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_J >)PPLIED INA^GE Inc
1
Newfoundland's
Fisheries;
'. I
«* Richer by Far Than all the
i Gold Mines of Peru/'
As Lord Bacon Declared Three
Centuries Ago«
^-^^--^^^
e Paper on which this Pamphlet is Printed was made
at the Harmsworth Mills at Grand FaUs.
< !
t
tl
'I
NEWFOUNDLAND^ FISHERIES;
.L bV F" Thr^jHe_Gold Mines o. PW
^ » T, XT n THREE CENTURIES AGO.
U|LORD BACON DECLAREDTHREE
r AUn<\ even a^ the industry is
The fishery weaUh of N.-wo-^^^^ ,Uing. con-
^pa.s..>t prosecuted. -^-^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^ aevelopment by the ap-
rf^ered. and yet is capable of en^^- ^^^,^,, „{ this Island m-
Scation of modern methods The .^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ Me
Sdin. that of its appanag , I^b-1 ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^
Sown to man. It was ^bu. fi^^^ ,^^,, .^nturies aj;o and tha
•*est-conniry.ucn to the I" =^"'' ^ ^^„,, „{ the colony for all
I maintained the V^'^^^''''^ ^"^^^.r. that wash its shores
|atlon« period. "^^ ^^^ ^:,^ .. they were when John
lea^nndimini^^dapp-tlyto. >^^
, ipabot first sighted ye new
i
Cod Fishery-
1 «ith its arowthand population
Within a century and '^J-J^^^.^^^.rrdr show. has grown from
^eannualcatcbof cod sotheoffi.^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^.^ ,^
half a million to one and a ha ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ,n the
two seasons back. n. '^o^'/^^J^' ^ Soo.ooo qtls.. or nearly 300.-
colony-s annals was secured. '<'^J'l ^he value of this fish,
'ct better than the largest pre ufigur^^^^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^^ ^.
sported to the markets at present PP ^^^^^.^^ by being salted
"g ,t million dollars a year. AU oHt P ^^^^^ ^^^^. ^^^
tnd dried, as " stock fish wa. m .^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^,,,^
•f
■ni
.IS nti cfcnnrn^^cnicit for tlx- fi^l'iii^j in(!ii>*try. The >;''"\vtli of t!ic
North Sea fi-h riis ntid tlic other ne.i-food imliist'ies of the Ilriti>h
Ihlcs, together with the multiplying of m ans «( distrihtitiun
tliroMRh the agency of railroads, his practic illy driven the N'tw-
foiindlnnd salt cod out of coiisutuptiou in I*i);;laiid, and its chief
markets to-day are in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, West Indies
and Brazil.
-\
WHAT COLD STORAGK WOULD DO.
If cold storage, for instance, could be employed in the preser-
vation of this vast annual harvest of fish or even for a consider-
able portion of it, an enormous advantage would be gained, not
alore for those who catch, but for those who export the fish from
Newfoundland. To the west of the Island lies Canada, with a
population estimated to-day at over seven millions and rapidly in-
creasing, and a little to the south the United States with its
ninety millions, the vast majority of whom are rarely able to
secure succulent sea-food at all. The value of the British fish-
eries is about $45,000,000 a year, or $1 per head. The value of
the United States fisheries, including the oyster fisheries of the
Gulf of Mexico, and the river and lake fisheries all over the Union,
is only $40,000,000 a year, or less than one half the per capita
value of the British fisheries. The result is that, except for the
areas within a day's run of tidewater on the Atlantic and the
Pacific fronts, the rest of the American people are seriously in-
convenienced for fresh fish food. The same is true of the central
sections of Canada, and the seriousness of the situation is accentu-
ated by the fact th.-it the fisheries', of Maritime | Can.ida and the
New England States are declining.
fDECLINE ON CONTINENT.
The fisheries of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have
declined fifty per cent in the past ten years. The fisheries
of New England, eliminating the lobster fishery, the product of
which, owint; to the scarcity of the crustaceans, has reached
famine prices, show a similar decline. The New England
smick-own.TS arc no longer able to induce native-born Americans
to engi^i in th2 industry on the Grand Banks because of its
hazards'atid hnrdshirs. aiul l.ave to crew the m^s 1h with Scimli-
navians; Cina.lKins aiul N\wioutul'-.iulcr,. otf rnu thc-c h^h^r
wages than th.y cau s.curc m thur own coautncH. winch the
protective policy in (orceia America as to the fi,herie.cnabl-, th. m
io do But even with these aids the industry lan«iiishes. \ arions
form* of State help are ,.rovide<l by the I-\d..ral a.ul State Govern-
ments in America, notably an enormous expenditure by the
United States Fishery Commission in the scientific propoij.uion
of fish, the restocking of depleted atca* and the carrying on of
deep-sea investigations to determine the habitat of the food
fishes In Canadi. in the end.Mvour to mxmtain tae fishing
indusiry even on its present basis, the Federal Government pays
two-thirds of the cost of conveying the fi.h iu cold storage from
tidewater to the inland Provinces; pays bounties totalling
ti6o.ooo a year to the fishermen, and spends, in hatcheries ar.d
other%vise large additional amounts, the total disbursements on
account of the fisheries exceeding a million dollars each year.
NEWFOUNDLAND'S FISIIKRY PRK-EMINENCE.
Newfoundland, being an "autonomous, independent Colony,
with a population of but 250.C00 souls, possesses none of thes^ ad-
vantages, and cannot provide such appropriations, but n=%-rr-
theless is able to maintain her fishing industry 011 a plane which
none of the others can approach. This has been so because of (i )
her proximity to the fishing grounds, which are at her very door;
(2) the greater abiUty and expertness of her people in the prosecu-
tion of the industry ; (3) the advantage of her geographical situa-
tion, and (4) the peculiar aid which her climate provides in the
curing of fish.
These factors, taken together, and coupled with her possession
of the great bait supply of the North Atlantic, account for New-
foundland enjoying the primacy in this industry for centuries pas^t.
