scanned from the volume at the Marine Biological Laboratory Library, Woods Hole
posted Oct 2005A Report upon the Alewife Fisheries of Massachusetts
David L. Belding. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Conservation, Divsion of Fisheries and Game. 1920Introduction
Natural History
The Fishery
History and Legislation
Causes of Decline
Remedial Measures
Survey of Herring Rivers, Ponds, Streams
Bibliography
Index
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A REPORT
UPON THE
ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF MASSACHUSETTS
Division of Fisheries and Game Department of Conservation
publication of this Document Approved by Alfred C. Holland, State Purchasing Agent.
1M-64 938500 Estimated Cost per Copy $.610
Publication of this Document approved by the Supervisor of Administration.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
William C. Adams, Director, Division of Fisheries and Game, State House,
Boston, Mass.
Sir: I herewith submit a report upon the history, present condition and possibility of development of the alewife fishery of Massachusetts. This investigation was made in 1912, 1913, 1917, 1919 and 1920 under the provisions of chapter 178, Acts of 1902. The survey of 1912 and 1913 was done by Mr. Roy S. Corwin, at that time Assistant Biologist.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID L. BELDING,
Biologist.
REPORT UPON THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Part I.
INTRODUCTION.
An important part of the work of a progressive State fish and game commission is the investigation of natural resources for the purpose of determining proper and effective methods of conserving these valuable assets for the benefit of the public. For the past fifteen years the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game has been investigating such economic problems, one of which, the alewife fishery, furnishes an excellent illustration of the practical value of biological study in the preservation of a commercial fishery.
Importance.Since the disappearance of the shad, the ale-wife, or branch herring {Pomolobus pseudoharengus), the most abundant food fish inhabiting the rivers of the Atlantic coast, has become commercially the most valuable anadromous fish in Massachusetts. Ever since the landing of the Pilgrims, when the alewife provided the most readily available source of food for the early inhabitants of New England, it has been closely related to the prosperity of the shore towns, where it has always been held as a public asset. The successful re-establishment of this depleted fishery would benefit the shore towns directly, and indirectly would prove of even greater value to the fisheries as a whole.
The alewife is of value as food, as bait, and as a food supply for other salt and fresh-water fish. Either fresh or cured, it forms an excellent and inexpensive article of diet. Because of its abundance and comparative cheapness, it is satisfactory as bait, and recently its scales have become of commercial value. In the fresh-water ponds, which serve as spawning grounds, the young alewives furnish a by no means insignifi-
cant source of food for the predacious fresh-water species such as bass, perch and pickerel. Of greater importance is the attraction they offer to pollock, bluefish, squeteague and other marine food fishes which come to our shores to prey upon the young alewives when they descend the coastal streams. The simultaneous decline of the alewife and shore fisheries suggests that there is a direct relation between the two, and that the success of the fishing towns along the coast in a considerable measure is dependent upon the flourishing condition of the alewife fishery.
Results. The investigation has shown the present impoverished condition of the fishery, the causes contributing to its decline, and has brought out certain points in the life history and habits of the alewife which furnish a basis for establishing cultural methods. These remedial measures are based upon a thorough and judicious consideration of the facts disclosed by a study of the natural history of the alewife, a survey of the streams up which alewives once ran, and a review of the statistical records of each fishery. If this program is followed and the present faulty methods of operating the fishery are eliminated, the alewife industry of Massachusetts is capable of substantial development.
The requisite steps in the reconstruction work are:
(1) An unobstructed and uncontaminated passageway from salt water to the spawning grounds.
(2) Artificial restocking of depleted streams and the creation of new fisheries in favorable localities.
(3) Adequate and efficient methods of regulating the fishery.
Presentation. The aim of this report is to present to the general public, more especially the residents of the shore towns, general information concerning the present condition, history and possibility of development of the alewife fishery. Harmful practices of various kinds have been uncovered, and responsibility for these conditions has been squarely and openly placed where it belongs.
The first part of the report considers general topics, such as: (1) The natural history; (2) the fishery; (3) the causes of decline; and (4) remedial measures. The second part contains a description of the individual alewife streams, arranged in geographical order, with specific recommendations for their
development. The length of this report does not permit the publication of many interesting details concerning the various fisheries, complete records of which are on file with the Division of Fisheries and Game.
Acknowledgments. The greater part of the statistical and survey work was conducted in a most capable manner by Mr. Roy S. Corwin, to whom special commendation is due for his excellent and accurate descriptions of the numerous streams and fisheries. The observations on the spawning and artificial propagation of the alewife were made in 1919 and 1920 by Mr. J. A. Kitson. Our sincere thanks are due to the many holders of the alewife privileges, both past and present, and to alewife dealers, for their ready co-operation, with few exceptions, in furnishing reliable information as to the yield, methods of operation and history of the fisheries. We are also deeply indebted to town officials, particularly to town clerks and members of herring committees, for their courtesy in furnishing valuable records.
Methods of Investigation. The work consisted of three parts: (1) a survey of the coastal streams; (2) a statistical study of fishing methods; and (3) an investigation of the life-history and habits of the alewife.
The survey comprised a biological examination and personal inspection of each stream, with maps and descriptions of all important features. Special emphasis was placed on the condition and accessibility of the spawning grounds, the location of dams, presence or absence of fishways, the volume of water in the stream, and possible sources of pollution, both trade waste and sewage. The life history and habits were observed at the spring runs, on the spawning grounds and during artificial' hatching.
The various methods of operating the fishery under town control were studied from the standpoint of efficiency and the resulting effect upon general conditions in the different streams. The testimony of members of herring committees, operators of fisheries, fish dealers and townspeople interested in the fisheries, was taken, and the town records were examined for local regulations. Statistics, both past and present, were gathered from all available sources, including town documents, fish committee reports and various legislative enactments.
NATURAL HISTORY.Species. The herrings, Clupeid, are characterized by an oblong body, absence of the lateral line, and by cycloid scales. While the majority of the numerous herring species are confined to the ocean, some ascend the coastal rivers for the purpose of spawning. In the latter class is the alewife {Pomolobus pseudoharengus), which is reported by Bean (1) as landlocked in the lakes of New York. In Massachusetts waters the principal allied species capable of being confused with the alewife are the adult and young of both the sea herring (Clupea harengus) and the glut herring (Pomolobus ζstivalis), and the young menhaden (Brevoortia tyrranus).
Names. The scientific name of the alewife is Pomolobus pseudoharengus (Wilson), although the term Clupea venialis was used by McDonald in 1880, and Alosa tyrranus and Clupea tyrranus by Lyman in 1872. The common names of this species are branch herring; spring herring; alewife in New England, with the modifications of ellwife or ellwhop on the Connecticut River; big-eyed or wall-eyed herring on the Albemarle River; grey back, to distinguish it from the blueback, blackback or glut herring; and gaspereau and kyack in Canada.
Description. The alewife in general conforms closely to the herring type, but is characterized by a grayish blue back, white silvery sides, fairly deep body, strongly serrated abdomen and large eyes. In Massachusetts the adults range in size from 8.5 to 13 inches, the average being 10.58 inches. Three and four year old fish, and possibly even two, may ascend the same stream, causing marked variation in the different schools, as is indicated by the following measurements from ten streams:
Sex. Number. Length in Inches. Smallest. Largest. Average. Male, 634 8.50 12.00 10.29 Female, 636 9.50 13.00 10.88 Total, 1,270 8.50 13.00 10.58
Although the difference in the size of fish at various periods of the spring run is a matter of comment among the fishermen, our measurements, confined to a limited period on Monument River, Bournedale, show only a slight difference.
