to Newfoundland ‘‘to make,’’ and at present a complete estimate of this. amount is not available, but it is thought, it will not be far short of the amount shipped direct from the Coast to market, or in the neighborhood of 100,000 quintals, so that taking all into consideration, the La- brador voyage has been very much better than expect- ed. The fish brought to Newfoundland by the ‘‘float- ers’’ in former years was mostly all made very hard and dry or as the fishermen call it ‘‘shore cured,”’ This year, however, the market demands were for ‘*Soft Labrador Cure,’’ which meant for the, fish to be very heavily salted, and after being washed from the salt bulk received only one and two days’ sun, when it was ready for market. The price for this class of fish advanced all through the fall until it reached the unusual price of $6.50 per quintal. How it happens that those of the fishermen who got their fish shipped before the 9th inst. were most fortunate and lucky, because since that date a great slump has taken place in ‘‘Soft cured Labra- dor fish,’’ the price fell $1.00 per quintal during the past week from $6.50 to $5.50 per quintal, and at this price very few are buying, as it is thought the price will go still lower. The cause for the decline in price has been brought about through the delicate sit- uation of matters in Greece, which country was a large customer for ‘‘Soft cured’’ Labrador fish. Last year Greece bought 69,602 qtls. of Labrador fish valu- ed at $396,432.00, and this year it was thought that the market was good for one hundred thousand quin- tals. But owing no doubt to that country’s doubtful attitude to the Entente Allies, a Proclamation was is- sued by our Government, no doubt at the request of the Imperial Government, prohibiting the exporting of fish of all kinds, whether cured, salted or fresh, to any other country in Europe except France, Russia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The enforcing of this or- der is a very serious matter for many of our fisher- CANADIAN FISHERMAN December, 1915. men, who still have their season’s voyage on hand, and for our merchants who have bought large quantities of this fish at very high prices, very little of which has as yet reached market| As a result of this order not to send any fish to Greece, some fifteen cargoes of fish are now held at Gibraltar waiting for orders, and it is certainly one of the greatest setbacks to our trade since the beginning of the war. It is to be hoped that the embargo will not continue long, and to this effect I understand the Newfoundland Government and. Board of Trade are in daily communication with the British Government on the subject. It is to be hoped that the movement, if not successful in getting the fish, to Greece will for the present at least, remove the heavy tariff restrictions which prevent our fish going into France, which country is also in need of fish sup-— i eS plies. Newfoundland Merchantable Fish. Th price for Newfoundland Merchantable ‘‘‘Shore dried codfish’’ is still holding firm at $7.50 per quin- tal. Several cargoes en route to the Spanish and Portuguese markets, where the demand for same is —_— very brisk. The Brazilian market for one quintal drums, small hard dried ‘‘Shore fish’’ is exceedingly good. Several vessels are being loaded at different cs wharves in the harbour for this market, and will be rushed away as quickly as possible. The very wet weather prevailing during October and November has ae considerably retarded the shipping of fish to market this season, likewise causing considerable delay in the drying of late caught Newfoundland and Bank fish : 3 and some of the late catches of ‘‘floaters’’ in Labra- dor. It is not unlikely that a large amount of this : late caught fish will remain in salt bulk all the winter to be made next spring and find its way to market — early next summer with the winter and very early — spring catches of our Banking Fleet. Hite voto Early Winter Codfishery. Scarcely before the summer fishery is over ‘prepara-— = tions are being made for the winter fishery on the — S. W. Coast of Newfoundland—operations will begin oa several weeks earlier than in former years; and a start will be made about the New Year. and it is not unlikely there will also be a good supply of frozen herring. The outfitting for the winter fish- ery is much larger than formerly, as a result no doubt of the high prices prevailing, and the fishermen look forward to a successful season. It is to be hoped their efforts and labours will be crowned with success, be- cause ‘‘of all men that go down to the sea in ships”’ none undergo greater hardships, amid ice, sleet, frost and snow made still more hazardous by