Excerpt from The Canadian Oyster Industry

Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Since 1871, when statistics are first available, the island province has produced nearly twice as many oysters as New Brunswick, its closest competitor. Nova Scotia comes third. The Atlantic oyster area may be said to be the half-moon shaped shores of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton andonew Bruns wick, bordering on the gulf of St. Lawrence, with Prince Edward Island as the star within the nether tip of this crescent.

Analysis of An examination of the table indicating the production Statistics of of oysters in all Canada shows that the industry was at its Pmducmn zenith in the eighties and early nineties. The high point was reached in 1882 with a production of bbls. During the whole period from 1882 to 1893, the yearly production never fell below bbls. Save in one year. The second stage in the decline is noted in the years 1894-1901. During these years, the annual yield ranged between and bbls., except in 1898 when it was bbls. The third stage in falling production enters with the year 1902. Never since 1901 has the yield risen above bbls. From the beginning of this third stage, there has been a gradual but sure decrease in production, the lowest point in thirty years' history of the oyster fishery in Canada being reached in 1907 when only bbls. Were harvested. The larger catch of the past two years is due to the more intensive methods of fishing that have been adopted as a result of high prices, rather than to any actual increase in supply.

So much for the production in Canada as a whole. Let us now examine the production recordsi of each of the oyster-producing pro vinces and see just where the greatest shrinkage has occurred. Con sidering the whole time the fishery has been engaged in, Prince Edward Island. Has given us more oysters than any other province. In 1882 the oyster crop of that province reached its maximum with a yield of bbls. The yield of this year, however, was rather abnormal. Yet, during the whole period from 1880 to 1891, the industry was remarkably healthy, the annual production averaging nearly bbls. Beginning with 1892, the production began to fall off. In 1891, it was 41, 030 bbls.; in 1897, 20, 915; in 1906, it shrank to 14, 988 bbls.; and m 1907 it reached its minimum point with a yield of only bbls. A decrease of over 47 000 bbls. In twenty five years is the record of Prince Edward Island.

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