Date.Males. Females. Total. Number. Length
(Inches).Number. Length
(Inches).Number. Length
(Inches).May 14, 1920, 43 10.71 57 10.92 100 10.83 May 20, 1920, 100 10.41 100 11.04 200 10.73 The variation in the different streams is somewhat more striking.
Length in Inches.
Stream.
Date
Males.
Females.
Greater
Length
of Females.Mashpee River,
May 18, 1920
10.00
10.59
.59
Herring River, Harwich,
May 11, 1920
10.28
10.97
.69
Agawam River,
May 19, 1920
10.19
10.76
.57
Mattapoisett River,
May 19, 1920
10.51
11.03
.52
Red Brook, Cataumet,
May 18, 1920
9.89
10.70
.81
Monument River,
May 20, 1920
10.41
11.04
.63
The males are smaller and weigh less than the females, and during the breeding season the different contour of the females makes separation easy. In 1,270 measurements the males averaged 10.29 inches compared with 10.88 inches for the females, a difference of 0.59 of an inch in favor of the latter. Approximately 92 per cent of the fish ran as follows: males, from 9.5 to 11 inches; females, 10 to 11.5 inches.
There is some danger of confusion with the glut herring, which also enters the coastal streams for spawning, but at a slightly later date than the true alewife. According to Smith (4) its spawning takes place nearer the sea. Although superficially the alewife and glut herring resemble each other, the black lining of the body cavity in the latter makes differentiation easy. A close observer will note that externally the alewife is deeper,
has more elevated fins, larger eyes, and a lighter colored back than the glut herring.
Distribution. The alewife is common along the Atlantic coast from Canada to North Carolina. In Massachusetts practically all the coastal streams were formerly frequented by this fish, but as a result of the activities of man, it has been exterminated in many localities.
Reproduction.
At the approach of the spawning season the alewife ascends the tidal streams in order to deposit its spawn in fresh water, a process which has become a part of the life cycle of anadromous fish, and for which no satisfactory explanation has ever been offered.
Sexes. The ratio of males and females in the spring run varies considerably, first one sex and then the other predominating. On the spawning grounds the usual combination is 5 to 6 males to 1 female, although schools of 10 to 25 males may be seen following 1 or 2 females. Apparently the males greatly predominate in the late runs. On June 23, 1919, as high as 95 per cent males were obtained in Monument River, and 98 per cent on the spawning grounds of Great Herring Pond. Observations in May, 1920, gave the following proportion of males and females during the spring run:
Stream. Date. Per Cent. Males. Females. Mashpee River, May 18 53.0 47.0 Herring River, Harwich, May 12 51.5 48.5 Agawam River, May 19 35.9 64.1 Monument River, May 14
May 2043.0
41.557.0
58.5Mattapoisett River, May 17 44.5 55.5 Red Brook, Cataumet, May 18 56.0 44.0 Eggs. The eggs, averaging 1/20 of an inch in diameter, when deposited sink to the bottom where they adhere to stones, gravel, coarse sand, logs and other material. This ad-
hesive quality, since it causes massing together, furnishes one of the difficulties of artificial hatching. Microscopically the eggs appear as dense opaque spheres filled with yolk granules. They approximate the size of white perch eggs, numbering from 60 to 100,000 per female. When collected for hatching, after adhesion and clumping have stopped, the eggs are firm, hard and of a light coffee color.
Spawning Habits. The majority of females when running up stream contain unripe eggs, while the greater part of the males appear ripe.
Stream.
1920.Males (Per Cent). Females (Per Cent). Ripe. Partly
Ripe.Unripe. Ripe. Partly
Ripe.Unripe. Mashpee River, May 18 100 - - 2 94 4 Herring River, Harwich, May 11 91 7 2 6 46 48 Agawam River, May 26 92 5 3 6 82 12 Monument River, May 14
May 2083
7812
125
104
1577
6919
16Mattapoisett River, May 19 93 5 2 15 79 6 Red Brook, Cataumet, May 18 97 3 - 7 66 27 Average, 90.6 6.3 3.1 7.8 73.3 18.9 Temperature conditions being favorable, the eggs rapidly ripen when the fish reaches the spawning grounds. During the act of spawning the alewives swim in small schools around the edges of the pond, one female accompanied by several males. When the eggs are deposited they are immediately covered with the milt by the closely following males. During this schooling or mating process the fish dart hither and thither over the sandy shoals, frequently breaking the surface of the water by their energetic rushing. Apparently no distinction is made as to the time of depositing the spawn, which is accomplished both by day and night. Our observations suggest that the greater part is accomplished during the day, whereas Prince (5) finds that in Canada on moonlight nights the shallow waters present a much disturbed appearance, owing to the energetic movements of mating fish. After spawning, the alewives remain a variable time in the pond, and then return to salt water.
Spawning Grounds. In Massachusetts the fresh-water ponds which form the headwaters of the coastal streams furnish the spawning grounds. Two classes are found: (1) the ordinary tributary tidal stream, with one or more fresh-water ponds at its source at a variable distance from the ocean, and (2) the fresh or brackish shore pond (Fig. 1) separated from the salt water by a narrow sand beach through which there is a shifting natural opening or an artificial channel. The ponds of Martha's Vineyard belong to the latter type, and the alewives enter directly from the salt water through temporary openings.
Spawning Season. The spawning season varies slightly from year to year, the approach of the alewives to the shores being regulated chiefly by temperature. According to the United States Bureau of Fisheries, records the alewife is seen in the Potomac River by March 4, but in New Brunswick does not enter the St. John River until May 10, although present in the Bay of Fundy in April. The first fish appear earlier in certain streams. In Massachusetts the greater part of the run occurs between the middle of April and the first of June. In some streams the first fish come as early as the last week in March, and in others are still running by the last of June. In 1920 the run started as follows: March 20, Mattapoisett River; April 1, Agawam River, Herring River, Wellfleet, Bass River; April 10, Herring River, Harwich; April 15, Mashpee River; May 1, Monument River and Stony Brook, Brewster.
Temperature and Spawning. Temperature is the most important factor in regulating the spawning season from the appearance of the adult alewives off the coast to the development of the young. A certain minimum is necessary to permit the spawning to take place, and above 55° F. the development of the egg becomes more rapid in direct proportion with the increase in temperature, until the maximum is attained about 70° F. The 1920 temperature of Nye's Pond, a spring-fed body of water where alewives naturally spawn, is given in the following table. The first alewives came May 10, and were descending as late as August 20.
Week endingAverage
Temperature
of Water
(Degrees F.).
Week endingAverage
Temperature
of Water
(Degrees F.).March 6, 36.8 May 22, 57.3 March 13, 38.0 May 29, 56.1 March 20, 43.0 June 6, 62.5 March 27, 49.5 June 13, 61.6 April 3, 49.6 June 20, 61.3 April 10, 46.9 June 27 64.4 April 17, 48.0 July 3, 67.2 April 24, 50.1 July 10, 67.4 May 1, 51.6 July 17, 67.6 May 8, 52.3 July 24, 68.3 May 15, 55.8 July 31, 66.4
Development. When the eggs are deposited on the natural beds they are at once covered with milt, which the male scatters by thrashing his tail. The eggs then adhere to the suitable objects on the bottom in such a way that it is impossible to gather any appreciable quantity for hatching purposes. On "stripping" the fish for artificial fertilization the eggs adhere to each other and form masses until "hardened" by frequent washings.The period of time which it takes artificially fertilized eggs to hatch at 72° F. ranges from forty-eight to ninety-six hours. The first lot of 8 ounces was placed at the Sandwich Hatchery June 25, 1919, and in forty-eight hours one-half had hatched, 80 per cent of the eggs proving fertile. In the surface water were thousands of tiny alewives with food sacs, nearly trans-
parent in appearance, and with tails resembling fine silk threads. The tiny creatures, about one-fifth of an inch in length (5 millimeters), wiggled through the water with surprising activity. The eyes in both the egg and the hatched fish were but faintly visible. At the end of ninety-six hours their size had increased considerably, the outline of the yolk sac and body was plainly marked, and the eyes showed prominently. By this time all the eggs had hatched. In cold water the period of development is retarded proportionately to the lowering of the temperature. As the eggs require such a short time for hatching, the young fry are soon present in abundance on the spawning grounds.