Arctie storm, than those brave Newfoundland fishermen who prose- cute the winter fishery off the S. W. Coast of New- foundland. ; Cod Oil. ? The price of common Cod-oil still continues to ad- vance. The price from fishermen to merchant is $140.00 per tun, which is the highest figure given for ten years, and the end is not yet in sight. To-day re- ports are current that as high as $150.00 per tun will be paid before the end of the present month. There . appears to be an abnormal demand for this class of — oil in the United States, and it is current news, that all of the Norwegian stock of oil was bought up early in the season by the Germans, which practically means that Newfoundland oil has an unlimited market. Re- Squid in a frozen state will be imported from Gloucester, Mass., — ' . December, 1915. sh J fined oil remains steady at $1.30 per gallon; of this quality there is very little offering for sale. The opening of the herring fishery last month look- ed very bright with good prices and a few good eatches, but to date expectations have not been realiz- ed for a big catch. Up to the present large catches have not been made as in other years, and apparently the very stormy weather has had something to do in preventing the fish from coming into shallower wat- ers in the different Arms and Bays. Fishermen think that with western winds and more frost in the air, the herring will swarm to land, and it is not too late yet for a good voyage; up to the present some twenty-five American and Canadian schooners have arrived at Bay of Islands and Bonne Bay, and have commenced operations, some with a fair measure of success. In addition to this fleet of schooners which will be in- as -ereased later on, there are several Newfoundland schooners in the business this season, and several - Seotch packers have taken up the work on shore and those have been augmented again by several New- _ foundland traders and merchants who have gone into the trade, all with the one idea in view of putting up a superior brand, following as closely as possible the - Seotch Cure, even to excel if possible. All of the ‘spring and summer catch of herring has been shipped to market, so that there is practically no herring in §$t. John’s at present. The price of that grade of fish- _ —split herring is $3.00 to $3.50 per brl., but there is none offering for sale. ‘In the first time in the history of the country a _ shipload of salt herring, containing over three thous- and barrels was sent to France last week—it is to be hoped the venture will prove successful, and may be _ the means of opening up a new market to our fisher- - men. Lobsters. : Very few sales are being made, the fishermen with few exceptions have made local sales to the merchants who are now marketing the season’s catch in the Unit- -—s ed: States and England. The local price is $13.50 per “yg ease—with very little demand. ee Pickled Salmon. a There is a remarkable searecity of this fish in our me markets, little or none offering for sale. The price is =" _ $16.00 per tierce, a price not exceeded in many years. - Quite a large shipment of pickled trout came forward from the Moravian Mission, Labrador, this fall. The as fish was very well put up in barrels and puncheons, _ and being auctioned for sale, met ready buyers and i good prices. es YARMOUTH, N.S. (From Our Own Correspondent.) November, as usual, has been disappointing. Gale after gale keeps the fishermen dodging from one port to another, and their opportunities to make a ‘‘set’’ are very scarce. There is a little larger fleet than for- merly fishing out of here, that is, of outside vessels. | Of the local fleet itself, only one, Harry A. Amiro’s i “Francis A,’’ is still in commission, and we heard it Sam remarked in Mr. Amiro’s office just the other day that it would be better if she were tied at the wharf in- stead of knocking around, doing practically nothing. There have been a few good days, and a few good fares have been landed. Just as I am writing this ss there are in port nine schooners with fares totalling Ws 68,000 pounds—secured in one day’s fishing. Prices CANADIAN FISHERMAN 405 are ruling exceptionally low for fresh fish, however, to-day’s quotations being: Haddock, 3 cents; medium cod, $1.75; steak cod, $3.00, and shack, $1.00. Dry fish are being held at the highest price on re- cord, Comparatively little is produced here—al- though after all, the figure would be a respectable one if it was obtainable—but a large quantity is brought from outside sources for the American market. One Yarmouth buyer has been in Lunenburg lately and has secured 20,000 quintals at $7.00. At that rate dry salt fish will soon figure with quail on toast, and other