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THE FISHERIES OF THE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC STATES.

Probably no portion of the entire coast is so bountifully supplied with valuable foodfish and other edible species as are the sounds and bays of our Southern Atlantic States. Fully three times as many persons are at present engaged in the fisheries of the district under consideration as in 1870, and the value of the products has more than quadrupled during the same period; yet the fact remains that in many localities, especially in the portion south of Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, the fisheries are practically undeveloped, and the people, as a rule, have little idea of the abundance of fish in the waters along their shores. There are many obstacles in the way of any extensive fishing business, such as the difficulty of procuring ice and the absence of proper shipping facilities; but there seems little doubt that when the people come to realize the importance of their fishing interests these difficulties will be overcome, and many will find fishing a remunerative employment. In certain localities--as at Beaufort, Wilmington, and Charleston-a large business has sprung up, with profit to all concerned, but even here the industry is capable of much further development.

THE FISHERIES OF MARYLAND.

If the sea fisheries proper be taken as a standard, Maryland has an unimportant place among the fish-producing States; but if the oyster and river fisheries be included, in both of which she is extensively interested, she ranks second only to Massachusetts in the value of the products, and stands first on the list in the number of persons employed. Her 26,008 persons employed as fishermen and shoresmen produced in 1880 $5,221,715 worth of fishery products, while the 20,117 persons interested in the Massachusetts fisheries realized $8,141,750 as the result of their labors. This is easily explained by the fact that the fishing season is much shorter in the former than in the latter State, and that the fishermen are, as a rule, less energetic and less fully equipped for the work. Her oyster interests are more important than those of any other State, these, according to the report of Mr. R. II. Edmonds, furnishing employment to 23,402 persons, with 1,450 vessels and 1,825 boats, the value of the products amounting to $4,730,476. With so extensive a river system it is natural to suppose that her freshwater fisheries would be of peculiar importance, and such is indeed the case, for more shad are taken by her fishermen than by those of any other State, while she stands second only to North Carolina in the extent and value of her alewife (called herring) fisheries.

THE FISHERIES OF VIRGINIA.

Virginia comes seventh on the list of fish-producing States, the oyster, menhaden, and shad fisheries being the three branches in which her citizens are most extensively interested. In the first-named fishery she ranks second only to Maryland, having 16,315 persons employed, with products valued at $2,218,376. Her menhaden fisheries are of recent origin, but they have developed with remarkable rapidity. In 1880 the fleet numbered 102 sail, and the oil, scrap, and compost produced sold for $303,829, 88,213,800 pounds of menhaden being utilized in this way. The river fisheries are also important, furnishing employment to 2,641 persons, and over 3,000,000 pounds of shad and nearly 7,000,000 pounds of alewives (locally known as herring), with many other river species, were taken, the whole having a value of $272,828.

THE FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The large rivers and brackish sounds of North Carolina are visited annually by immense numbers of shad and alewives (commonly called herring), and in spring and early summer the fishing is extensive in many portions of the State. The principal fisheries, however, are near the junction of the Roanoke and Chowan rivers, at the head of Albemarle Sound, and in the Neuse and the Tar rivers. In the alewife fisheries the State ranks first on the list, with 15,520,000 pounds, netting the fishermen $142,874. The quantity of shad taken in 1880 was 3,221,263 pounds, being a little below the Maryland catch, but the price realized is so much greater that the value of the catch is more than double that for the Maryland fishery. Its sea fisheries, when compared with those of the more northern States, are of little importance, though in the bays and sounds between Beaufort and Wilmington many follow fishing for a livelihood, and secure annually large quantities of the various species. The mullet fisheries of North Carolina are second only to those of Florida, the catch in 1880 amounting to 3,368,000 pounds, valued at $80,500.

'This is owing to the fact that most of the shad are marketed before the fishing in the more northern waters becomes extensive.-M. McDONALD.

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THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

South Carolina comes twentieth in the list of fish-producing States with 1,005 fishermen and products valued at $212,482. She is, however, noted for her shrimp fisheries, these being more extensive than those of any other State, and nearly as important as those of all other States combined. In 1880 her fishermen secured 18,000 bushels, valued at $37,500. The principal fisheries are about Charleston, where several hundred negroes, with an occasional Spaniard, are engaged in fishing with hand lines from vessels and small boats to supply the city with whiting, blackfish, and other species. A limited fishery occurs at Georgetown, and in the sounds about Beaufort, from which points a few fish are shipped to the interior cities. Beyond the places mentioned no sea fishery of importance occurs, though there is more or less fishing for local supply along all portions of the coast. Four hundred thousand pounds of alewives (locally known as herring), 207,600 pounds of shad, and 261,250 pounds of sturgeon, with considerable quantities of other species, were taken by the river fishermen, the largest fisheries being in the Edisto River and in the tributaries of Winyah Bay.

THE FISHERIES OF GEORGIA.

The sea fisheries of Georgia are as yet almost wholly undeveloped, and the State comes, next to eastern Florida, lowest on the list of the Atlantic-bordering States. Immense numbers of edible fishes of various kinds gather in the numerous sounds and bays along the outer shore, but comparatively few are taken, and the people are largely dependent upon the fishermen of western Florida for their supply. In 1880 the value of all sea products, exclusive of oysters, was only $19,225. The oysters taken were valued at $35,000, making a total value of the sea products $54,225. The river fisheries are more fully developed, and the Savannah, Ogeechee, and Altamaha yield considerable quantities of fresh-water and anadromous species. The principal fish taken are shad and sturgeon. Of the former 252,000 pounds, and of the latter 354,000 pounds, were caught in 1880.