According to Prince (5) the young alewife reaches three-fifths of an inch (15 millimeters) at the end of the first month, when it becomes a slim, translucent creature with a broad tail and relatively large pre-anal fin, more closely resembling a sand eel than an alewife. Some ten days later, when measuring 16.5 millimeters, the young fish is more slender, the tail has become more spatulated, the dorsal fin is more prominent, and the head is short and blunt, with a relatively large eye. At the size of l 1/5 inches (30 millimeters), the young alewife assumes more nearly the appearance of the adult, with a large rounded head, relatively large eye, and shortened body. When 1 2/5 inches (35 millimeters) long, the appearance is practically the same, with the exception of the lengthened translucent body and the appearance of the serrations of the middle abdominal scales, a characteristic of the adult.
The young alewives attain the approximate length of 2 to 4 inches by fall, when they descend from the breeding grounds to the ocean, unless their journey is prevented by artificial obstructions. Young alewives have been seen as early as June 18 passing down stream to the ocean, but the majority do not start on the journey until the first of September, or later. At Cornelius Island, Rhode Island, Tracey (6) records specimens measuring 1 1/2 inches which were taken in a seine on Aug. 8, 1908. Bean (1) states that specimens taken in Great South Bay, Long Island, on this date, ranged from 2 to 3 7/8 inches, and in September, from 2 to 4 1/2 inches.
In late summer young alewives of various lengths school on
the spawning ponds, their size depending upon: (1) geographical location, spawning taking place earlier in southern waters; (2) time of spawning, eggs from the first run hatching almost two months earlier than those of the last; (3) temperature, abundance of food supply, size of spawning ponds, and length of time before the return to salt water. Their subsequent rate of growth is largely a matter of conjecture, since they are not seen again until they return as adult fish to the parent stream for spawning.
Food. In salt water, the food of the alewife and other herring consists mostly of small plankton forms, such as diatoms, algζ, small crustaceans, and other minute animals and plants. Instances have been cited where alewives have risen to the artificial fly, and where they have been taken with small eels as bait; but, as a rule, in passing to the spawning grounds alewives take little or no food. The young feed on the freshwater plankton forms so abundant in the spawning ponds, and with increasing size enlarge the scope of their dietary.
Enemies.Among the natural enemies which attack both young and adult are man, predacious fish, birds, disease, pollution and changes in environment. As soon as the eggs are deposited the uphill struggle for existence begins. Following the spawning alewives come a procession of white and yellow perch, suckers and minnows, eagerly devouring the ripe spawn, a procedure which occurs in every pond inhabited by these species. Individually, suckers appear the most destructive, yellow perch next and white perch the least.
As the young alewives increase in size they serve as food for the larger fresh-water fishes such as perch, bass and pickerel, and when they descend to the ocean their arrival is often anticipated by numerous salt-water species which lie in wait at the mouths of the coastal rivers. In the fall of 1915, in Agawam River, a school of white perch was observed eagerly feeding upon young alewives as they descended the stream. The loss from birds such as herons, terns and other fish-eating species is an indeterminable but probably a negligible factor.
Both the young and old fish are susceptible to bacterial and parasitic diseases, concerning which little is known at the present time. The older fish have a lowered vitality after spawn-
ing, and in their weakened condition are less able to withstand attacks of fungus and similar fresh-water affections.
In the ponds both young and old alewives are subjected to changes in food supply, oxygen content of the water, temperature and weather conditions. The artificial changes in the rivers, streams and ponds resulting from the influence of trade waste pollution plays an appreciable but as yet indeterminable part in their life history and habits.
Migration.
Little is known of the history of the alewife after it descends as a small fish to the ocean. Exactly where it goes and what happens in the interval before its return is unknown, although it probably frequents deep water. Even the extensive studies of the habits and migrations of the sea herring, especially on the Scottish coast and in the North Sea, have thrown little light on this phase of the existence of the closely related alewife.
The fresh-water cycle of the alewife's life is better known. It approaches the coast at a definite period in the spring, making its appearance in the vicinity of the Carolinas as early as March, and later reaching the northern rivers. This sequence does not prove a definite northward movement, but it indicates that its annual migration is largely governed by the temperature of the water.
After spawning the adult fish returns to salt water in a lean, emaciated condition. Whether these fish spawn but once or continue to spawn annually has not been determined. The experience of commercial observers indicates that they probably spawn but once. If the same fish spawned repeatedly the fishery would enlarge beyond our most favorable dreams, and fluctuations in the annual catch would not exist.
Ascending Streams. Current appears to be the stimulating factor in the ascent of streams. In a rapid flow, progress is almost continuous, but in more quiet waters, such as pools or eddies, for no apparent reason, the fish may remain in one locality, darting forward, falling back, shifting position, or lying quietly in the stream, but making no appreciable headway. Then one fish, usually a female, takes the lead, closely followed by several males, the entire school trailing along behind, and
the process is repeated in another place. If the water forms an eddy, the alewives swim in circles, apparently unable to differentiate the back flow from that of the main stream, up which they may show a reluctance to ascend.
Alewives ascend in schools of five to ten, unless the run is especially heavy, when a steady procession is formed. In ascending falls some time is usually spent in maneuvering for the start. A quick dart forward directly into the current, with a wriggling movement, shoots the fish rapidly along until the first obstacle is reached, when it leaps into the air, returning to the water once more for another short dash and a second rise, if further obstructions are present. Thus, in passing a series of abrupt rises in a natural stream, or in a straight-run fishway, the alewife by a quick, powerful start makes a series of rapid flights alternately through the air and water until it reaches the calm water at the top. Many are unsuccessful, and are swept downstream, where they begin the ascent once more. In such locations a heavy run is a beautiful sight, with the silvery white of the leaping fish projected against the darker background of the stream.
The exact height over which an alewife can leap is not known, but it is probably in the neighborhood of 2 to 2 1/2 feet. The 1-foot rise used in our standard fishways is readily and easily taken by the adults. The facilities afforded for a run, strength of current and volume of flow determine the height which may be surmounted.
Exactly how much aid in passing over obstacles is furnished by the serrated ventral scales is problematical. The fish frequently turn slightly on one side and wriggle over obstacles, especially in shallow water, clinging and even progressing against tremendous odds.
Descending Streams. When leaving the spawning grounds the adult fish pass through an interesting procedure. One school of fifty fish was observed to swim in circles, gradually approaching the opening to the stream. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, they darted back into the deeper waters of the pond, and, after repeating the advancing process, approached a little nearer to the outlet. Again they made a sudden retreat and a still nearer approach, and finally, after innumerable ap-
proaches and retreats covering a period of many hours, one fish, more bold than the rest, dared to enter the outlet, and after it trailed the entire school. Several days are consumed in passing down stream, the exact period of time depending upon the length of the river.