expensive items on the menu in the big hotels, and the customer rash enough to order a fish ball will be reckoned in the millionaire class. The bait problem is a serious one just now. Practic- ally none can be obtained in the country, and the froz- en herring in cold storage is so high that the shippers are fighting shy of it now, realizing that they will probably have to come to it a little later on. They are getting a quantity of small salt herring from New Brunswick. The agitation for the repeal of the modus vivendi which, was taken up by the various Boards of Trade earlier in the year, seems to have died a natural death. Boards of Trade are great bodies for “‘resoluting,’’ but they seem to fight shy of their projects after a few ‘‘whereases,’’ and ‘‘therefores’’ have been consid- ered, and voted upon. Moses H. Nickerson, than whom the fishermen have no greater champion in Canada, still tries to keep a little life in the agitation, but one man ean do little with a body like the Government. In the course of a recent letter in favor of the repeal, and speaking of conditions, particularly in Yarmouth and Shelburne counties, he says:— “‘Last month, however, gave a practical demon- stration along the coast of three counties. Takes of herring, by trap and net, were being made at a dozen places, and numbers of the New England fleet took the occasion to bait up. Clark’s Har- bour was especially fortunate in this respect. The herring came early and stayed late. Traps and nets did a rushing business. One drag seine sold 100 barrels to the baiters for several mornings in succession. Six vessels in the harbour at a time were buying provisions at the stores. How many auxiliary eraft were prevented from coming to swell the traffic, your readers may conjecture, when it is remembered that over half of the fleet is so fitted. Can you imagine a more mischievous piece of stupidity? “There was something doing also at Shelburne and Lockeport. When the slack-down came, those places were unwilling to report a plentiful run elsewhere, lest the vessels would go away. Al- together, about $15,000 were left at Clark’s Har- bour for bait and supplies. The Shelburne paper announced that American vessels were beginning to tranship their fares by rail from Shelburne to Boston by way of Yarmouth. Only the holders of modus vivendi licenses can do that, and no motor eraft can purchase a license. This forwarding of fares would be the greatest thing imaginable for Shelburne and Yarmouth, to say nothing of the Halifax and Southwestern, Mr. Mooney has been reminded time and again of the paying pos- sibilities on this end of his road, but he seems ob- livious. Once we opened those channels of law- ful trade, the train-earnings would warrant the running of a daily freight to connect with boats at Yarmouth, instead of letting the goods congest, 406 CANADIAN FISHERMAN as they recently did, while there were four week- ly boats to Boston and only two train connections. Let this business work up to its full capacity, and it is more than likely the Boston and Yar- mouth transportation service would be extended to meet requirements, by an extra weekly trip later in the fall and earlier in the spring, if not all winter. Consider what a saving such extension would be effected in the lobster exports. But of course, it is incumbent on the people of those lo- ealities to work up their resources, then the trans- port companies will put their shoulders to the wheel.’”’ In the Joseph McGill shipyard in Shelburne is being built a power fishing schooner for a local syndicate, and one or two other Yarmouth vessels are being re- built in readiness for next season’s work. Our fishermen generally are a class who behave themselves. Here and there is an exception, and there was an evidence of wrong-doing at the Bar recently when the body of an infant but a few hours old was found on the doorstep of one of the houses in that village. The child had been born alive, and after- wards suffocated. No trace of the guilty parties has been found. Preparations for the lobster fishing are going on apace. With the opening but a few weeks away there is great activity all along the shore. If the truth were known, a lot of traps are already out, in fact, a Gov- ernment patrol boat found some recently and destroy- ed them. The lobster smack ‘‘Wanda’”’ has been re- built this summer, and will be ready for the opening of the season, practically a new vessel. Following were the exports for the month:— Dry Codfish, casks, 756, drums, 570; fresh mackerel, barrels, 482; fresh halibut, cases, 63; smelts, boxes, 117; fresh fish, cases, 282; eels, barrels, 10; clams, bar- rels, 9; boneless fish, boxes, 4,098; Cod oil, barrels, 