The changing conditions of modern industrv and demand of food
buyers surest the developing of trade in fre.h fish, frozen fish and
cold-stored fish, with Can.uia. the British Isles, and the United
States Canada's whole product of fish in a year does not greatly
exceed in quantity that of Newfoundland, though its value is three
times as great, a fact due largely u, the cnormoiis >jlmon f..larv „i
the PacifK- Coast, and in a less (r.kjnc to the nurkttmj; of ,, „i „j
htr fish products in a frc>,h or chilled coii.Iitiou ; while the iu.ide
quacy of the Am.-ican fish supply i., co,,c ut'i the necd^ of th.it
country is iu;torious, especially just at present, when the aKitatK.i.
against the i^lcrea^ed cost of livui^' there prove, that a leKitiiiiate
auxiliary in cheajH-Miing food prices-an adecju. •-.• supply of fish-
is excluded because of the inaucuce of the New Engl ind " lM»h
Trust" over Congress.
POSSIBILITIES OF PROFITS.
The possibilities of the profitable iavcstmcnt of outsi/e
capital in the IJtwfoundland fisheries, even under existing cir-
cumstances, are attested by the statement of one of the leading
members of the fish-exporting community of St. John's in the Le-
gislative Council of the Island during tlie recent Parliamentary
session, that, owing to the shortage of fish in foreign markets,
caused by a reduced catch and export from the countries which
chiefly compete with her, the Newfoundland fishermen had got at
least 51,500,000 more for their total catch in 1909 th in they did in
1908 : while by applying cold storage to much of this pro<luct. its
value could be still further enhanced. Especially would this be
the result with the winter codfishery carried on on the Southwest
Coast or " Western Shore " as it is commonly known.
This branch of the industry is prosecuted all through the winter
dc^pitc the turbucucc (,f li c scasjii. The cod ate then in exi cl-
ient condition, and llu- fro-,t tenuis to keep them pcrf- ct ; and if
cold storage were available an enormous trade could be done, be-
cause at that season there is very little fishing cir.icd on by the
Americans, none by the Canadians, and elsewhere iu Newfound-
land other industries occupy the attention of the people— on the
West Coast the herring fishery is in progress, and on the East
Coast the sealiishery is the great occupation. Iu the Spring, when
the early codfishery around the seaboard begins, the same agency
would enable the product tr be carried to American and Canadian
cities at a period when the demand for fish is very great ; and with
the advances cold storage has been making of late years, it is easi-
ly believable thit Newfoundland fish may before Ion- find itseif a
daily article of diet for tlie people of Manitoba, Michigan, and
Missouri.
FISH SUPPLY FOR ENGLAND.
Some time ago. as a writer in the locil pres^ pointed out,
the British " Fish Trades Gazette" advo.atod English enter-
prise developing the fisheries of the White S:a, but this writer
observed that a large fleet of cod vess.s i; fitted out every
year from Newfoundland ports for fishing o;i tht Grand banks
from March till November, the vessels usuxUy returning every
fortnight for fresh supplies of bait, whi.-h tl..-y tike fresh and
carry in ice ; while, as the Grand Banks are o:.!/ i 400 miles from
the West Coast of England, say from Liverpool or Bristol, as com-
pared with the 1.800 miles to the White S.a.tUen. insteid of silt-
ing down the cod. as is done at pres-nt. ih • o.v;.ers w.)ul 1 be q.ite
willing to sell the fi.h fresh to a fiah-cirrier ihit might go for tl:cm
from England, or the business might be worked up by the Colonial
fishermen and exporters themselves. The cod are very lurge and
of the very best quality, and often sufficient could be got for a
cargo in. a single day by buying from half a dozen or more vessels,
as a moderate catch for each of them runs from 30,000 to 50.000
pounds a day. and the oatch of the dories could be put direct on
board the steamer, fresh from the "trawls" (Uncs) Other fish
like halibut or haddock, are also available there and a large and
profitable trade could be worked up. ^
HAMBUT FROM L.^BRADOIl.
Were a fresh fish trade eiterprised b;tweca the Newfound-
land banking fleet and English pons by means of " "jners" to
collect fish from Newfoundland vessels fishing on the Banks, the
business need not be confined exclusively to cod It is well known
to the American fishing masters that extensive halibut shoals ex-
tend from the Grand Banks as far as Northern Labrador, and a: a
distance of 15 to 70 miles from the land. The Americans do not
resort to these Banks very much now as the American market is
almost entirely supplied with halibut from the Pacific Coast.
■ JiPJ uu «!. -w tmmi
Halibut is one of the most valuable of food fishes in Knglish tinr-
kets — usually selling retail at not less than one and twopcncv.— jH
cents per pound.
Beam-trawling, when it was tried in Xewfoundland waters
some years ago. was found to be more or les-> impracticable
owing to the irregular contour of the bottom. Codfish, as is well
known, prefer a broken bottom, whereas halibut are of the very
opposite habit, and frequent level, sandy bottoms. It is therefore
not improbable that the English method of trawling could be em-
ployed advantageously on those halibut banks, which, though
situated almost at the doors of the Newfoundlanders, they cannot
utilize for lack of markets for these fish. It goes without saying
that could a business be enterprised that would make it possible
for the Newfoundland banking vessels to sell their catch fresh for
the English market the net returns therefrom would be more than
double what they are at present, and from the fact that both cod
and haliV- '• may be procured on these banks it would not appear at
all impossible that sUch a business could be developed.
FAR-AWAY QUESTS FOR FISH.
The Americans have sent res^els to South African waters, to
the West Coasc of Africa, to the Irish Coast, to Iceland, to Green-
land an 1 to farthest Labrador in quest of fish, and now the princi-
pal fishing enterprises of the Pacific Slope are dominated by the
•'Fish ry Combine" of Boston and Gloucester, Mass.achusetts. the
product being carried across the continent daily in refrigerator cars
for sale in the Eastern States. But the further extension of
the Lusiness is automatically restricted by the impossibility of
securing enough men ;o crew a larger fishing fleet and by the in-
ability of the masses to purchase fish, any more than meat, if the
price is too high.
HERE IS NEWFOUNDLAND'S CHANCE!