Parent Stream Theory. From observations in handling local alewife fisheries the "parent stream theory" has been evolved. Briefly, the theory is that the young alewives descending from a particular pond and stream return as adult fish to the same stream for spawning, thus establishing a continuous chain. There are good reasons to consider this theory favorably. Practical demonstration has shown that fisheries have been created in streams which had no alewives by the simple expedient of placing spawning alewives in the headwaters. The offspring returned as adult fish to the same spawning grounds, thus establishing a fishery. Similarly, depleted fisheries have been re-established. Experience has likewise shown that a poor year, when but few alewives reach the spawning grounds, is followed at a stated interval by a corresponding lean year. From such observations we can accept the "parent stream theory" as the best working hypothesis available.
Among the specific illustrations of the return of alewives to the parent stream may be mentioned the following:
(1) According to the United States Bureau of Fisheries, several hundred spawning alewives were placed in Keene's Pond which had an outlet into Calais River, Maine. The young were noted in large numbers in the pond, and on the fourth year large numbers of adult fish returned for spawning to the Keene's Pond stream, where no alewives had even been seen before.
(2) Lyman (3) reports the establishment of a fishery in four years in a similar manner at Plymouth.
(3) Mr. George M. Besse of Wareham obtained results in three years in Little Mill Pond and in Five Mile Pond, and a remarkable increase in the fishery was obtained in Mattapoisett River in 1920 by allowing all fish to reach the spawning grounds in 1917.
This theory has been accepted as the basis of our future work in the development of the alewife fishery, and we can confi-
dently state that any stream with available spawning grounds may be given a commercial fishery by removing all obstructions to the free passage of alewives, and by placing a sufficient number of mature fish in the headwaters.
Influence of Natural Conditions. The life history and habits of the alewife are markedly influenced by environment, especially during migration and spawning. Wind and tide affect their entrance and progress up streams, by shifting the sandy openings to the brackish water ponds near the coast, and changing the mouths of the streams. As a rule, alewives follow the greatest flow, an important fact to take into consideration in the location of fishways.
Judging from the fact that fresh water evidently attracts anadromous fish in the spawning season, apparently the mineral content of the water has an important influence upon the migration of fish. If such is the case, chemical pollution from manufacturing plants may be a more serious problem than is commonly considered. Alewives ordinarily show a tendency to avoid the dark, but on the Agawam River they pass for 50 feet through an unlighted fishway. However, it is advisable whenever possible to have open fishways. Temperature and food supply also are important factors governing the movements of old and young.
THE FISHERY.
Commercially the alewife is valuable both for food and for bait. Its abundance and comparative cheapness renders it of the utmost importance to the Massachusetts shore towns. Smith (4) states that in 1896 nearly 150,000,000 were sold in fourteen States, in addition to large quantities given away at the shore, and that over 2,500 persons were engaged in the alewife fisheries, besides many thousands of people who operated apparatus in which alewives constituted an important part of the catch. At that time Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia were the leading alewife States, although important fisheries also existed in Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.
In Massachusetts there are two types of alewife fisheries, the natural and the artificial, both of which have been developed under town control.
Natural Fisheries.
In early days nearly every coast town possessed one or more natural streams upon which fisheries were soon established under town management, and in a few cases by private individuals. Unless the fishery was completely ruined, its operation was conducted in one or a combination of four ways: (1) free; (2) town-operated; (3) leased; and (4) privately owned.
Free. The free alewife fisheries are the poorest producers, in some cases because the fishery is valueless, in others because the fishery is free. As the name implies, it gives any inhabitant of the town the privilege of catching alewives subject only to general regulations in regard to time, manner and place of capture. In most cases these regulations either do not exist or are not enforced. Usually the town is completely indifferent to the welfare of the fishery, and in maintaining it, follows the lines of least resistance.
Town-operated. In a few cases the fishery is operated directly by the town, and the upkeep of the stream as well as the cost of catching is carried by the town as a straight business venture. Our observations indicate that this method has given uniformly poor results because of the inability of the town officials to run a commercial fishery as economically as a private business.
Leased. Most fisheries are leased, i.e., sold to the highest bidder at public auction. As a rule, this method of handling the fishery when properly regulated is more successful than the, first two, but careless town management favors the exploitation of the fishery by the purchaser, and an unscrupulous or ignorant purchaser can readily ruin any alewife stream under the elastic regulations ordinarily in force. Carefully regulated, the lease system may become of great benefit to the alewife fishery. All fisheries are not leased under the same regulations. Nearly every town has special rules regarding the length of lease, the days for catching, and the privileges granted to townspeople for obtaining alewives. The method of sale differs, the price depending upon the success of the fishery and the expense of its operation. The fisheries may be leased as follows:
(1) Long Lease.Mill River, Sandwich, furnishes an exam-
ple of the long lease of a natural alewife stream by legislative act. During this nominally private ownership, even less care has been taken of the fishery than if it had remained the property of the town. Leasing natural fisheries for too long periods without specific regulations works against their best interests.
(2) One-year Lease. The popular and almost universal practice of leasing from year to year prevails in most towns, the privilege being sold annually at town meeting. This method has proved a most pernicious influence in the decline of many fisheries by encouraging their exploitation by the temporary purchaser.
(3) One to Five Year Lease. Certain towns give longer leases, which, however, never exceed five years. The three-year period is next in popularity to the one-year lease, but rarely two, and occasionally five, are given. As a rule, these longer leases form breaks in a succession of single-year leases, but of late they have become more common, and several towns have permanently lengthened their one-year leases to the decided improvement of the fishery. In our opinion a five-year period should be the minimum time, if the future welfare of the fishery is to be considered. The two best alewife fisheries in Massachusetts Herring River, Harwich, and Agawam River have had the five-year system; the former since 1884, when it succeeded the three-year period, and the latter 1914 to 1919. In some instances the term of lease is determined at town meeting; in others the power to determine the time is conferred upon the herring committee or selectmen.
(4) Percentage Lease. Temporarily fisheries have been sold on a percentage basis, the purchaser furnishing to the town a certain percentage of the gross catch, after complying with certain stipulations regarding the sale to townspeople.
(5) Cranberry Leases. In a few streams e.g., Fresh Brook, Plymouth the fishery is purchased by the owners of cranberry bogs along its course, to enable them to control the water without outside interference.
(6) Non-operating Leases. Occasionally fisheries are leased and not operated, the alewives being given free passage to the ponds for the purpose of developing the fishery, thus establishing a closed season.
(7) Seining Privileges. On North, Bass and Taunton rivers privileges of seining alewives are sold under various restrictions as to time, place and apparatus. The number of privileges varies, depending upon the size of the river and the number of riparian towns.
Artificial Fisheries.
Alewife fisheries have been artificially created in streams or ponds where no alewives were previously found by the simple expedient of connecting these ponds by canals either directly with the salt water, as on Martha's Vineyard; or through coastal streams, as in the case of Nine Mile Pond Stream in Barnstable, thus affording accessible spawning grounds.
Many natural alewife fisheries have been aided artificially by extra canals, ditches and sluiceways constructed for the purpose of facilitating fishing methods, and of increasing the decreasing supply in the coastal streams. Outlets which have become closed through natural changes have been artificially opened, and the fish permitted once more to frequent their old spawning grounds. In certain instances the headwaters of one stream have been joined to another by an artificial ditch, e.g., Snipatuit Pond and Mattapoisett River, John's Pond and Quashnet River, Long Pond and Herring River (Fig. 2).
On Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard the simple procedure of opening the brackish water ponds to the ocean by cutting short ditches through the. sandy beach has been followed (Fig. 1). Owing to the shifting sand these ditches require reopening nearly every year. The alewife industries on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are good illustrations of the ability of man to create successful fisheries artificially. Since but few streams are found on these islands, the important fishing centers are located in the large ponds near the salt water. The artificial or partly artificial fisheries in Massachusetts naturally fall into three groups:
Town-managed. Very few artificial fisheries are now operated for the public, because the majority have been developed under long-term leases.
Privately owned. More often these fisheries are owned outright by the individual or corporation who first acquired through
Fig. 1. Outlet to ocean, Squibnockct Pond, Martha's Vineyard.
Fig,. 2. Wooden runway at outlet, Long Pond, Harwich
legislative action the right to create the fishery, e.g., Nine Mile Pond Stream in Barnstable, and Childs River in Falmouth.
Leased. Under the Acts of 18(39 the Fish and Game Commissioners were given the privilege of leasing the great ponds for a suitable period of time, for the purpose of cultivating useful food fish. The system of leasing shore ponds for maximum periods of twenty years by incorporated companies for the purpose of establishing alewife fisheries has been popular on Martha's Vineyard, and special privileges have been given by the towns in which these ponds are located. The important fisheries on Martha's Vineyard, e.g., the Mattakessett Creeks at Edgartown, and Tisbury Great Pond at West Tisbury, have operated under such special legislative acts. These semi-private fisheries have reached a most successful state of development.
Methods of Catching.
The method of catching alewives are comparatively simple, but there are numerous modifications to meet the particular needs and diversified natural conditions of the individual streams. Originally all fisheries were free to the public, and every householder was given the time-honored privilege of obtaining alewives in whatever manner and at whatever times he desired. Later, when the towns first exercised their control over the alewife fisheries, certain places were designated by law as locations where alewives could be taken, and fishing was forbidden elsewhere on the streams. The catching places have been developed by building locks and pens in which the alewives on stated days are seined or dipped as they pass up stream.
Implements. Dip or scoop nets, traps or weirs, and seines are the principle implements for catching alewives. The fish are taken with dip nets in narrow parts of the stream, in specially constructed places (Fig. 4) and from seines or traps in which they have been caught. The scoop or dip net has a circular opening from 1 to 2 feet in diameter, and a handle from 5 to 7 feet in length. It is used to dip out alewives at the catching places. Along the Atlantic coast alewives are taken in pound nets, gill nets, seines, fyke nets, traps and dip nets.
All sorts of netting contrivances ranging from small fyke nets to miniature fish traps are set in the streams. At the entrance of Town Brook, Plymouth, an almost perfect fish weir except for absence of a leader is used. The size of the stream in general regulates the size of the trap. Before the alewives reach the rivers in the spring they are taken in the salt-water traps with other fish, sometimes in appreciable numbers, much to the disgust of the holders of the fishing privileges on the streams. If these traps are situated at or near the outlets of alewife streams in such manner as to obstruct the run, their presence constitutes a menace to the fishery.
On Taunton and North rivers, seining privileges are sold by the various towns to the highest bidder, under various stipulations as to size of seines, location and time of operating. On the Taunton River thirteen seining privileges are divided among the riparian towns, but in most cases permission is given the purchaser to operate at any point on the river. In recent years the value of these privileges has seriously declined, and at present several are not in use. An important part of the voluminous legislation on Taunton River alewife fishery is concerned with restrictions as to the maximum length of seine, time of purchase, selection of locations, and establishment of prohibited areas.
This method of capture employs the common drag seine, which is played out from the stern of a skiff with one end attached to the shore. After the seine has been set, the skiff is swung back to shore, which explains the legal restriction that the length of the seine should not reach across the stream. The seine is then pulled upon the shore, and the fish removed.
Foreign Methods. In Scotland the sea herring is taken by seining and by drift or set gill netting, each method having its own advocates. The success of either evidently depends upon the locality and the conditions under which it is used. The purse seine has the advantage of being used without a landing place, and does not interfere with other nets, allowing a larger catch with fewer nets. Usually these seines are 150 to 180 yards long and 20 fathoms deep, and are operated from the boats with crews of four men each. A mesh of 33 to 35 per yard is said to capture small unsalable fish. The drift nets
with a 31 to 34 mesh per yard float in the water near the surface, while the set nets are anchored at the bottom.
Screen. The simplest method of catching is to place a screen across the main stream to prevent the passage of the alewives, and to dip them when they congregate in sufficient numbers. During the days on which fishing is not permitted the screen is lifted, and the fish are allowed a free run to the spawning grounds.
Regulation of Water Flow. An ingenious means of regulating the water flow at the catching station on the Agawam River prevents the alewives from ascending above a certain point on the catching days. The greater volume of water passes over the south dam, forming the main stream, and the catching pool, where the fish are taken with dip nets. From this stream a fishway, part of which is underground, after a course of 100 yards, leads into the mill pond. At the dam the gates are so arranged that the men operating the fishery can regulate the flow of water to fill the catching pool to the proper height during the fishing days. Just below the fish house, which is located over the stream, is a gate which is regulated by the herring committee. This gate when down forms a temporary dam which raises the height of the water in the catching pool so that the fish can ascend a 2-foot rise from the catching basin into a second pool connected with the fishway. When the gate is removed during the fishing days the water in the pool is lowered to such an extent that there is an insurmountable fall of 3 to 3 1/2 feet at the upper end of the catching pool.
False Channel. At Herring River, Wellfleet, on catching days, the alewives run into a false channel, the main stream being closed by a gate. The false channel, a deep horseshoe bend shut off from the main stream at its upper and lower ends by a screen and gate, is closed three days a week to give the alewives free passage to the pond for spawning, and opened for catching the remaining four.
Weirs. Primitive brush weirs were used by the early colonists. Twine traps in the form of fykes and weirs are now used at times.
Stone Driveways. In Parker River the alewives were formerly taken by the simple procedure of constructing a V-shaped
wall of rocks in the stream, the apex pointing up stream. At the apex was placed a set net, 18 to 20 feet long, into which the fish were driven from the stream below.
Fish House Passageway. On Monument River, Bournedale, the fish are taken as they pass through a narrow runway beneath the fish house, the catcher dipping them directly into barrels or upon the wooden floor.
Catching Basins. At Herring River, Harwich, the alewives are allowed to collect in a large basin or pool, the upper end of which is closed by a gate to prevent their passage up stream. From this pool the fish are removed by seining.
Seine Trap. At Edgartown Great Pond and Mattakessett Creeks alewives are caught, as they enter the pond, in a trap set at night in Cracketuxet Cove (Fig. 3). Two seines are used to separate the runs of the two previous nights. The fish which have been in the trap longest are taken first, and are hauled in seines upon the beach. Wagons are backed into the water, and the fish transferred from the seines with dip nets. Provision is made for a free passage during non-fishing days, and for the exit of the alewives which have spawned by bending to one side an end of the seine trap.
In the brackish water ponds and large rivers the fish are usually taken by seining (Fig. 3). At Hummock Pond, Nantucket, the curious procedure is followed of raking the fish upon the shore with wooden rakes as they crowd into the opening through the beach between the pond and the ocean. In Maddequet Ditch, Nantucket, a large dip net 4 feet in diameter and 8 to 9 feet long, subconical in shape, is placed longitudinally in the stream, and raised by means of a large handle.
Marketing.