78; pickled fish, cases, 392; finnan haddies, boxes, 101; salt mackerel, barrels, 66; salt herring, barrels, 1,815; tongues, barrels, 18; bloaters, boxes, 5; scallops, bar- rels, 1; hake, sounds, bags, 128; salt fish, casks, 100; salt fish, drums, 686; fish waste, barrels, 172; fish waste, bags, 435; periwinkles, barrels, 3; fish scraps, barrels, 22; Albacore, cases, 3. To New York (for re-shipment)—378 tubs dry fish ; 37 casks cod fish. To Brazil—685 tubs dry fish; 258 drums dry fish; 678 drums salt hake. To Porto Rico—75 casks cod fish. To Philadelphia (for re-shipment)—201 barrels salt mackerel. BEGINNING A NEW FISHERY. The auxiliary fishing schooner Stranger, in the ser- vice of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, landed its first fare of about 8,000 pounds of tilefish at Fulton Mark et, New York City, on October 21. This large, attract- ive appearing and excellent food fish, which soon after its discovery in 1877, was supposed to have been exter- minated by a submarine cataclysm, is now abundant near the 100-fathom line, within easy sailing distance of New York and Boston. To introduce a new sea food _ into the market and give employment to a small fleet of fishing vessels ordinarily idle during the fall and winter, the bureau is conducting a campaign to ac- quaint both the consumer and the fisherman with the merits of the tilefish, and to this end it has prepar- December, 1915. ed a circular giving a popular account of the fish and recipes for cooking it, and a large display card re- commending it as a food. _A Minesota man has patented a process for freezing fish in boxes lined with oiled paper so that they can be shipped by mail. THE CODFISH LEADS DRIED FISH IN CHILE It is not possible to determine what proportion, but codfish is more generally sold than any other variety in Chile. Received in tin boxes of 11, 22, 25, and 51 Ibs., packed in light wooden eases sufficiently reinfor- ced to prevent breakage. Packed without having the — spine removed are received in strong tin-lined boxes of 101 Ibs. each. MANY SALMON EGGS TAKEN _ New Westminster, B.C. — A total of twenty-two mil- lion salmon eggs so far have been collected by the Do- minion Fisheries Department at their Pemberton Meadows hatchery and one million more are expected before the season closes. This is an exceptionally good record, considering the scarcity of fish in the ri- ver this year. All the eggs are from Fraser River sal- mon and wil be hatched at the Pemberton hatchery for distribution in the Fraser River later. WHALE MEAT GOOD FOR FOOD Seattle, Nov. 11. — The manager of a large whaling station at Akutan, Alaska, who has just returned from his season’s work, reports that his company took 307 whales, yielding 15,400 tons of fresh meat, excellent in flavor and highly nutritious. An effort is being made to place whale meat on the market as a table food, whalers insisting that this flesh is equal to any caten by man, but not used ashore because of lack of intelligence. In the old whaling methods all the meat was thrown away. In present methods it is used in the manufacture of fertilizer. THE SINS OF THE SEA LION. Out in British Columbia they are saying things about the sea lion. Some of the remarks are condemnatory, while others regard the amphibian as being a much maligned creature. Mr. D. N. MeIntyre, Deputy Com- missioner of Fisheries of British Columbia, was un- fortunately quoted in an article on the Fishing Indus- try in British Columbia, in the November issue, as be- ing an upholder of the sea lion’s right to live, under the heading of ‘‘Sea Lion as a Maligned Creature.’’ This paragraph owing to the vagaries of printers slipped in to Mr. MeIntyre’s article and should not have been included, as the genial Deputy for British Columbia has no love for the sea lion, nor any desire to take a stand as its champion. The said printers’ de- faleation had the effect of making it appear as if the paragraph in question was written by Mr. McIntyre but this however is not the ease and we are taking this opportunity of disassociating Mr. MeIntyre from the onus of making such a statement. Mr. W. Hamar Greenwood, B.A. Secretary of the Sea Lion Commis- sion, also complains that a number of weird statements regarding the sea lion have been attributed to him. The Canadian Fisherman hopes to publish in the near futu- re, a bona fide sea lion article under Mr, Greenwood’s signature and set the matter at rest for all time. 1 iy Way é fa : Se SP a asin Ka J eat TS 4 D0 THE PACIFIC FISHERIES (Special Correspondence.) VANCOUVER VERSUS PRINCE RUPERT. A Vancouver Correspondent Compares the Two Ports and their Importance in the Fishing Industry. We have been accustomed