Newfoundland's opportunity is seen- in this — in the develop-
ment of a trade in fresh or frozen codfish with the United States,
where a pract.cally limitlesi market for it exists always-
tt i, possible also to still further deveU,,> the -;!-'^;^^ /^^^f.;"
cured cod fish in South America. In only one --^-" ? ^^ " '
curea tou consumption of Newfound-
r^'rjetr. Mxt^rB^a;. market absorb, nearly 400,000
t^ls o? th sthe c year, or one-quarter of the entire export.
ScentaVa^^ south American countries with a combined
Utner «.eni nuUions, peopled by the same Latm
^s ra: il bltr^ cr^sumpiio'n of Newfoundland codfisl,
Ind i"f tlie same rate of consumption could be uuluced. practically
t\e:U?eo the^resent catch could be absorbed by these coun-
trL and Brazil! without considering the Portuguese, Span.sh.
Italian and Greek nations at all.
» NEWFOUNDLAND OUTWITS FRANCE.
An example of what it is possible to do in this direction is af-
forded by Newfoundland's experience with France. T-enty-fiv^
years ago. when the French, who have manUa.ned a colony at St^
pie re-Miquelon. off the South Coast of Newfoundland, for two
cnturies sending an armada of some 300 fish.ng vessels across the
AtTantic ;very spring to trawl for cod on the Graml Banks and off
fh Newfoundland coast, b.gan to undersell NewfouncUand >n the
Spanish and Portuguese markets -being able to do tins because
fhe French Government in order to make this fish, ng enterpr.se a
nur^r^ for seamen for the French Navy, aided it w.th bount.es
equrmng 70 per cent, of the value of the catch-Newfoundland re-
taliated ly enacting a law forbidding her own people to sell or sup^
pTy baU to the French, and this no-bait policy has been continued
ever since, the result being that valuable markets, which N ewfound-
llnd had virtuallv lost in the Iberian Peninsula, have since been
regained and St. 'pierre has been dealt a death-blow and is now at
the very nadir of its fortunes.
PRINCIPAL MARKETS FOR FISH.
The principal markets to which Newfoundland's dried codfish
was exported last year, with the quantities sent to each and the
value of the shipments, are as follows :—
s'
s
lO
Countries Qtls. Value.
Britain 58,548 $197,972 ,
Canada 128,344 482.943
B.W.Indies 105,28? 426.541
A.W.Indies 40.798 175.106
United States 24,732 113.489
Portugal 256,080 1,588,798
Spain 280,311 986,631
Italy 380,762 1,444.084
Greece 65,202 216,353
Brazil 382,180 1,719,082
FOR A TWO-MILLIOX CATCH.
A leidtng Newfoundland merchant slrongly ur.jes that the
object of the fis.i trade in the Colony should be to strive for an
annual catch of two millions quintals of cod, and to devise new
methods oX cu in.^ and marketing the fish. Tiiat this policy is by
no m-ans unfcasiblii is provoi by ihe f .c: th?t with the annual ex-
port of dry cod not below i,ooo,ooj quintals in any ye.ir of the past
fo..y, and scarcely below 1,250.000 quintals in any year of the
pasL fifteen, the price has increased in the same period from *3.8o
to $5.18 per quintal. In other words, the annual export of cod
fiom Newfoundland has not aloni^ kept paci with the growth of
the population, but has also been able to find a market at improved
prices, notwithstanding all the competition that it has had to mtct
from rivals in the same indu^t.-y and the modern production of
foods in the most attr ictive and appetizing form. There would,
consequently, seem to be no reason why a further increase in the
catch t ) tot.il 2.000,000 quiatiils should not b.- striven (or. and
thai the marketing of this should uot b.: successfully accomplished.
MEANS TO ATTAIN THIS END.
Some of the means by which this end might be attained
would be the employment of cold storage in the preserving and
distributig of much of the catch, the opening up of new mar-
kets for salted fish in countries in which it has not found a footing,
the subsidizing of steamers to carry tr.sh or salted fish to present
or prospective markets, the UK- of motor boats and < ther modern
tt
Zo.^io..r..r^^^^^^<r^^^,^: variety ol pmpo.cs.
•now discarded but prof.t.iblyut.lza. .^^^^^^^-^^ ;, .lue in no
I„ other countries the =^"*^«^"^,°' „/^iy ut go to waste, ut now
n,ean degree to .he bproduct.formedy^^^ g^^ ^^^^ ^.^^^,
turned into source, cf --"-; J „,,,, .,igM be done u, the
,,„afish.ics.e.« .^;o^^^^ ,,,,,., and various other
conversion of all tms
marketable commodities.
...JTtCtSs S^tSiK Wpa.a ^^ - -—
.ou-.d also help in ^be -e^^--^ ,, , industry salt cod
achusetts. the centre o the Amer^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ p^^^^,^^^ .
is prepared for market '° ^ ^^^^^j,, , ^u edded fish ; in box-wood
wood.pu'p .artons. the -° l^^ ' ;^^;; ^;,i,, ,he skin and bone have
cases, the contents ^^-'""^f^ ^ ^methods of treatment are -adopted,
been removed; -^^^'^T^.r^nt out in up-to-date packages and so
so long in vogue.
„.t h=t launch.ns into these ns» _^^ yj„, ,,e
„il, h.,v. ,.,ndc '»P'f »^;^ °„,i „,eh ol cod by this m«ns be-
t^:;htht"yo's::i o. .^ d=v.op»-.nts,n .h,.„U.s
for salt-cured ib equally great.
SALT COD IS CHEAP FOOD.
I .t,.. .nest ec^ibles that tropical and
Salt codfish is among ^ - ^^^^^ ^J' .^^f competitors in the
semi-trop-.cal countries can ob an a ^ ,^ ^.,,,,y and
;;r.^Th:;?or::^;-Se; .osteloselyapproac.es that.
ii
Newfoundland, while that of France, or, more properly spcakinj;,
Brittatiny and St Picrre-Miqucloii, comes i.ext. Xtwtoundland
has been able of late years to reduce the French fishery to a : cjjli-
gible quantity, and the most serious competitor to-day is Norway.