Alewives are marketed for food or bait either fresh, in cold storage or salted. The salted fish are shipped in barrels or, more rarely, packed in cases. By special care in curing and packing it is conceivable that choice brands with suitable trade names might be developed. Massachusetts alewives, although some are used for home consumption, are mostly shipped to the West Indies. The market for fresh ale-
Fig. 3. Seining alewives, Mattakessett Creeks, Edgartown.
Fig. 4. Catching alewives at Barker's River, Pembroke.
wives requires greater development, and the possibilities of canning the young for sardines and of utilizing the roe should also be considered.
Food Value. The value of the alewife as a food is becoming more and more appreciated. In spite of its numerous bones it is a delicious fresh table fish and a nutritious food, easily preserved. Its proteid and fat content ranks well with our other food fishes. Milroy (7), in studying the food value of the sea herring, found that the total proteid and fat percentage at the spawning season was slightly in favor of the full and lowest in the spent fish. The alewives are taken when full of spawn. Nevertheless, outside of local home consumption the amount of alewives eaten fresh is comparatively small, since for shipment the fish is better marketed cured.
Salting. In all curing or preserving operations the first essentials for the production of a first-class food are good fresh fish, care in handling and transporting, cleanliness and protection from weather conditions. The fish should be salted when fresh. Cleaning is advantageous, as it does away with the blood and those parts most liable to early decomposition, and gives the brine a better chance to penetrate. The extent of cleaning, if it is done at all, varies with the locality. There is little need of sorting, as the alewives run a fairly uniform size. No special standard is followed as to the amount of salt which is necessary for preserving since it depends upon the condition of the fish and their destination. Fat fish require more salt than lean, and cleaned fish less than those salted whole. Alewives sent to tropical countries, and those to be kept for long periods, should receive more salt. The fish are salted in layers in barrels and kegs, after they have been pickled in brine. The maximum weight of an alewife is one-half pound, the average ranging between one-third and two-fifths of a pound.
A Rhode Island method of curing is to place the alewives in the strongest possible brine for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, when they are turned over and stirred, with repetition of the process every two days. After one week they are packed as closely as possible in strongly made barrels, about 2 bushels of salt being used per barrel.
In the method used by Mr. George M. Besse of Wareham the undressed alewives are first covered completely with salt on the floor of the catching house, and then packed in a barrel in the bottom of which 2 inches of salt and an equal quantity of water have been placed. The alewives are placed in tiers with alternating layers of salt, and the barrel is filled half full of water. The fish remain in this "pickle" for about one month, when they are ready for dry salting, which consists in packing them in layers of "fine coarse" salt. In this form they are ready for the market.
Smoking. In curing the alewives by smoking, the fish are removed from the brine, strung on sticks passed through the eye sockets, and then are suspended in suitable houses where they are dried and smoked. Later they are packed in boxes for the market or shipped in bulk. On Cape Cod it is not uncommon to see the picturesque sight of smoked alewives suspended in rows.
Price. In the early runs good prices are received for the fresh alewives as bait. Prices fluctuate from year to year. Smith (4) quotes the price of 1.1 cents per pound in 1880; 0.9 in 1888; and 0.7 in 1896. In 1902 it averaged $3.75 per barrel, salted, and had so increased according to the May 26, 1919, issue of the "Fishing Gazette," that in 1917 alewives were selling at $6 per barrel at St. John, N. B., as compared with $4 the previous year. In 1920 prices ranged from $6 to $8 per barrel, salted, and $3 per hundred pounds fresh, while at the streams the freshly caught fish were sold from 50 cents to $2 per hundred count.
Scales. In 1919 a new impetus was given the industry by the utilization of the scales for a secret commercial process concerning which it is impossible to obtain authentic information. Rumor is current that the iridescent coloring material of the scales is utilized in the manufacture of artificial pearls. Be that as it may, the firm of Petro & Finkelstein, at Hyannis, purchased quantities of scales during 1919 and 1920, and Mr. F. O. Proctor of Gloucester was carrying on an extensive business at Onset in 1920. The white lower scales only are taken and sell at 50 to 60 cents per pound, or higher, while the sealers receive a minimum of 10 cents per pound. At Herring River,
Harwich, twelve to fifteen women were engaged in the process of scaling the fish on May 11, 1920. It is estimated that 3 to 4 pounds of scales may be obtained from 1 barrel of alewives. The high value of the scales is shown by the great increase in the sale price of the Agawam River fishery which rose from $1,255 in 1919 to $11,000 in 1920. Whether this mushroom industry is a transient or permanent affair remains to be demonstrated. At any rate, it has markedly enhanced the value of the alewife fishery.
Statistics.
Since exact statistics are impossible to obtain because certain operators feel that business secrets will be revealed if they report the amount of their catch, our production figures are but approximately correct. However, more accurate figures, have been obtained from the annual sale of fishing privileges, as ordinarily these are a matter of town record.
Comparing recent with past years only two natural streams have maintained a high standard of production, Agawam River, Wareham, and Herring River, Harwich. Among the artificial fisheries, Mattakessett Creeks and Tisbury Great Pond have yielded excellent returns. Two of the best natural streams Monument River and Mattapoisett River of late years have given inferior production, and require more careful regulation by their respective towns.
The streams north of Boston have shown the greatest decrease, since at present with the exception of the few alewives taken at Essex River and Weymouth Back River there is not a fishery in operation north of North River. Of the large rivers the famous fishery of the Merrimack has disappeared in the same manner as the earlier Charles, Mystic, Neponset and Connecticut River fisheries, while that of the Taunton has seriously declined.
Revenue. The only accurate method at our disposal for determining the past condition of the fishery is a comparison of the revenues received by the towns from the leased streams. Even these figures are unsatisfactory, as they indicate the popular estimate of the worth of the fishery rather than its productive value, and only nine streams have consecutive records of the yield from leasing or town operating.
Herring River, Harwich, has shown increasing receipts. Agawam River since 1865 has brought an average return of $655.47, the highest net receipt being $1,352.50 in 1892, and the lowest, $55 in 1911. Both fisheries have maintained a high level, as did Monument River until 1912, when the construction of the Cape Cod Canal caused a most serious decline. In Jones River, between 1874 and 1913, the average revenue was $31.64, the highest being $101 in 1877 and 1881, and the lowest $12.33 in 1913, or, roughly, 12 per cent of the maximum. In North River the two seining privileges of Marshfield, which for the thirty years previous to 1900 averaged $34.85, from 1900 to 1912 brought an average of $3.40, or about 10 per cent of their former value.
Previous to 1875 the thirteen seining privileges in the Taunton River could not be sold legally for less than $100 apiece, and under sharp competition always sold at a high premium. At this date, owing to the scarcity of fish, a law was passed which allowed the various cities and towns to sell the fishery privileges at any price. During the past decade the three fishing privileges of the city of Taunton have sold for $5 apiece.
Average Annual Revenue to Towns from Alewife Fisheries.
Stream.
1870-79.
1880-89.
1890-99.
1900-09.
1910-19.
Agawam River,
$591 60
$539 20
$1,124 90
$427 25
$1,064 00
Bass River,
677 12
330 04
178 55
346 78
312 65
Herring River, Harwich,
349 00
401 00
558 00
645 00
1,107 50
Herring River, Wellfleet,
59 25
289 37
642 71
389 64
86 00
Mattapoisett River,
621 25
350 54
394 81
129 13
-*
Monument River,
-
91 99
633 42
477 96
961 65
North River
(seining permits, Marshfield).68 27 64 96 25 81 5 19 4 10 Taunton River
(city of Taunton seining permits).- - 112 50 56 78 18 00 Town Brook, Plymouth,
11 37
34 82
76 94
29 63
139 09
* Deficit.