to hear of Prince Rupert as the coming ‘‘Grimsby’’ of Western Canada, and that city has been heralded as a great metropolis, its greatness being founded entirely upon the fish busi- ness. The claims have been made so often, and have been carried to such an extravagant length, that an impression has been created in the mind of the gen- eral public that the other cities of the Pacifie Coast, viz: Seattle and Vancouver, have ceased to handle any fish at all except, perhaps, for local use. This, how- ever, is far from being the case. While Prince Rupert, in view of its closer proximity to the Alaskan halibut fishing banks, is handling a considerable volume of fish which previously went to Seattle and Vancouver, the production of halibut has itself increased on the Pacific Coast, and Vancouver and Seattle still con- tinue to handle large volumes. According to the most reliable statistics available, the total quantities of hali- but landed at Pacific Coast ports during the past four months were as follows: Total quantity Total landed landed. at Prince Rupert. May, 1915, 7,400,000 Ibs. ¥,120,000 Ibs. June, 1915, 6,300,000 lbs. 1,600,000 lbs. July, 1915, 5,250,000 Ibs. 1,800,000 Ibs. August, 1915, 5,600,000 Ibs. 1,800,000 Ibs. The figures for the month of September are not yet available, but. will show a much smaller proportion of the total month’s tonnage as having been landed at Prince Rupert. Another fact to which attention is called is that Prince Rupert takes credit in her Civie Fisheries re- turns for all the salmon which were packed in cans on the Naas, Skeena and Stikeen Rivers, although practically the entire salmon pack of the Northern district was shipped to Vancouver for distribution. In other words, Prince Rupert has taken credit for all the salmon which were handled in the Northern Fish- eries District of British Columbia, whereas very little of this salmon passed through the city of Prince Ru- pert. One of the principal arguments advanced by the boosters of Prince Rupert is that that city is located much nearer to the fishing grounds than is Vancouver or Seattle, and that fish can therefore be landed at Prince Rupert in a much fresher state than the same fish ean be landed at either of the Southern ports. This statement is correct so far as it applies to the waters immediately adjacent to Dixon Entrance and to Alaska, but when the fishing banks of Southern Hecate Straits, the West Coast of Vancouver Island, the West Coast of Queen Charlotte Islands, and the Oregon Coast are considered, the advantage of near- ness lies with the Southern ports, and not with Prince Rupert. The Oregon halibut banks in 1915 produced over six-million pounds of halibut during the two spring months in which the fish were on the banks. The grounds in Southern Hecate Straits also produc- ed very large quantities of fish during the spring and early summer, as they have done for years past. Now, in the matter of transportation, it is well known that transportation companies will provide just as much accommodation as the business which is of- fered to them, warrants. Prince Rupert to-day is serv- ed by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and by three steamship companies. The Grand Trunk Pacifie pro- vides three trains per week, carrying both freight and passenger traffic. The business hitherto offering has not been sufficient to warrant any heavier train ser- vice than this. The Grand Trunk Pacifie 8. 8. Com- pany operate two boats weekly between Prince Ru- pert and the South. The Canadian Pacifie Railway Company’s Steamships operate once per week, and the Union S. S. Company about once every ten days. Comparing this with Vancouver: Vancouver has four- teen Trans-Continental trains per week over the Cana- dian Pacific, as well as four local trains daily. The Great Northern Railway Company run three trains daily from Vancouver to Seattle, connecting with Trans-Continental trains from Seattle. In addition to this, Vancouver has water communications by fast steamers with Seattle, Tacoma, Victoria and San Francisco. The Canadian Northern Railway Com- pany is this month starting three trains per week from Vancouver East, so that in the matter of railway and water communication, Vancouver is very well looked after. Seattle’s communication by rail and water with other ports is even better than Vancouver’s, as it is served by four Trans-Continental lines, and by many steamship companies. The advantage which Prince Rupert claims as a re- sult of being nearer to certain of the halibut fishing banks is offset in a large measure by the fact that it is not as near by rail to the principal distributing cen- tres of Canada as the city of Vancouver. The follow- ing figures, obtained from the official time table of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, speak for them- selves: Approximate Distance. time. Vancouver to Calgary, Alta... 649 miles 80 hours Prince Rupert to Calgary....1195 “ bs ic: Vancouver to Edmonton, Alta. 842 ‘‘ 40 ‘ Prince Rupert to Edmonton... 