394 



BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



other foreigners in the same region are chiefly Spaniards. On the Pacific coast, 

 only 44 per cent of the vessel fishermen are United States citizens; 15 per cent owe 

 allegiance to the British flag, and 41 per cent are of other nationalities, Austrians, 

 Norwegians, Swedes, and Italians predominating. In the vessel fisheries of the Great 

 Lakes, 80 per cent of the fishermen are citizens, 5 per cent are British provincials, and 

 9 per cent are of other nationalities, chiefly Norwegians and Swedes. 

 The following is a tabular statement of the foregoing facts : 



Percentage of citizens and foreigners on fishing vessels of the United States. 



THE VESSELS, BOATS, APPARATUS, AND CAPITAL. 



From the appended table (pp. 397,398) it appearsthat the amount of money invested 

 in vessels, boats, apparatus, buildings, wharves, and other property connected with the 

 commercial fisheries is about $58,245,000. Of this sum, $19,860,000 belongs to the New 

 England States, $19,405,000 to the Middle Atlantic States, $8,873,000 to the Pacific 

 States, $5,421,000 to the Great Lakes, $2,993,000 to the Gulf States, and $1,693,000 to 

 the South Atlantic States. The States having the largest investments devoted to the 

 fisheries are Massachusetts, with $12,980,000; Maryland, with $7,465,000; New York, 

 with $5,981,000; Virginia, with $2,944,000; Maine, with $2,882,000; Connecticut, with 

 $2,869,000; Alaska, with $2,536,000; California, with $2,526,000; New Jersey, with 

 $2,518,000, and Oregon, with $2,220,000. Other States having over $1,000,000 

 invested are Rhode Island, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Ohio, Michigan, and 

 Pennsylvania. 



The aggregate number of vessels employed in the fisheries is 6,334; these, with 

 their outfits, have a value of $14,300,547, and represent a combined tonnage of 176,783. 

 About three-fifths of tbe vessels, or 3,931, belong in the Middle Atlantic States and 

 about one-fourth, or 1,500, in the New England States. The Gulf States have 404, the 

 Pacific States 202, the South Atlantic States 169, and the Great Lakes States 128. 

 The largest tonnage and greatest value are found in the New England States, where 

 the average size of the vessels is much larger than in the Middle Atlantic region. 

 Every State bordering on the coast waters or Great Lakes has a vessel fishery of more 

 or less importance. The least extensive fishery of this class, as judged by the number 

 of vessels, is in Indiana, where only one vessel was employed. The State having the 

 largest fishing fleet is Maryland, with over 1,600 vessels; the State occupying the 

 second rank is Virginia, with 944 vessels, followed by Massachusetts with 809, New 

 York with 666, New Jersey with 618, and Maine 397. The tonnage and value of the 

 vessels of Massachusetts are greater than in any other State, after which come Mary- 

 land, Virginia, California, Maine, Alaska, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut 

 in the item of tonnage, while in point of value the order is Maryland, California, 

 New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maine. 