Production. The accompanying table gives the approximate production for 1912, and the revenue derived by the towns from the various Massachusetts streams and ponds which at
one time possessed an alewife fishery. From the information acquired through the survey, the possible normal production and fair revenue to the town, if each fishery were successfully operated, has been estimated. The yield for 1912 amounted to 16,236 barrels, and the revenue derived by the towns to $4,370. The greatest production was at the Mattakessett Creeks, with $100 rental, and the highest rental $516, at Monument River, with one-half as large a catch, an interesting comment on the proper revenue received by our shore towns.
Fishery.
Type.1912.
Production in Barrels.Possible
Annual
Production
in Barrels.1912.
Revenue to Town.Possible
Annual
Revenue to Town.Acushnet River,
Public,
Agawam River,
Leased,
1,250
3,000
$1,050
$1,500
Bass River,
Seining privileges,
700
2,500
800
1,250
Bound Brook, Cohasset,
Public,
100
50
Cape Pond, Rockport,
Public,
Charles River,
Public,
Chathamport Alewife Brook,
Private,
Chebacco Brook, Essex,
Leased,
300
150
Childs River,
Private,
90
500
250
Cole's River, Leased, 100
50
Coonamessett River,
Public and leased,
600
2,500
500
1,250
Danvers River,
Public,
East Falmouth Herring River,
Private,
Eel River,
Leased,
Falmouth Ponds (Fresh, Little, Oyster, Salt, Wing's).
Public,
100
500
250
Fresh Brook, Plymouth, Leased, 200 25 100 Great Pond, Eastham,
Leased,
20
200
100
Herring River, Eastham,
Public,
Herring River, Harwich,
Leased,
1,500
3,000
700
1,500
Herring River, Wellfleet,
Leased,
290
600
25
300
Ipswich River,
Public,
400
200
Island Creek, Duxbury,
Public,
200
100
Jones River,
Leased,
* 1,000
*
500
Lee's River,
Public,
Long Pond and Parker River,
Private,
100
200
Marston's Mills Herring River,
Leased,
600
300
* Closed season.
Fishery.
Type.
1912.
Production
in Barrels.Possible
Annual Production
in Barrels.1912.
Revenue to Town.Possible
Annual Revenue
to Town.Martha's Vineyard Ponds:
Black Point,
Long lease, .
$100
Chilmark,
Long lease, .
130
600
$300
Edgartown Great Pond and Mattakessett Creeks,
Long lease,
3,000
5,000
100
2,500
Farm, Long lease, Job's Neck, Long lease,
Kaleb's,
Long lease,
Lagoon,
Long lease,
Oyster,
Long lease,
5
200
25
100
Pocha,
Long lease,
300
150
Sengatocket and Trap,
Long lease,
400
200
Squibnocket:
(a) Squibnocket Herring Creek.
Leased,
125
400
200
(b) Gay Head Herring Creek, Leased,
266
2,000
21
1,000
Tashmoo,
Public,
400
2,000
1,000
Tisbury Great,
Long lease,
850
2,000
125
1,009
Mashpee River,
Public,
300
1,000
125
500
Mattapoisett River,
Town-operated
and leased.325
3,000
*
1,500
Merrimack River, Public, Mill River, Sandwich,
Long lease,
75
500
250
Monument River,
Leased,
1,500
3,000
516
1,500
Mystic River,
Leased,
500
250
Nantucket Ponds (Hummock, Long Pond and Maddequet Ditch, Miacomet, Sachacha).
Public,
65
2,000
1,000
Nemasket River, Leased, 200 2,000 75 1,000 Neponset River,
Public,
Nine Mile Pond and Centreville River,
Private and seining.
125
500
North River, Public, 250 2,500 1,250 Palmer's River,
Leased,
2,500
1,250
Parker River,
Public,
100
50
Paskamansett River,
Public,
300
150
Quashnet River,
Private,
25
25
Red Brook, Cataumet,
Leased,
60
500
25
250
Red Brook, Wareham,
Private,
#
800
Rowley River,
Public,
Santuit River,
Public,
50
600
300
Saugus River,
Public,
500
250
Scusset River,
Public,
* Deficit. # Unknown.
Fishery.
Type.
1912.
Production
in Barrels.Possible
Annual
Production
in Barrels.1912.
Revenue
to Town.Possible
Annual
Revenue
to Town.Sippican River, Public, 100 $50 South River, Public, 100 50 Sparrow Pond, Orleans, Public, 400 200 Stony Brook, Brewster, Leased, 225 2,000 $60 1,000 Swan Pond, Dennis, Leased, Taunton River (except Nemasket), Seining privileges, 3,500 7,000 80 3,500 Town Brook, Plymouth, Leased, 30 500 10 250 Wankinco River, Public, 200 100 Weir River, Public, Westport River, Public, 400 200 Weweantit River, Public, 30 200 8 100 Weymouth Back River, Leased, 50 500 250 Weymouth Fore River, Public, Total 16,236 60,525 $4,370 $29,500 Statistics of United States Bureau of Fisheries. According to Smith (4) the alewife fishery statistics for Massachusetts in 1896 were as follows:
Traps.
Seines.
Gill
Nets.Dip Nets
and Other.
Shore.
Boats.
Total.
Number of men,
5
223
5
121
46
388
Apparatus:
Number,
1
45
10
121
88
265
Value,
$150
$3,075
$120
$193
$12,958
$2,974
$19,470
Number of fish,
2,564,587
4,949,106
18,000
2,514,233
10,045,926
Number of pounds,
1,331,202
2,629,525
10,125
1,385,637
5,356,489
Value of fish.
$9,842
$23,440
$180
$11,662
$45,124
Year.
Production.
Pounds.
Value.
1880,
3,751,059
$35,802
1888,
6,291,931 83,530 1898,
2,535,201 31,288 1902, 3,413,350 40,979 1908,
4,062,000 45,000 History and Legislation.
Early colonial records refer to the alewife as providing food for the first inhabitants of New England, and from the time when Samoset first taught the Pilgrims the method of fertilizing corn fields, this fish has had a considerable influence on the welfare of the country. Then the supply of fish was greatly in excess of the needs of the population, and every inhabitant who was a householder had the right of free fishing and fowling in any great ponds, bays, coves and rivers, as far as the sea ebbed and flowed. Higginson's "New Englands Plantation" mentions, in 1630, "Also here is abundance of herring" in the waters of New England, and Thomas Morton in his "New English Canaan," in 1632, remarks, "of herring there is a great store, fat and fair, and to my mind as good as any I have seen, and these may be preserved and made a good commodity at the Canaries."
Generally the alewife fisheries have passed through three periods, development, state of maximum productivity and decline. From humble beginnings the fisheries became important public assets fostered by the shore towns. The period of transient prosperity was ordinarily followed by a decline in the natural supply, particularly on the more thickly settled streams, which was noticed as early as 1815. According to the records of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts:
In the year 1730, the inhabitants (Plymouth) were ordered not to take more than four barrels each, a large individual supply indeed, compared with the present period (1815), when it is difficult for a householder to obtain two hundred alewives, seldom so many.
In spite of the attention given to the alewife fishery, this decline was permitted to extend until, in but few instances the old prosperous conditions have been maintained.