953 ‘‘ 408 Vancouver to Moose Jaw, Sask.1087 ‘“‘ 46 ‘‘ Prince Rupert to Moose Jaw..1610 ‘“‘ 721,‘ Vancouver to Regina, Sask....1129 ‘“‘ bo Prince Rupert to Regina....1566 ‘‘ 681, ‘‘ Vancouver to Saskatoon, Sask.1127 ‘“‘ 60" Prince Rupert to Saskatoon...1279 ‘‘ Hp. -$5 Vancouver to Brandon, Man...1353 ”’ 571,‘ Prince Rupert to Brandon....1683 ‘‘ SEEMS Vancouver to Winnipeg, Man..1486 ‘‘ 611,‘ Prince Rupert to Winnipeg..1746 ‘‘ 741, ‘* Vancouver to Port Arthur....1910 ‘ ot Te Prince Rupert to Port Ar- SHU He oss perish 52) Wea 901,‘* Vancouver to Chicago. sists Eas 2187 ‘* 69.5 Prince Rupert to Chicago....2676 ‘“‘ LOW Vancouver to Toronto....... BELO. 5 sf eee Prince Rupert to Toronto....3002 ‘‘ g fib Peak Vancouver to Montreal ...... 2895 ‘‘ 105‘ Prince Rupert to Montreal...3170 ‘‘ 128 cr Vancouver to Boston.........3234 ‘‘ 118 = Prince Rupert to Boston..... 3470 ‘‘ 136-05 Vancouver to New York City. .3280 ‘‘ a Bie Aiplieh Prince Rupert to New York City. .3449 135. ‘‘ nee this it will be s seen n that with the exception of Saskatoon, Vancouver holds quite an advantage, as regards running time, over Prince Rupert. The express service out of Vancouver and Seattle for handling fresh fish has been perfected after many years of experience, and the arrangements for deliv- ering the fish to the express companies, loading it on specially provided express refrigerator cars, re-icing and care of the fish en route, and the many other de- tails connected with the proper transportation of per- ishable food, are the best which have been evolved to the present time. Those who boost Prince Rupert as a coming “*Grimsby’’ overlook the fact that Grimsby serves a population of over forty millions, a population which has been trained to using fish seven days per week, and using it in preference to meat, as compared with Canada’s population of seven millions, eating fish once a week on an average, and preferring meat to fish on almost all occasions. Before Prince Rupert can be- come a large city supported by its fishing industry, it must have behind it a population as large as the popu- lation which is served by Grimsby, and a population which has been trained to the use of fish as a regular article of diet, and which has been compelled by fin- ancial necessity to use fish in preference to higher priced articles of food. PACIFIC NOTES. The steamer ‘‘‘Kingsway’’ has been purchased by The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited, from the Liquidator of the Standard Fisheries, Limited. This transaction practically closed out the venture which was started by Alvo von Alvensleben to exploit fish- ing in British Columbia. The company started busi- ness originally i in 1909 purchasing the steamer ‘‘Kings- way’’ and erecting a fertilizer plant on Queen Char- lotte Island. After sinking a large sum of money into a fish fertilizer plant and a cold storage plant at Pa- cofi, Queen Charlotte Island, their money ran out and they were forced to re-organize. Some time afterwards a second re-organization was effected, but notwith- standing all the new money which was put into the concern it finally passed into the hands of the liquida- tor about 18 months ago, and the ‘‘Kingsway’’ was the CANADIAN FISHERMAN December, 1915. last available asset which could be turned into money. The Canadian Fishing Company, Limited, states that it is their intention to entirely re-fit the boat. Their plans include the building of a forecastle head, new fisherme nquarters forward and aft, new galley, oil burning equipment, and remodelling of the fish hold. The steamer ‘‘Kingsway’’ was built in England in 1906. She is 126 ft. long, 22 ft. beam, 12 ft. molded depth. Her gross tonnage is 242 tons. The steamer ‘‘Minnesota’’ belonging to the Great Northern Railway Co. has recently left Seattle with a full cargo for the United Kingdom. Her entire cold -topage space was engaged by Vancouver and Prinec Rupert fish producers who shipped about 200,000 Ibs’ of frozen halibut and salmon to the English market. : The salmon earrier ‘‘Nahmint”’ belonging to the Wallace Fisheries, Limited. broke her crank shaft and sustained other damage while going from Vancouver to Toba Inlet for a load of salmon. The tug ‘‘Defi- ance’’ was sent to her assistance. The schooner ‘‘Borealis’’ belonging to Atlin Fish- eries, Limited, has been laid up at Prince Rupert for the winter and will not operate again until the early spring. CANADIAN HALIBUT ARRIVALS AT PRINCE RUPERT, B.C., OCTOBER 15 TO NOVEMBER 15 INCLUSIVE. Date. Vessel. Delivered to. Oct. 17—Andrew Kelly—The Canadian Fish & Weight. Cold Storage Co., Ltd. i. 8,000 19—Margalice—Atlin Fisheries, Lid on 5,000 21—Celestial Empire—Atlin Fisheries, Ltd. 15,000 W. R. Lord—The Canadian Fish & Cold Storage Co., Ltd. 5,000 22—Grier Starrett—The Canadian Fish &. Cold Storage Co., Ltd. os 16,000 28—Jas. Carruthers—The Canadian Fish & ' Cold Storage Co., Ltd. .. . 