218 THEISLAND ACADIANS

FISHERMEN ORGANIZE

The end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of twentieth century marks a difficult period for the fishing industry in the Maritime Provinces. This was due to a decline in the demand for salt and dried fish in favour of fresh fish. It was hard to find the capital in the Maritimes to modernize the industry so that fresh fish could be trans- ported to the major markets located primarily in the United States!”?. As a result, fishermen hardly received anything for their catches, if they were able to sell them at all.

Lobster fishing on Prince Edward Island, still the leading fishery, encountered serious problems: overfishing due to competition be- tween too many lobster processors resulted in bankruptcies. In 1896 the editor of L’Impartial wrote about the lack of security in the industry:

I do not question the value of the fishery off our shores, but you must admit that for the past five or six years the number of factories has increased so rapidly that a good many small businessmen have gone bankrupt, and today find themselves with neither factories nor land, victims of their own reckless- ness. (TR)!”*

In addition to these problems, it should be mentioned that the poor quality of canned lobster that some packers shipped to market spoiled the reputation of the product. Consequently, there was a drop in demand'*.

The innumerable canneries did create many seasonal jobs for fishermen but the ridiculous price they received for lobster and other fish was not enough to provide a decent living for a family. If there was a profit it was pocketed by the factory owners. Even then there were many bankruptcies. Fishing proved to be an unstable and rarely profitable way of earning a living. In 1897, at the end of a poor season, L'Impartial undertook once again to remind Acadians of this fact:

The fishing season is drawing to a close. The relative lack of results will inevitably leave a good number of families in a miserable situation as winter approaches. For several years fishing has not been a very encouraging occupation for those involved. Generally, it is a waste of time and people become poorer and poorer. We absolutely must conclude from this experience that it is essential for us to find other more lucrative ways of obtaining the necessities of life. (TR)'**