^fewfoundland has, however, been able to maintain a cort.para-
•ively successful campaign as against Xorwegi;in .utcrprise, and
especially by tl;e formation of a Board of Trade in St. John's,
w'"'ch has done splendid service in improving all the conditions
tha lend to make for stability and betterment in the fishery trade
of the colony. Agencies are being estiblished in foreign coun-
tries, new markets are being sought, better trade facilities are be-
ing arr. ngcd, and the outlook altogether is highly encouraging.
Legislation has been adopted that is calculated to stimulate enter-
prise on new lines, and the future prospect for the fisheries is that
a substantial improvement will result during the next few years.
CHANGING CONDITIONS IN TWENTY YEARS.
The student of the changing conditions in this Newfoundland
codfishery will have noticed that within the past twenty years very
radical and beneficial alterations have been brought about. In
those days practically the whole of the annual export was carried
away in sai ing vessels ; to-day that flotilla has almost van. shed,
and steamers are doing the work much more satisfactorily. Facili-
ties for the transport and distribution of the commodity are
constantly increasing. Steamers from Newfoundland to England
connect at Liverpool with lines plying to Spain,- Portugal and
Mediterranean ports, and consignments of fish, whether small or
large, can thus be sent forward with the same ease and certainty.
Steaners plying to New York c.ni:ect there with oti.ers which
distribute the product in the West India Islands and in Brazilian
por s ; though it is quite true that some " sailers" are yet employed
in th 5 over-sea carrying business. Through freight rates are now
given by steamship lines for all branches of this fish trade, and the
enterprise is now becoming so important that additional steamship
concerns are entering into it.
PACKING FISII IN CASKS.
Another circumstance that has contributed not a little to the
enlargement of markets in Europe for cod has been the extension of
f
13
the method of r^cknjT the fish ^" "J^^' \^.^^ , , fiu a ship's hold
U,1W. ns former-y. The P---^//^^ , J/,, any packages and
,.ith the codfish w thout the be ng ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^.^
this resulted in the saL- of the fisimig ^^^^^ ^^^ q^,,,^. The
the seaport to^vns of Spar . ^^^^ ^^.^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ to be easily
substitution 0 casks lev • ^.^^ by this means the de-
,ent into the iner.ors of t ^J-J^ ^. ^.^days, it is not un-
„,and for it has be n 5^^-^^;;^ 'i"^,^ , ,,,, fi,h so packed, .hile a
comnon to .ee ^^^^"^^'^^f" '^\ i J," large fishing settlement- in
fur h, r development .s that n a U ^ -^= ^^^^^^^^ and fish is being
-^rhj'::^r:^dr::^-a^ -Shipped to market.
COLD STORAGE ENACTMENT.
• , .,n be probably only 1^^^^^:^^^
employment of ^---^:;\^.trXthcr 'fishes of the island,
taken for t' e tnarkct.ng « <■ ^ *^ i^egi^lature which close 1 very
At th- session of the ^evsou^^^^^^^^^^ the Government was
recently, a measure was ^"^'^^^J^^^
empowered to guarantee up ^o ^" J " „„,, ,,|d storage com-
for fifteen years. ^^-, "P^"'!; /^.U ,« rh'*^^ -°"^^ ^'^^^^^ '° '""^
panies. totalVng half a -'^ -" '^;^^^;- I„ets between this Colony.
SS:K:^C:S^ ^LS;S;4.and other forei. countries
In considering the que t,on of the .e ^ ^^.^^ ^^^^^^
important to remember that in '•;^g^^^ -^ divides itself into
ove'rsh.dows all other branches o^ 'iVsho fishery and the Lab-
three branches-the Bank ^^^^^^.^^J ,^ the Grand Banks
rador fishery. The Bank fishery tsp ^ ^^^^ expensive
and is the least of ^,^- ^^'^^ ; ^J ^^.^^^^s are not proportionately
outfit than the f;^y^f^^^,Jj:Te^^^^
greater. On the Grand Ban^s Uie ^^^^^^^
and French fishing fleets, the ^^"^^^ P;/; ^^ ^he Shore fishery is
and 15.000 men ^^^^jejieig ^^ ^^^^^^^,^ ,,„„ the
"^Z^^t:::^ ^- f:^:t thousands of fishermen in boats and
1 »l.(ra,iJ I
I r " -
»4
smacks, and hns been so prosecuted for centuries, the cod abound-
ing in apparently iiiexhausti'>le multiludfs. The Labrador fishery is
carried on every season by some i ,500 vessels and 20,000 people, who
migrate to that coast in the spring and engage in fishing, and return
in the fall after its close, shipping about half the catch direct from
the coast by means of steamers to Europe, and bringing home the
remainder to be cured and dried during the winter in the settle-
ments where the voyagers live. There is no valid reason why,
with the obtaining of capital from outside, these fisheries siiould not
be developed in the form of a fresh-fish enterprise, and if this can
be accomplished it means the working of an economic revolution
in this Island.
The Herring Fishery.
The herring fishery is now mainly prosecuted on the West
Coast of Newfoundlnnd in the autumn and winter, the chief rerorts
of the fish being Bay of Islands, Bonne Bay and Bay St. George.
American fishing vessels engage largely in this enterprise, and so
do Canadian, because at this season, and with Lent near at hand,
imp'ying a greatly increased demand for fish at all points, herring
are not procurable anywliere else in North Atlantic Waters. The
annual catch in this region is about 100.000 barrels, valued at
5250,000. perhaps one-half of the fish being taken away salted, and
the ether hilf frozen. It is believed now to be perfectly possible
to ship not alone the whale oi the existing output by means of cold
storage or some similar process, but also to much increase the an-
nual output through the same 'agency, besides doubling, if not
trebling, the value of this particular industry.
QUEST FOR NEW HERRING SHOALS.
Investigations by means of specially equipped "drifters " have
been undertaken for some years past by the Nviwfoundland and Ca-
nadian Governments with a view to determining the existence and
locality of vast shoa's of herring which are bilieved to be found in
the outer vaters, and it is hoped in time to establish by this means
a fishery approaching in its magnitude that on the East Coasts of
•■■.<jiii ii«..i.ii
I
I
«5
« , ^ r^ venr This would probably be followed in time by
ir> is t. be ceve cptd by ti.e aatp>i-u u
this beiring fisl ery.