110,000 29-—Borealis—Atlin Fisheries; Limited 9,000 Nov. 1—Chief Skugaid—The Canadian Fish & a Cold Storage Co., Ltd. Atwood, Vice-Prest. Sec'y and Mgr. ALL WACHUSET. VARIETIES BRANO Or THE FINNAN HADD «= SEASON Boston, Mass. Peleleisioieloisicicivicisisicicieicisisivisieisieleisisicieieielelsieleiciolsicioicivicleicisicicisicisicicisleleloicioleleleteleteisioieiololeleieioisioieieisivieteletetel THE GENUINE INDEPENDENT HOUSE CHARLES LYONS CO, Inc. Wholesale and Commission Dealers in Carp, Sturgeon, Caviar, and all Lake and River Fish 26 PECK SLIP Tel. 1658 Beekman NEW YORK No connection with any other house. Correspondence solicited poisicieisieicieisieivieicieisisicieisisisieivisisisisisisisisieioieisieleisieisisisieisieisieislelsisieleleleieicicioielelsloisicicicieleisicici+ioleleleieletel Peleieieisicleisioleicleioisisivisieioisicisicleisleioieisieieisisieioleieleololeicieisieloisicisisicleleieieioleleicloieleleleicioicieloleleioicioleleloleteleteleisioioisls] CHARLES NOBLE Jr. COMPANY Wholesale Producers, Importers and Shippers of FRESH, CHILLED, SMOKED, SALTED LAKE AND OCEAN FISH, OYSTERS AND CLAMS cPuroy BRAND). DEEP SEA OYSTE:¢S Phones: Bell, Seneca 2257-2258; Frontier 1247 (after 6 p.m. and Sundays); Bell, Crescent 2 or North 936; Frontier 62033; Frontier 29331 (Oysters) 48-50 LLOYD STREET 20-22-24-26 LAKE STREET Commercial Slip (Buffalo Harbor) BUFFALO, N.Y. Peleieieieieleloieisicivivisisisicislelsieivicioieisleieicleieieioicioisielelelelelelelebsisieicicleleicicicicicivieicisieleleletoleteleleisisisisicleleletelelelsieisioiel - THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN THE CANADIAN FISHERMAN THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S : COMMERCIAL FISHERIES :: $1.00 Per Annum Canada and Great Britain. $1.50 United States and Elsewhere Send Your Subscription in NOW peivitisiticloieieisieisieisieisieioieisieisieieieisisieisieisisieisieieioleieisieisioleisisleisisleicisisieicleloleisieisleloleisieieleisisisisieleioieletels] 414 | , | | : Grune by | aad CANADIAN FISHING CO., LIMITED Vancouver & Prince Rupert, Canada British Steamers: FLAMINGO CELESTIAL EMPIRE Canadian Auxiliary Schooners: PESCAWHA CARLOTTA G. COX EMMA H. BOREALIS AURORA ZORRA Cold Storage and Ice Making Plant at Vancouver, Canada We are the Largest Canadian Producers and Shippers of Pacific Coast Fresh and Frozen Fish CARLOAD SHIPMENTS MADE TO ALL PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA O00 C0000 000000 000000 OOOO OOO OOO SOOO Oooo JOHOHOHOHO0H1CHOHOHCHOHO OH0H0HO}0H0 (CHOHOHOHOHG 0000000010 OHOHCHOHOHOHOCHOHOHOHOHO CHOHOHOHOHOHG CHOHOHOHOHG Poteicieioivieisieieioieisivieicisislsivieieieisivicisisivisisisisieisieleisieieie is] Peioicisisioloicieisicioisioieiotolelsisieieicieivieieisicieicisivieieieieisieieiels) LAKE FISH WHITEFISH We are established for handling DORE ordersincarloadlots. Shipment JACKFISH right from the Lakes. [We TULLIBEES | specialize in Lake Winnipeg fish, GOLDEYES | the finest Lake fish in the world. SUCKERS Pan-frozen and Winter weather frozen fish handled WINNIPEG, MAN. CHC OOOH CHO 00010 OF OHOHCHOHO 000000 OH0HCHOH0HO OHO g 2 ESTABLISHED 1890 | 5 The'W. J’ Guest Fish Co: Limited COOOCOOCCOOOROOCCOOOCOCOOO COCOOO COCO COCO OCOD OOCOOOONCOOOS OOOO OOOO COOO OOOO “RUPERT” BRAND THE CANADIAN FISH & COLD STORAGE CO. LTD. Wholesale Dealers, Packers and Shippers No order too large CORRESPONDENCE INVITED PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. Poieieisieisioisieicielsisisieieisielelsisieleisleieieieleleleielelelsls] onononoosooooHOOOOCOCOOOOOOODOOOOOODOD COLD STORAGE Capacity ~--7000. tons. CANADIAN FISHERMAN OF FRESH, FROZEN, SMOKED, SALT and CANNED FISH December, 1915. elotetoteleletoieteteteleteteteleteisisicicieicieieieieietsieieieietsicletniieioied 47 Years of Successful Fish Business New England Fish Company meer OFFICE, DostGN: Mame Ee oe Western Headquarters, Vancouver, Canada Seattle Branch, Pier 6, Foot University St. American Steamers: American Auxiliary Schooners: KINGFISHER MANHATTAN BAY STATE NEW ENGLAND PROSPECTOR Subsidiary Companies: THE CANADIAN FISH- Cold Storage Plants: VANCUUVER, CANADA ING CO., LTD. THE DOTY FISH com- ALAMA, WASH. PANY KECHIKAN, ALASKA NORTHWESTERN FISH- ERIES CO. BOSTON, MASS. ATLIN FISHERIES, LTD Places of Business: BOSTON, MASS. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. GLOUCESTER, MASS. KALAMA, WASH. PORTLAND, MAINE. CHICAGO, ILL SEATTLE, WASH. VANCOUVER, CANADA. Producers and Shippers of Halibut, Salmon & all Varieties of Fish FRESH — FROZEN — SALT pooonneneeesoddsODODODHEODOEAOOODODO 203000000 00.00000000 0 00000000 C0000 00000000) 000000 CeO OHNO OOO CO feieieieteioisisivisitisisisisisivislsisicieivivbelsieteleteleieiciole le : J. BOWMAN & CO. e Trout, Whitefish, Jumbo White, é Yellow Pike, Jacks, Fresh Herring, Salted Herring, frontal cut or flats. a We are booking orders now for car lots. 8 Frozen herring, 100 Ibs. in sacks, 240 sacks to car for November and December delivery. Write us for prices. s+ HEAD OFFICE, PORT ARTHUR TORONTO - - - . - - MONTREAL 26 Duncan St. 47 William St. SOHOHO}HOHO) OHCHOHOHOH (CHCHCHOHCHG (CHCHOHOHOHG CCHOHOHOHO SO OHOH0HG COOOL None too small BRANCHES Vancouver, B. CG. Chicago, Ul, U.S.A. KNICKERBOCKER | a j j 3 - “ f a 3 —e December, 1915. CANADIAN FISHERMAN 41 | | FISH & OYSTERS = {FONARD BROS. || : ALL KINDS OF Fresh, Frozen, Smoked, Dried, Pickled 20, 22, 24 & 26 YOUVILLE SQUARE, . and Prepared FISH in Season . (Near Custom House) eoeeee MONTREAL OYSTERS A SPECIALTY oe 099000 99000 ee s COLD STORAGE ON THE PREMISES a . SOC ORO OOOO OOOCOO OO COOO OOOO OO OOOOOO COCO OOO OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOnooO Oooo OOoOOCoooOOo “‘Inspection Certificates Furnished Where Required.” F. J. HAYWARD SHIPPER OF | Frozen Salmon, Halibut and Black Cod. Fresh Salmon, Halibut, and other fish. Pickled Salmon, Herring and Black Cod; Alaska Codfish and | all other Pacific Fish in Carlots only. WESTERN AGENT:—ROBIN JONES & WHITMAN, LIMITED, Etc., Etc. Correspondence Solicited 912 DOMINION BUILDING - VANCOUVER, B.C. oncoopoooooooooonooosooooooooD CoCo oDnoOODOOOODEDODoOOOODODOOOSDOOOOOODODOODOODODCODD 5 a FETY FIRST “= Beacon Brand | DO NOT TAKE CHANCES! DEAL WITH THE BIG HOUSE The F. T. JAMES Co. Limited TORONTO FISH-FOOD SPECIALISTS | We handle Fish of all kinds, and nothing but Fish. Write us. Sl ea | CANADIAN FISHERMAN December, 1915. Se SO! FISHING SUPPLIES Nowhere: outside af the City of Halifax can a better line of Fishing Supplies be found than we carry | in: stock. Some of our Specialties are :— a = Trawl Kegs, Cotton Lines, Arthur James Fish Hooks, American Standard Nets, Plymouth’ Manilla’ Rope, Caller Herrin, Cutch, Miller’s Extract Hemlock, Cape Ann Fishing Anchors, Fish Barrels, Bulk Salt, Bag Salt, Dories, etc., etc. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT A. N. WHITMAN & SON, LIMITED CANSO, NOVA SCOTIA . SHCHOHOHOAO C0000 0000100 0000000000 000000000 000d OF OHOHOHOHO CHOHOHOHOHG) OHOHCHOH0HO) 000-00 CHOHOHOHO COHOHOOS [TN © Nomuissuad iim ee ESTABLISHED 1874 D. ‘HATTON COMPANY, MONTREAL Largest. Receiyers.and Distributors of all kinds of FISH in the | _ Dominion Experts in the handling of BULK and SHELL OYSTERS Ask for.our. Niobe Brand ‘of Haddies, Kippers and Bloaters, and Sardines in the purest of Olive Oil. Also our Ivory Brand of Pure Boneless Codfish in 2” blocks, 20lb. boxes poivieisivicisicisicivioleioleioisicieicivicivicieioleisicieieieleitivivicisioivicioleieisieieleislelsisicieicieleleioletelebeicieiciololsisisicitisleteleleteloletotoisietel Everywhere in Canada Grade ‘A’ Boneout Finnan Haddies Gateway Brand Boneless Fish CURED AND PACKED ‘ ONLY BY Gateway Brand Threaded Fish errrny icy ¢g,| ASA for | cateway Brand Peed Cu Mayflower Brand Threaded Fish LIMITED YARMOUTH, N.S. HCHCHOHCHO CHOHOHOHG CCHCHOHOHOCHCHOHOHOHO HOHOHOHOHG “GATEWAY’”’ Brands of Fish Petvisieisiciolsicisisicisisisisieisicivicieieicieisisieisisieivicieisicielsisieieisieivisisivisioivisieivicieisisvieisisieiticieisicleisivicieisicleleioicicleleleteteretel [visisisieisisisisicisisioicieioieiclsisisieisieleleleleieloloivielelotelolvicieiolelsieieisisivivicivicieicieivieioieisivicioieieiolsleleleleleleleleleieletete TO THE FISH TRADE:- LET US DO YOUR PRINTING. PRICE LISTS; TRADE BULLETINS, PAMPHLETS, BILL HEADS, LETTER HEADS, ENVELOPES, CARDS, ETC. 8 a scaled Our staff is experienced in the technical work called for in the Fishing Industry. INDUSTRIAL & EDUCATIONAL PRESS, LTD. 45 ST. ALEXANDER ST., MONTREAL, Que. (PUBLISHERS OF THE CANADIAN F- HERMAN) fololelsislelelelelslelelsleleisisleisisisisicleloleioislelelelelelelstelsisieioisleisisivieisleieisieieisieisiieisisitisisisielelsielelelsleleleleleleleters! f) Biceekore td’ Qingdao a a ee ee oe ee ee a ee A 2 Oe ldo PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET STORAGE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY Sh Fea atrey. CLF a tite