THE FISHERIES OF EASTERN FLORIDA.

The fisheries of eastern Florida are so different from those of the Gulf coast that it has been thought desirable to treat the two regions separately. In the statistical tables given the figures refer only to the fisheries of the sounds and rivers tributary to the Atlantic. If the entire State be considered, Florida takes the fifteenth place on the list of fish-producing States, having in 1880 2,480 fishermen with products valued at $636,378. Her principal fisheries are at Key West, where a fleet of 21 vessels is employed in the capture of groupers and red snappers for the Habana market. The sponge fisheries of the United States are confined exclusively to the west coast of Florida, where, according to Mr. Silas Stearns, special agent in charge of the fisheries of the Gulf States, 100 sail of vessels are engaged in the business, the value of the sponges taken in 1880 amounting to $200,750. The mullet fisheries are also of peculiar importance, the catch of the Gulf coast, according to Mr. Stearns, being four times that of eastern Florida. The catch for the entire State in 1880 reached 3,494,333 pounds, valued at $123,508, this quantity representing nearly half of the mullet taken in the United States. Along the Atlantic coast the fishing is chiefly with hook and line or cast nets for local supply, the only commercial fishery of importance being in the Indian River, where 88,250 pounds of green turtle, valued at $6,000, were taken, of which the greater part was shipped to Northern markets. The shad fisheries of the St. Johns, though of recent origin, are quite extensive, 251,700 pounds, worth $20,136, being taken in 1880.

Of the 297,539,167 pounds of fishery products taken in the Southern Atlantic States, fully two-fifths, 124,231,240 pounds, are oyster meats, an allowance of 7 pounds being made for each bushel of shell oysters. Of the remainder, 92,194,800 pounds are menhaden, 32,184,372 pounds are alewives (commonly called herring), and 10,878,942 pounds are shad. These are the only species that are taken in quantities exceeding 5,000,000 pounds. Five other species, namely, the mullet, crab, bluefish, perch, and striped bass are taken in quantities exceeding 2,000,000 pounds, while the catch for nine others ranges between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000.

PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES.

The fisheries of this coast are yearly receiving more attention and increasing in commercial value. At present they are chiefly confined to the salmon catch of California and Oregon, the seal fishery of Alaska, with considerable and increasing attention to the cod and halibut fishery. The total value of the products in 1880

amounted to $7,202,730; this included seals, oils, and other sea products. By the canning of 43,379,542 pounds of salmon, the value was increased $2,345,547, making the total commercial value of the fishing products $9,548,277; pounds of fish products, 181,548,920. Of the 16,745 persons employed, 7,910 were Eskimos, Aleuts, and Indians, and about 4,000 Chinese.

FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES.

These fisheries are of much importance and value, abounding in a great variety of food fish, the total catch of 1880 amounting to 68,742,000 pounds-whitefish leading with 21,463,000 pounds, over half of which came from Lake Michigan; herring came next, with 15,356,300 pounds, three-fourths of which were from Lake Erie; sturgeon, 7,012,100 pounds; trout, 6,804,600 pounds; numerous other varieties of less amount from all of the Great Lakes, making the grand total above given.

Fishing industry of the United States on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and Great Lakes. [Compiled from the United States Census Bulletins, by W. A. Wilcox.]

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Total........

Pacific coast fisheries:

78,408

5, 293 178, 446.71 33, 655 77, 566 21,342 98,908 1,443, 284, 099 32, 748, 029 31, 110, 199

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Grand total..... 7,002 178, 446. 71,39, 202 94, 171 26, 532 120, 703 1,693, 575, 019 41, 603, 65952, 204, 557

NOTE.-Lake boats and steam tugs are included with vessels. No tonnage given for Pacific coast or Lake fisheries.

Table showing, by States, the quantity of each of the more important food fishes and other aquatic species taken and the total production of the fisheries in the Middle States.

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Table showing, by States, the quantities of each of the more important food fishes and other aquatic species taken, and the total yield of the fisheries of the Southern Atlantic States.

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Total by States

Alewives,

Clupea vernalis, Mitch., and C. æstivalis, Mitch

Black bass, Micropterus salomoides (Lac.), Henshall.. Black drum, Pogonias chromis, Lacep

Pounds.

Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds, Pounds, 297, 539, 167.95, 712, 570 158, 874, 609 32, 249, 488 6, 143, 250 2, 272, 500 2, 286, 750

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Catfish, Amiurus, sp., and Ichthælurus, sp

2,386, 417

60,000 10,000 1,546, 417

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Charleston porgies, Pagellus, sp. Clams (quahaugs or little necks), Venus mercenaria, Linn..

Crabs, Callinectes hastatus, Ordway

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375,000

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Cravalle, Carangus (several species)

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Croakers, Micropogon undulatus (Linn.). C. and V

10,000

2,000

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Eels, Anguilla vulgaris, Turton..

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Flounders,

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Paralichthys and

20,000 11,000 4,000 6,000

6,000

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96, 250

Groupers, Epinephelus (several

species)

Grunts and pigfish, Hæmulon

(several species).

Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus (Latr.), Goode.

Mixed fresh-water fish

Mixed salt-water fish.

Moonfish or banded porgy,

Chaetodipoterus faber (Brouss),
J. and G..

Mullet, Mugil albula, Linn., and

Oysters, Ostrea virginiana, Lister 124, 231, 240 74,200,000 47,861, 240 1,190,000

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M. brasiliensis, Ag..

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36,500

Perch, Perca fluviatilis, Linn.,

8,000 25,000 3,500

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