THE SMOKED HERRING INDUSTRY.
In connection with the present status of the ^^^^^ ^^^^^ '^
isimro.tant to rctc that an in^.nun.c t.rdc 'YZLw 'o Dig y
rosMHe of dcvelcTH^ent. For ma.y ^"^^ ^"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Nova Scotia, has been conducting a smoked hemng fishery ine
American waters is there so large a herring fishery as in New
ftrndland and nowhere should it be possible to ^eve op J srnoLed
herring industry more easily or more cheaply than in this IslanO^
the American and Canadian \essci3 « ^^ .,„oke-
rfi^htb^rls^oueated before being sent outofthe country.
The Lobster Fishery.
In no direction is there a greater possibility of /^vohitioniz ng
an industry through modem agencies, than in tbat °f the Jo^^^^^^
fishery. The alarming decline in the annual catch of lobste s i.
d stuTbing fishermen and traders all the way from Newfouudland
fo Cape Hatteras. which is the range of the crustacean on this s.de
of the Adantic. Along the American and Canadian seaboards
owing to the great number of large cit.es withm easy reach, the
II I. imiiiwpwfwiyiii I. IP. «U-i ■ n
|6
demand for fresh lobsters cannot be supplied, for the decline has
been very marked, and the outcry for sjm tiling to b^ done, is one
not easily to be met. Throughout Newfoundland, whence there is no
export of fresh lobsters whatever— the entire output being marketed
by being preserved in cans — the situation is less serious, though it
is still acute enough to prove a disturbing factor. What is desired
is a means, on the one hand, of providing that lobsters can be
shipped to European or American markets fresh or frozen, and on
the other hand that artificial agencies can be utilized to propagate
lobsters to at least an extent that will maintain the 'existing supply.
These conditions successfully met, there is an cuormous profit to
be made out of the lobster industry rightly handled and aggressive-
ly enteiprised.
7,500,000 LOBSTERS A YEAR.
The annual Newfoundland pack of lobsters now amounts to
26,000 cases, each containing 48 tins, and, calculating six lobsters
to a tin, this means that the total kill of these crustaceans each
year is about 7,500,000. The value of these lobsters is $400,000,
or 5 centseach. Lobsters fresh or preserved in ci Id storage, can now
be purchased at from 40 to 60 cents in the great cities of the
United States and Canada, and even if but half that amount was
obtainable in the sale of Newfoundland lobsters fresh or frozen it
would increase their value fivefold to the fishermen. I tis not dif-
ficult, therefore, to ste the vast possibilities of a highly profitable
industry through the modernising of the methods of catching and
exporting Newfoundland's annual catch of lobsters.
i
Appended will be found a table showing the export of can-
ned lobsers l^ota this colony the past twenty years, a studv of
which will prove that as the quantity has declined the price |has
increased : —
»7
EXPORTS OF LOT^STF.RS.
!
II
Year.
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1894-5
X 895-6
1896-7
1897-8
1898-9
1899-0
1900-1
1961-2
1902-3
19" 3-4
1904-5
1905-6
19c 6-7
1907-8
Cases.
76.226
69.552
57.249
32.589
35.403
48,056
51.016
56.372
58.883
6t,95i
56.166
37.523
36.271
38.368
31.881
31 575
43.522
3«.328
26,999
26,060
V.iUio.
$4:- 5n
520.078
429,681
360,048
265.522
312.364
430,881
465,069
529.947
619. IJO
565.362
441, 2 ->2
448.501
412,256
387,466
4io.4<^5
512,662
376.490
379 237
418605
Per Caso.
16.70
7.50
7.50
8.00
7-50
6.50
8.20
8.25
9.00
10.00
10.70
11.75
12.40
10.80
12.00
13.00
11.80
12.00
14.40
16.00
The Minor Fisheries.
new conditions. At present me .^^ ^^^
possesses assured markets in ^^.,.. ^oDlied, all these minor
^ndition that-cold storage is -"^ f ^f/i^ and value,
fishes could be enormously . ""e^^^*^ consumption of these
The American market is --^^,^;,/;;:,Cre fresh.' the modern
fishes, provided they could be ^-/^^^^^^"''.^.i.ely in the direction
similar result may be expected.
i8
At present, of cmir«e, without the Colny possessing nny
aikquate cold storage facilities it is iii.possiMe to ship those fishes
to the United States, except salted, nml in such form there is not
a very large demand for them. In coniieclion wi'h the proposed
installation of fish hatcheries and the increase in the sea producti
of the Colony therchy, which may he reasonably expected, follow-
ing the experience of the United States and Canad\ in this direc-
tion, the introduction of new fishes into Newfoundland waters, not
at present fourd there, could be atttmpted.
THE I-:SHLRIES APE THE MAINSTAY.
But even with the various kinds of succulent fcod,
fishes, which aic rcw sufficiently numerous to /cpay their chase
and capture, tliete r^rc opportunities for the profitable investment
of capital whic'i fc v countries can exceed for promise and
security. Her fishciics have been the main-stay of Newfoundland
for centuries ; to-daj- fi-,h exports form 82 per cent of the total ex-
ports; and the whole economic and commercial fabric is built
upon the sure font d.i I inn of the fisheries. How sure and stable
this foundation is. has been proved by the fact that these fisheries
have withstood the vie ssitiidcs of nature and man's relentless pur-
suit for more t!ian four centuries.
TI'E CANNING OF CAPLIN.
An example of how new fishery projects mav be enterpised is
afforded by the case of the caplin. This is a fish which is most
appetising as a food a..d with which the waters of Newfoundland
literally teem every summer. It is in size somewhat larger than
as rdme and either fresh or sundried it is always an appetising
delicacy. Because. h< wever. no methrd Las been disclrsed for
curing or marketing it, all this ahui^dance of sea food now goes to
waste. It is literally true that thousands of tors of caplin are
every y.-ar used for ma- ure in Newfoundland, being thrown over
the potato patches and kitchen gardens of the fishermen. The
caphncometotheshoreinthes'imineranl are cast up bv the
waves in vast quantitxs on all the loaches, whence thev are
wi hlt'eT. "i """P°''- V " '"<^'''"'' ^'^" ''c devised forc^Jaling
Mill- 7 ""'""« tl'em. as sardines or otherwise, theri
L .nlLw.;"" nulustr .osit.l. theref.om which in years ought
to equal the sardine fishery of Brittany,
!
t9
THH SALMON FISHTRY.
The possibilities for the disposil of fresh silmon arc very Rroat,
as the NcufKiiiuIlaiKl s iltmni stan-l first in tho worlil. in qii '.ity.
Most of the Colony's expnrt of salmon now is saltcl or pickle 1, a
comparativt-ly small portion only being exporteil fresh. If the
pickled salmon were sent away in a fr )7.on stat.- the value would he
multiplied at least fourfold, and by serving the mark-ts on both
sides of the Atlantic an industry of one-half a million dollar'^ a year
coula very soon be assured. FuMic opinion in the Colony is now
being awakened to a realization of this, and plans are to be adopt-
ed whereby salmon hatcheries will be cscablished and the art.fi ial
propagation of this splendid game and commercial fis'a uud-rtak n ;
and means will be devised where' ly tlic salmon fishery miy be-
come a prime factor in the Island's icononiic advaneeuiont.
The salmon as a sporting fish, and the opportunities of the Is-
land from a sportsman's piint of view, are dealt witli in another
pamphlet of this series. Suffice it to say. however, that the fame
of the Island as a sporting r. sort is every ye ir be om n< m re
wiitsprcid atid that the inrush "f s dimii-fish,- s i- c m stmlly in-
cre. siii^;. The e!ifor>.emeiit of the law- .\li cli pr^veat th> lu t ti,'
of rivers will assist greatly in d.v.lopin^ t.ic s, ortiiig fi-h ry for
salmon, as well as the commercial s.dmoii fishery, and as every
sportsman is a foe to the illicit uitting of rlvj.s a vjlunteer police
force with this object in view will thus be i>i .vided, while the mea-
sures which the Government has in view for increasing the avail-
able supply of salmon should find their effect i a Iar>j:ely supplement-
ing the quantity available every year for export^
The Soiling Wrapper
Another instance of that which it is posi'ilj to do in the
way of .developing the Newfoundland fisheries is seen in the re-
cent introduction into the Island of what is known as tne Sol ing
Process of preserving fish. This consists of wrapping them in
specially-prepared paper wlieh is the invention of Captain Soiling,
Danish Fishery Conuni-sioner in London, and then packing ihem
in ice for transport. Experiments made iu the shipping of fish
■
t ,
■I'
90
Irom Newfoundland to Canada. United States, and Great Britain
have shown that it is possible to keep fish per/ectlv fresh
sweet and appetizing for two to three weeks, if enclosed "in thes^
wrappers and handled with ordinary care. Already this scheme
has met with much acceptance in the island, the paper is being
utilized extensively for the wrapping of salmon, trout, halibut, and
other fishes, and while of course the magnitude of the cod catch
precludes the po-sibility of its being traded in this way. yet it is
quite evident that under certain conditions and for certain markets
* portion of the annual catch of cod can be handled by this
means. This paper is also extensively used for fish-preserving
purposM in England and Scotland.
GROWTH OF OTHER INDUSTRIES.
Among the problems which the new Government of this
Colony has vigorously taken up. is that of securing nrw
markets for our fish and especially in Western Ca
and the Western States where there should be enormous "po
•ibihties for such development. One of the prospects in this
direction is that of establishing a fleet of fast steamers, fitted with
cold storage for carrying on a daily trade in fresh fish bet. en the
Newfoundland coast and the chief American centres of popula-
SuM r. American coast, such as Boston. New York and
Philadelphia.
What may be done by well directed energy in these projects
18 seen in the tremendous grovvth of the banana industry in
the Unittd States, fleets of spKndid steamers plying daily be-
tween these pons and the various West India Islands and bring-
ing back cargoes of bananas, commodities much more perishable
in their nature than fish, to these northern waters. Such an
enterprise means no more on this side of the Atlantic than the
North Sea Fishery means for England and the continental coun-
tries which border on that area, and some system of having speedy
fish earners operate with the fleets could be adopted on the Grand
Banks with an equal measure of success, 'x he Australian and New
Zealand frozen mutton trade also i,hows the possibilities of new lines
.{ commercial activity.
/I
I
at
CODFISH FOR BRITISH NAVY.
While in England last sutmiier. attending the Imperial De-
fence Conference, Sir E 'word Morris, the Premier of the Colony,
submitted to the War Office and the Admiralty samples of Xe\v-
'•jundland codfish put up fresh in hermetically sealed cans, by a
boiling process absolutely free from any chemif^al preparation, with
a view to its being served to the soldiers and bluejackets, so that if
it should prove acceptable it could be put on the ration lists of both
the Army ard the Navy. Several cases of this fish were supplied
to H. M. S. Dreadnought, and the official report thereon was to the
effect that "chief petty officers' messes and the petty officers-
messes speak well of it, and as these messes have better facilities
for preparing it in an appetizing form, it is possible that it might
be utilized to some extent by them, if procurable in the canteen."
It was therefore suggested that the packers of fish in Newfound-
land might communicate with the various concerns purveying sea
food to the navy so that th; y may keep it in stock and supply it to
the naval canteens as required, and it is thought that gradually a
substantial trade will be thus built up for a very tempting eatable.
Cod-Livcr Oil.
Th' prssibilities in the dirctioii of creating a highly valu-
able industry in the refining cf cod-liver oil are illustrated by the
figures supplied below, which give the export of this commcdity
annually for thepast ten years. It will b? seen that in 1903-4, espe-
ci Ily, there was an enormous increas" in t'e quantity and in the
v; luf of the cod-liver oil expo-te \ nd th it tliis condition prevail-
ed tc a lasser exent in the following year The re:. son for this
very abnormal increase was that a com lete failure of the codfish-
ery in Norway had rendered the Norwegian supply of refined oil
utterly inadequate to the needs of the marke'.s which absorb it.
Cod-liver oil, as is well known, has a recognized value in pul-
monary cases; and Norway, because of her larger popu'ation and
conrequent increased ability to develop an export trade in this
article, has succeeded in gaining the primacy in the world's mar-
kets therefor. Newfoundland cod-liver oil, however, has secured
in recent years the highest awar !s iu International exhibitions,,
i <
1:
Mi.
- 33
and under these circumstances it only requires e.iergy and effort
for the colony to secure any lar^jer proportion of this trade than
she has hitherto been able to a norm.tlly obtain. The immense
vi.Iue, from a colonial standpoint, of this tr ide. is seen from the
figures of 1903-4, and the production of that much cod-liver oil
entailed no strain whatever upni the other industries o' the
colony. Ordinarily the vast bulk of the oil obtained from the
livers of the cod in Newfoundland i^^ exported as " cod oil," which
differs from " cod liver oil' '"in the industrial world, in that the
latter ;s the refined product used for medicinal purposes ; and the
former is the one which becomes rancid, and is used for tanning.
" Cod oil " is an inevitable accompaniment to the carrying on of
thecodfi^h■^g-indu>try as at present coiiduct.d, when fishermen
abroad on the Grand Banks, afar at Labrador, or established in
isolated settlements around our own seaboard, have no means of
keeping the livers fresh, and no inducement for any special efforts
so to do. Newfoundland could, without ditSculty, easily supply
the world's whole demand for refined ccd liver oil, but even if that
prove! unfeasible in the n;ar future, there ii still the opportunity
ex.stiiig for a ve y much larg.r incre se in the annua, output.
The figuies are as follows :
Year.
1899-1900
igco-igoi
1901-1902
1902-1903
1903-1904
1904-1905
1906-1907
1907-1108
190J5-1909
Gallons.
17.695
22,970
20,164
44.407
191.403
114.506
59.781
51.547
48,015
93780
Value.
• 8,598
12,710
11,142
37.240
482,792
137.265
34.995
31.755
26,289
31,604
The Seal Fishery.
The Newfoundland seal fishery is a striking p oof of how
judicious legislation has contributed to maintain this industry al-
most unimpaired in its magnitude for generation.--, whereas the in-
/,
93
discriminate shtiphter and absence of such enactments have
brought about the virtual extermination of a similar industry
elsewhere in the world. To-day the Alaskan seal fishery is but
the shadow of what it once was, while the Newfoundland seal
herds are little diminished and the industry is as profitable as ever.
Little is known, historically, of the early days of Newfound-
land's seal fishery, which, strictly speaking, is not a fishery at all,
the seal being an aquatic mammal, .warm blooded, and suckling
its young as land animals .1 . Scientifically the Newfoundland seal
is an ice riding pinniped, that is to say, its habitat is the ice-field
that drifts southwards in the grip of the Arctic current, from
the Polar wastes to the Grand Banks. On this ice
the female brings forth its young in February off Labrador, and
in March the seal fleet puts out from St. John's o;i its annual quest
for these creatures. The young seals are chiefly sought, as their
hide yields the softest leather and their fat the finest oil. If suffi-
cient young ones cannot be had, the parents are killed instead.
HISTORY OF ENTERPRISE.
In the first half of the last century the fishery was prosecuted
by sailing vessels, small at first but gradually increasing in size, to
schooners and "square ri-ucrs." In 1863 the first steanur was
employed in the fishery, and gradually steamers displaced sailing
vessels altogether. Special steamships were built in the earlier
days to carry on the industry, stout wooden vessels like the Scotch
whalers. Indeed, for a long period the ships prosecuted both in-
dustries, sealing in the Spring off Newfoundland, and whaling in
the Summer off Greenland. For thirty years or so the
steam scaling fleet has numbered from 15 to 25 vessels,
and the catch has varied from 200,000 to 350,000 seals.
Four years ago a new departure was made, when a large
steam freighter, appropriately enough named the "Adventure, "
was constructed in I':ngland,'of special design aiul superior strength,
to engage in this busine-s during March, and to serve as a cargo
carrier for the remainder of tlic yoir. She proved such a great
succ ss that three others have since been built on the same design,
and a fo.irth, s ill larger, w.s ad Jed l.st s.\sjn, plying the r..-t
.,■ f
V,
• I
I r
of 'h? yea as ■ pnss -necr 'Vcr l.'vtfr Krv YrrV ?rd Sv Jo'r's
and it i-^ tliouglit that as tlie wooden crafts gradually vanish,
they will be replaced by steel boats, uatil the industrj- is prosecut-
ed entirely by these.
The pelt, comprising the skin and adhering fat, is alone
sought, and is stripped from the carcase of the seal. On arriving
at St. John's the fat is removed from the hide and rendered into
oil by steam heat, the oil being then extensively utilized as an
illuminant for light houses, as tie basis for high-class soaps, and
as a sub-titute for olive oil ; while the skins are made into patent
leather and in'o bic; cle saddles, kit bags, and o:her similar arti-
cles. A prime pelt, as 'ardfcl at St. John s, i- worth 82, so that
a season's catch of jco, 00 seils means a disbursement of $6o:),oco
in the colony.
LATEST SEALING LEGISLATION.
The tanning of the hides is all done abroad, and in the various
processes through which the article passes its value enhances ac-
cordingly ; so that steps are now being taken to carry on this work
in Newfoundlar.d, end keep within the <olory the tot 1 sum of
the profits of the busircss. The tiend of legislation in this indus-
. try of laie years has been as follows ;—
Thirty years back ships could make two, or if especially fortu-
nate, three trips'; now'more than one is forbidden. Then shipscould
sail on the first of March and kill indefinitely ; now they must not
sail before the tenth, nor kill before the twelfth, and must cease
on the 30th. of April. During the present year, indeed, the own-
ers of th-' fleet agreed amonjrst themselves to postpone the sailing
date until the 12th, and the killing date until the 15th, and to en-
force <.;her restrictions, as it has been foundof late years that num-
bers of immature sea's have been taken. As this season's experi-
ment pr.,ve a success, it is probable that a legis.ative enactment on
the same 1 nes will be enforced next year.
The annual products of the seal fishery for the past ten years
is appended here.
=5
EXPORTS OF SEAL PRODUCTS.
Year- Skins, OU— tuns. Value
'^99-0 203.858 5,340 5595.935
'9001 327.163 4.651 707,527
'9<"-2 528,150 3,945 800.314
'902-3 341.395 4.375 778,821
'903-4 234,639 2,748 562,054
'904-5 315,685 3.783 745.235
'905-0 283.400 3,741 611,524
'906-7 164.509 5.351 642,267
'907-8 115,890 3,367 449,,34
'908-9 371.963 3,861 685,882
Whale Fishery.
This industry off the shores of Newfoundland has been pur-
sued for some twelve years past by what is known as the modern
method of whale kilHng. The whales found in Newfoundland
waters are not the cichilots or sp -nn whales, of the tropics • nor
the bowheads. or baleen shales, of the Arctics ; but an intermedi-
ate class known as the rorquals, or racer whaler, su-):lividsd into
the blue'.acks, or sulphur bottoms, finbacks and humpbacks \11
these wliales are valuable chieSy for the oil that is obtained from
their b ubb^r. They are bone whales in the sense that like the
Arctic w laes their mouths are not furnishel with teeth, but with
aflixible cirti:age kno.vn as baleen, or whalebone, and its use is
to enib'e th^m to expel the watt in which float the medusae that
they feed on after thayj have taien a huge mouthful of the liquid
in which thest: creatures are to be found.
The modern method of whale hunting differs from the oM
time metho I i.i that all the whales that are killed are towed to the
shore an 1 every particle of the huge carcass is turned to some
ccmmercial utility. The blubber is converted into oil. The
^aleen is cut out and cleaned, to enter into various manufactures
The juices are made into glue, and all the refuse is transformed
into fertili^r, which Is of the highest quality of excellence. The
chase of these local whales is carried out by means of small but
speedy setamers, of about.' loo tons burden, making twelve
'I
l-l,j
36
knots, with poverful ^^ngires to operate the winches by means of
MlMc h the .tou-. ropes are held ater the wha'e has b.en tran,fixed
with tlie harpoon.
I
In the killirg of the Newfou. dlard type of w'-ales, tite old-
time sj. In g cr.- ft, with her brood nt small boats an 1 armiment of
hard harpoc ns. could not fuffice for a day. The spe?d of ti.e ror-
quals re. ders sails of no value : the sze of the " fish" reducing
the efficiency of the hand harpocn to not .ingness. The modern
harpoon is an ther matter.
This new brand of harpoon is made of two bolts of wrought
iron, each four fett in length, connected at both en Is bv a sort of
hub Affixed to it in movable shanks are four cross bars like
anchor flukes. Above the head , o'.low conical bomb, filled witii
gunpowder, is attached. The bor.,b has a time fuse which expires
wo seconds after the harpoon has penetrated the carcass of the
leviathan. A stout rope connects the harpoon and the vc^se! The
mortar gun is located at the bow of the steamer, and is so arranged
that It can make a- scmi-circle horizontally and can be raised or
lowered.
The steamers start at sunrise when the whales show an incli-
nation to come to the surface and enjoy a series of "blows "
Wlen the quarry is sighted, the steamer pursues, ^ets within
shooting distance, and then fires 1 er projectile. Frequently the
bomb causes instant death, but in many cases it gives th» whale
only a mortal wound and serves to keep him in tremendous activity
for a ccuple of hours or more. When the whale is dead it is towed
back to the harbor where the "factory" is, in which the various
processes of transforming the carcass into merchantable products
are condu ted, and in due course the oil "bone," fertilizer and
by-products are exported to the foreign markets ,vhcre they are in
demand.
In some recent years tht value of the colony's whaling exports
has approached half a million dollars.
i
»7
GOVERNOR MacCKI COR'S REPORT.
Sir Willi.m MncGregor, I ,c , ,ernor of the colony, in a
repcrt on the loreign trade r.rd ,„„,merce of Newfoundland "
forTcl '° ^'" ^;''' ""'■ '''"'■' '•> "^•'-' Secretary of State
lor the Colonies, in January, 19-5, s j s :
c.J'J!'u ?"' T""'^ ''"'^'" •" ^^ '^"^'"'y satisfying in the
case of he dry cod export. It wonl.' se m to indicate that there
.s no a hng c ff .n the number, of ., . f sh that freque, t the sea
fisheries by art fic.cl means, or t . st.„:,i ,rdize exports. There can
be ro dot bt that very much ccn'd , e .one here 'by improv „7the
methods of curing f]sh. and by i, ,r.„.,K„ g newmethod" of preplr!
M M '''f °" ' "■'''' ^' ''' ^ ' ^- "•"« tie qu ntity ob En-
able could ,n 5e^eral branches Ic , , C. increased It is freZ
to be regretted that, both as uy.u. n.sh and minera s Brltth
capital IS not further employe.' i„ „ i col.ny, wh" e aTfar .s one
can judge, it cruld be ptofltal.'v -.v.-tcd TH ^^/"^"^ °"^
„r ,.„ „ ... . t^ ^"i.ii > i\i-tcci. Ihisqucstion is one
of the most interesting and im, or, , , f all that are raided in t h !
report. It vNould .urely be ucnl, ul.le consider nVw H
Untion of Eritish cat.it lists rr„i consider ng how the at-
rescuicesofthiscoX t ;./.;,;::?;°''""'^'"'^'"^'^'
clearly, in graphic fomi how e, . f he o . '''r' "f '^''^
»t,„r- •. JT-- "" u't ii.f., «' ine colony is beine lost tn
Bnt^h ^ itaiii .houid ^^"v .^ .i;;:^ ^^^ ^ ^--!
^^t^^:/:^\- :^:^^- ^-e can be L
thetiseofco:dstLge; by in^l .V^^lIl^I^^ftrlng S'^ ^
ud hfe the-r' '"' "^'"""*^ .-.:t markets. and'caref^U^
gJier 2 and the '"r"':^ ■'' '• '''PP'^'"^ '° ^^^ fisheries
fcTence "^'l tH^t -n^ °' "'"""'' " '^e Powerful aid of modern
r.Zr .^"'"^yo"^'" ^gr.e v:tl me that on the whole this
report poinrs to a prosperous futui. ,. r Xewfoundland."
r
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