Our forefathers were not slow to recognize the importance of the alewife, and for its protection early passed many legislative acts, which best illustrate the history of the fishery. For the most part these laws were local and especially adapted to the needs of the individual fisheries. The first fishery law, known as the Plymouth Colony Fish Law, was enacted in
1623 for the protection of the alewife. In 1682 further legislation was enacted, and in 1709 and 1727 an act was passed and amended for the prevention of all obstructions to the passage of fish in rivers, except mill dams. Failure to enforce these acts and the increasing number of dams, resulted in 1741 in an act which provided that a sufficient passageway be made through or around each dam from the first day of April to the last day of May annually, or in certain rivers for a period not exceeding sixty days as designated; that the owners of the dams be required to give a sufficient water flow for the young to pass down; and that the cost of installing fishways in dams erected before 1709 be borne by the towns, and the future maintenance by the owner of the dam. One or more persons were to be appointed at the annual town meeting to see that the passageways were opened according to law, and to regulate the taking of fish. Persons were forbidden to catch alewives in other manner than prescribed by the town, under a penalty of ten shillings for each offence.
In 1743 an additional act provided that upon the petition of a dam owner the court should appoint a committee of three disinterested persons to inspect the dam, determine exactly what kind of a fishway was necessary, and what regulations should be enforced concerning it. Their decision when accepted by the court was adjudged the lawful rule for that stream, although aggrieved parties had the right of appeal, and could ask a second inspection by the court. In 1745 the mill owners by means of political pressure, obtained a provision abolishing fishways, provided the fish did not pass up stream in sufficient numbers to be of greater benefit than the damage from loss of water power due to the opening of the dam. The acceptance of a report of a committee appointed by the courts freed the owner of the dam from all obligations to make or keep open any passageway. It was also stipulated that no dam owner should be liable to any penalty for not keeping open a passageway through his dam in rivers or streams where no salmon, shad or alewives were found.
Subsequent legislation for the most part has been purely local in character, and extremely voluminous. Even at the present day the alewife streams are carrying the burden of much
antiquated legislation, e.g., the Taunton River fishery, which is operating under a law passed in 1855. The non-enforcement or subsequent modification of these laws in the interests of private individuals brought about the decline of the alewife fishery. Sufficiently good legislation was enacted for nearly every alewife stream, which, if properly enforced, would have preserved the fishery.
Since the provisions of the numerous laws enacted for the individual fisheries have many points in common, a summary of a few of the more important will suffice.
Establishment. The first legislative act established or created a particular fishery by law, and placed the necessary responsibility upon the town, individual or corporation controlling the same.
Obstructions. The general principle that alewives should have free passage up to the spawning grounds has been the keystone of all legislation. Various efforts have been made to provide all dams with suitable passageways for the fish.
(1) During a period of sixty days, usually between definite dates, which varied as to the locality, stream and time of run, an open passageway was required.
(2) Ordinarily any passageway sufficient for the fish was deemed satisfactory, and the owner could either bring the stream down to its natural level by removing the flashboards, or construct a fishway of sufficient size to permit the passage of the fish. In a few cases a passageway of definite size and flow of water was required, e.g., Beaver Brook, a tributary of the Merrimack, where a fishway not less than 6 feet wide, in which the water should not be less than 6 inches deep, was ordered.
(3) The cost of installment and maintenance was borne generally by the dam owner, although sometimes by the town.
(4) In some cases provision was made for a passageway for the young alewives returning to salt water in the fall.
(5) Penalties of varying severity for obstructing the passage of fish were enacted.
(6) Power was given to the selectmen or herring committee to remove all obstructions of any nature at the expense either of the owner or of the town.
Herring Committee. The early laws provided for the ap-
pointment or election of one or more fish wardens for their enforcement. As time passed, the duties of the fish wardens were taken over by a herring committee elected at the annual town meeting. These men, varying in number from 3 to 9, had complete charge of the fishery, the town having previously designated the manner in which the fishery should be disposed of. They determined the time, place and manner of taking the fish, operated the fishery if run by the town, leased it to the highest bidder, drafted regulations, posted notices, and removed all obstructions, having the right to cross the property of any person in the performance of their duties. When several towns were concerned with one fishery, a joint committee comprising members from each of the towns performed these duties. Some received a suitable salary, others a nominal sum,' and still others no compensation whatever for their labors. Their powers were great, and the success or failure of the fishery invariably depended upon their judgment. Failure to appoint fish wardens or a committee sometimes rendered the town liable to a fine. Special wardens and inspectors for the enforcement of the laws were appointed by the committee from time to time.
Catching Days. Usually there were three fishing days a week, although the period for catching alewives varied from one to six days. All sorts of combinations have been devised, ordinarily the first part of the week being devoted to catching. The days have been grouped, alternated and variously separated. Every day in the week except Sunday has been used. In some instances, catching days in several towns on one stream have so overlapped as to cause an almost continuous open season. The starting time was either sunrise, sunset or midnight.
Season. The season for catching alewives ranged from the middle of March to the middle of June, usually being about sixty days, from April 1 to June 1. The capture of alewives out of season was prohibited by law, with numerous penalties. At sundry times closed seasons were declared by certain towns, and fishing prohibited for a brief period of one to three years, for the purpose of replenishing the fishery.
Locality. Fishing was ordinarily limited to certain localities, which were selected by the herring committee, and at which the catching stations were located. Seining permits gave
a wider range, but were usually restricted to a definite station. Fishing was prohibited in other parts of the stream except those designated by the committee. Special provision was made to prevent fishing within a certain distance of any fishway, or on the large rivers near the entrance of tributary streams up which alewives ran. Not infrequently, no regulations were made governing the fishing which was carried on at any point.
Seining. Permits were sold for seining on the larger streams, which required both the selection of a definite station and certain specifications regarding the maximum length of net, regulated usually in respect to the width of the stream.
Indians. In a few instances, as at Bournedale and Mashpee, special provision was made for the Indians. At the Bournedale fishery the head of every family of the Herring Pond Indians was entitled to one barrel free.
Pollution. In a very few cases specific reference was made to the prohibition of trade waste pollution.
Penalties. All sorts of fines and penalties are to be found, ranging from a few dollars up to a maximum of fifty, with forfeiture of apparatus. Numerous provisions for obtaining this fine, and its subsequent disposal to county, individual informant or otherwise, were included. The different infringements of the laws called forth a variety of penalties.
Public Rights and Sale. Originally all the fisheries were free to the public. With the few exceptions of artificially created private fisheries, and the Weymouth fishery, which was sold by the town to the Weymouth Iron Company, the fishery was operated or leased by the town. The public rights were satisfied by the requirement that a certain number of fish be supplied each household head, or that each householder, by seasonable application at the place of capture within a specified time, had the privilege of purchasing several hundred alewives at the price of 16 to 25 cents per hundred. At Weymouth the purchaser of the fishery, if unable to furnish alewives at this price, was subject to a fine of $5. Provision was sometimes made for supplying the needy poor and widows, free of charge, with a certain number of alewives. In the early days, when the fisheries were operated by the town for the direct benefit of the townspeople, men were appointed to catch the alewives
and sell them at a moderate sum. Provisions for the sale of the privilege were made at town meeting or at such time and under such regulations as the herring committee might decide, and the money accruing therefrom was turned into the town treasury.
Torching. Torching of alewives was prohibited in 1819 on the Monument River, and in 1840 on Weymouth Fore River.
Restocking. In streams with impassable dams, provision was made for carting a minimum number of mature alewives to the spawning grounds, and in this way a fishery was maintained at Weymouth Back River, Smelt Brook, Jones River, Kingston, and Town Brook, Plymouth. In 1881 the selectmen of Pembroke were required to deposit alive and in good condition, not less than 10,000 alewives, annually, in the Indian Ponds, the expense to be shared by all the towns on the North River.
In the following table the dates of legislation on certain important topics have been recorded for the individual streams:
